The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-06-03
A Letter frOn the Rev. Leonard BacOl
ON Mr.. Bowen aud the Scandal.


ON MR.. Bowen and the Scandal.
TO the Editor Of the Tribune:
Sir: In a reported ''interview' MIR.
Henry G. Bowen is represented as claim
ing that lin distinction from my son. the
Rev. George B. Bacon) am "a personal
friend of his, and as saying, in contirma-
ton Of that claim, that am "a regular
contributor to the Independent. He
ought not to be held responsible for rep
resentation made by an interviewer. ;"
Yet, inasmuch as the representation has
been made in circumstances which give it
more significance than would otherwise
belong to it, may be allowed to offer a
word of explanation without implying
imputes to him.
My explanation is this. Mr.. Bowen
must not assume, nor may it be assumed
in his behalf, that every man who con-
tributes to the Independent is in any
special sense his personal FRIEND or be-
comes in any way responsible for him. l
profess to be friend of mankind. | am
not an enemy of Mr.. Bowen and am not
in any relations Of hostility with him.
But when send an article to the Lnde-
pendent for publication, l do it not as an
act of friendship to the proprietor, nor as
a testimony tc his moral character, nor
as anything else than "a business
transaction. Mr.. Bowen is not
ignorant of the current maxim
that s'business is business"
When he buys paper, he does not mean
to imply that the paper maker is rep.
resentative Congregatlonalist. When he
prints advertisements of quack medicines
he must not be understood as intending
to dose himself or his family with the
nostrums which he advertises. So, when
write for the press l ask myself what
journals will pay me for my labor, and
through which of them | can hope to
reach the largest number of those read
ers whom | want to influence. Some
times l contribute to the Independent,
sometimes to the Christian Union, and
sometimes to other journals, never as
giving my test mony in favor of the pro-
prietors or the editors, nor as approving
everything they publish, but always for
other reasons such as have indicated.
And lest be misunderstood, let me say
that in my opinion the journal Of which
Mr.. Bowen is proprietor has greatly i'm
proved in all the qualities of good news
paper since it ceased to be the vehicle of
Mr.. Tilton's demoralizing follies, and es-
pecially since the present editors began to
guide it, yet must confess that am by
no means constant reader of it, and my
commentator must not be taken for
more than it is worth. 1t may be that
esteem it more highly as compared with
some other journals, because, seeing less
Of it, | have less occasion to find fault
with it.
And now, while we are waiting for
the verdict" there is something to be
said about Mr.. Bowens connection with
the great scandal. He permits the pub
lie to believe that he is in possession Of
some great secret, which he will not tell
save under the coercion of law, and
which neither party dares to call for. Is
there any such secret! How easy it
would be for him to say (f he can say it
truly, II believe Mr.. Beecher to be a
pure and upright man, and know nothing
which ought to impair any mans conf
dence in him." Why has he not said it!
Can any body wonder that those who
have mistaken faith in MIR. Bcecher have
little faith in Mr.. Bowen? But, on the
other hand, how much confidence can
they who believe that Mr.. Beecher is a
thoroughly bad man have in the man
who, as they also believe, has been for
years conniving ut his pastors guilt!
cannot but think that Mr.. BOwen's posi-
ton needs explanation.
LEONARD BACON.
New Haven. May lS, 1875.