The Van Buren press., 1877-10-02
BRO, WlTHER'S LETTER.


letter to the Independent Arkansian
should have brought me thus to grief by
grieving my good friends at Van Buren,.
have ever set a high value on the good
people of your city, and know Of no
people to whom | am debtor for kind
regards and hospitable entertainment SO
much as to yours. Far be it from me to
do your city an injustice, or to offend
your good people.
NY offense seems to consist in two
things, viz: LIST, That the railroad has de-
populated the city. But, my dear friend,
when you re-read my letter, you will see
that did not say so. My remark was
that the railroad had done nothing for
the Development Of Van Buren,. And you
have admitted as much, when you say,
Van Buren, proper may not have grown
or increased in population, but has not
decreased AS to what citizen" told
me, did not write precisely as he told
it, but | thought | gave the substance OF
it. The conversation with the "citizen'
was on this wise | remarked y" Van
Buren, has not improved much since |
was here, four years ago." He answer
al g Ne, tho effect of the railroad on |
Van Buren, is like what Mr., Of,
said of the turnpike, at his town, one
more pike would finish the town." This
is written from memory, and may not be
correct, as to exact words, but is rs near
literal as memory serves. ! sought to
guard that item against any damaging
effect by stating that citizen" my in
formant, might have had some anti-rail-
road feeling. Albeit, must be permit
ted to say that he lisa gentleman ofsplen-
did attainments and of high moral char
acter. presume he is not an enemy of
railroads, and know him to be true
friend of Van Buren,. He may have
intended his remark as humorous, and
certainly did not impress me as intend
ing to say that Van Buren, did not aoc
contain half as much population as she
did four years ago, but only that a great
many persons had gone away.
2. In stating that Evan Buren, is the
only town in the State, known to the
writer, where that vulgar style of inf
deity advocated by Tom. Paine is
openly and unblushingly avowed. | did
did not suppose any reader of my letter
could, with any show of reason, infer,
from what wrote, that infdelity was a
controlling element in Van Buren, society,
and therefore did not deem it necessary
to explain. You have various churches,
with regular pastors, and | so stated and
you have an elegant society, and this
was also stated, but us matter Of fact,
you have Tom. Paine infidelity," also,
and, as a ae,rs writer for aevs paper,
deemed it proper to state that fact, also.
| did not state that Van Buren, was an
snnauI .o.snJ Only ovid ..>:-- ~,-~~
of infidclity was around in the toun. |
should be glad to make such dmende as
Col. Wilcox calls for, if the facts would
, warrant it. But know such infdelity
does exist in Van Buren,, and having
written it it is writ" Glad Col. Will
cox don't know who the infdels are
but it does not prone they are not there.
1t proves he is not one. And you, Mr..
Editor, +" have not fallen in with it, and
do not expect you ever will. Men are
not likely to air their religious opinions
in presence of busy politician and
journalist But it is the minister's duty
to ascertain the religious complexion of
the people. Twas furnished with some
literature, while in Van Buren,, that had
been handed to friend with marked ar
ticlcs, with the request that he should
" read without prejudice" This litcra-
turc is taken, read and relished, not by
Van Buren, as town, but by certain per-
sons in the torn. TO my mind, the con-
tents were revolving, and did not betray
much advanced thinking" 1t held
Christ to be" Legitimate" Mary, His
mother, was not virtuous J" the Bible
was an " obsccne and indecent book, un-
fit for the f.,mily circle Now, all this
l read in "Paine's Age of Reason"
twenty years ago If "this is a serious
reflection on orr town." the fact, more
than the mention of it, is the reflection"
and am not responsible for the fact
| Col. Wilcox points, with much sat
isfaction, to the " advanced thinkers of
Van Buren,, some of whom discard "emo-
tional religion" but are abreast with
the liberal Christianity taught by Jesus,
and, now, in too many instances, aban-
doned by His protested followers The
emotional religion" taken in connec-
ton with the last clause of that sem
tcnce, makes it bristle with inuendo.
Colonel will you define =? What is emo
tional religion, and who are its advo-
Gates ! And let me, spontaneously,
press another question on your attten-