Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-09
Or. hickersoN.

Hlckersop has succeeded in establishing
his paper, the western Protestant, at
Dallas, Texas. Since the departure of
| DR.. Hickerson, and even before be LEFT our
! parish, many rumors have been In circuls.
ton derogstory 10 his character. Some
OF his enemies have forwarded to us
placard filled with outrageous charges
against him and have requested that we
notice them. We have been silent. 1t 10
not our habit to fall In with popular clam.
or founded npon q one-sided statement.
We know nothing Of these strangers who
have assaifed this divine aud attacked the
good name Of his wife with foul epithets
But we do know DIR. Hickerson aud have
always found him TO be . clover, bonora-
BILE, christian gentleman. He was recon.
tnended to MS ia the highest terms by
men who are now endeavo ring to cry him
down; BY men who now declare that they
have known Of these charges against him
for many months; that they we're aware
of reports against him before they intro
duced him to the writer Of this article
The charges go widely circulated prove so
far nothing, except that men TO us un-
known, say very bad things against q
minister high Ia the councils of his
church. They are not proven, they are
simply asserted by parties at a distance
and in the Light Of Reason by an Aneny-
mons writer.
The world 10 too prone TO hound man
down without snfficien, cause. We learn.
ed early in life TO discre,iit public rumor.
Nothing that hns been said or written
about Or. Hickerson changes our opinion
Of him. II Ia not too late for him TO be
heard. Against all these accusations there
stands the fact that tn Louisiana he has So
far a. we know lived q blameless life, and
has discharged the dntics Of the ministe.
rial Office with ability, with honor, and as
a pure christian.
II there have been faults in his past
career we can know nothing Of them until
they take more tangible shape than
they now have. Those other charges
which attack the fair fame of his compsn.
ion nre shameful and cowardly, in view Of
the fact that through the years that DR.
Hickerson has lived in Louisiana those
very persons who now give uttrrance to
these sccusations can lind nothing but
purity and propriety in the life Of the one
accused. We At. glad to find that there
are good men who think with Us about
this matter, and who join with us in ask.
ing reasonable people to stay their verdict
until the facts are known. There are
who will talk, who can.
not be controlled. We think it right and
inst that all men who claim to be fair,
minded should hear both sides before |
We write this article in all honesty and
We have had no conHnuHica.
ton with DR. IIickerson since the publica,
ton of these charges. We have seen 81 |
much Of this sort Of Islander. We have
heard violent aud abusive stories Of other !
ministers in DIR. Hickerson's own church.
Of ministers who stand high in the com.
munity and i'll their sect We have never |
Judged them on these stories, and would |
be illibersl and unfair were we to fall in |.
with the popular clamGr. Whenever the !
Methodist Protestant Church, a sect for !
which sc have the profouudest respect, |
hy the means fixed by their laws decide,
here charges true, then We will hold him |
up to condemnation.
Since writing the above We have rec-iv- |
I'd letter from J. II. Curry, Of this par
sh, which is published in another column. !
From that letter il will he seen that Nr. /
curry denies cmpaiically the accusation !
make against DR. Hickerson IN connection |
With himself Thus one of the charges !
ipon which 40 much was based is volun.
ariiy disproyed. We may reasonably he
icve that many of the others re.t ulon a |
oundation equally a. slender. We insist
hat justice requires that all fair men
'hould withhold Judgment.
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