The Russellville Democrat., 1879-11-13
A SOUTHERN METHODIST
 COMES TO THE RESCUE.

RUssELLvILLE, Ark, Nov. s, 1879.
 Editor DEMOCRAT. In the DEMO- GRAF of the 9th ult., an article ap- peared under the head of IA Refuta- tion," which Tn justice to myself, 1 wish to notice, and that your readers may fully understand what gave rise to the article mentioned, 1 will ask you to publish letter which ap- peared in the New York Christian Advocate of July 25th, 1879, and written from Ark, and acknowledg- ed by tie writer of "A Refutation" to be his production. There are no garbled extracts in this to be mis- construed, but the genuine letter s'verbatum ct literatum:'
 NORTHERN BUSINESS MEN IN THE
 souTH.o
 Rev. H. c. Fowler: In The Chris tain Advocate of July 3rd see an article headed "Southern Policy with Northern Merchants. The brother who wrote from the South writes the truth in every particular. The same state of affairs exists in this commu- nity, (Ark. ) Any man,n matter how respectable or we'll behaved he may be, if he belong tc the Nj. E. Church, IS entirely ostracised from society. I came here from Aurora, Indiana, something over two years ago. The South Methodists immediately took hold of me and had me preach for them every few weeks, (likewise did the Cumberland Presbyterians.) l asked if there was any M. E. Church here, and was told by every one I asked, including the South Metho- dist minister, that there was no M. E. Church, but there was North Methodist Church whose member ship was composed of horse and cat tie thieves, and low characters gen orally; and knew no better (for l had never heard of North Metho- dist Church ) until one day gentle man came in the store and said he heard Rev, A. B. Ford was in town, and was a member of the Nj. E.. Church. I immediately hunted up MT. Ford, and soon learned the true state or affairs, and the next time servlce was held Tn the M. E. Church I put in my letter, and intend to stand by the M. E. Church till the ''last armed foe expires" My uni ting with the NJ. E. Church caused the South Methodists to drop me like a live coal, and they have ever since let me severely alone, as also have the Cumberland Presbyterians. My business has also suffered in conse quence of it, but q know m whom I have believed" and the South Methodists here are as full of corrup. ton, and are as far gone away from God, as was the people in Noah's time before the flood. Their church in thIs place has only three male members who do not use whiskey for other chan medical purposes; in fact, the South Church here is in the same condition that the brother states in his letter. Since Bro. Ford wrote his letter on the" Brinkley out rage" our church has been persecu- ted morea than ever. "yet not cast down." Our people in the North have no conception of our situation, and, as the brother says, they cannot have, unless they move down here. I could tell you much that would sur prise you. Pray for us that we may have the courage to stand firm "till the battle is over and the victory wonw God is on our side; we are trusting in him" :"and if God be for us, who can be against usy" Yours respectfully, .... ....
 Now, before referring to his Rcfu- tation, I wish to notice portion of his letter which did not appear in the St. Louis Christian Advocate. He says their church (South Meth odist) in this place has only three male members who do not use whisky for other than medicinal purposes. This is very broad as- sertlon and as false as tis broad, to say the least of it, and is nothing less than islander on quite number of as good and true men as the gentle man will find in any community. l have list of more than a score of names of male members of the M. E. Church South, at this place who do not use whiskey for other than me dicinal purposes, and several of this number do not even use it in that way. And will here venture the assertion that no other Church in this community have greater num- Der of male members who abstain from the use of whiskey Gin propor- tion to membership than the Church South, then why this slander2 This agrees fully with the statement of the gentleman made to prominent man In Little Rock, when he assert | ed that on the occasion of the dedi.