The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-03-15
For ~ Democratic Aasoea...


UHoS BRipaE, No., 8 mo. 10, 1879.
Ids. Dem. Adroeatc lin your paper Of
Jan. Is, on the first page, appeared a shorL
article with this heading; Execution OF
HUNTER from which | extract this descrip'
tion Benjamin Hunter, the Quaker mer-
chant Of Philadelphia, was executed in the
Camden Jail, on Friday morning, the 10th
inst. Hunter was an old business man,
member Of the Society Of Friends, and, though
distinguished for his ayarice and mcanness,
had succeeded in building up reputation for
integrity and honesty
am very unwilling to believe that you
would purposely bring reproach or odium
upon the Society Of Friends by publishing the
name OF this man as one of its members, un.
less you thought the above statement was
correct To disabuse the minds Of your read.
ers, please insert in your valuable paper the
following extracts;
The publisher of Friends lnteligencer,n
No. 7O6 Arch street, Philadelphia, says.-'I
have made enquiry of q number of Friends
and find that Benjamin L. Hunter was not a
member of the Society Of Friends, aud never
had been, nor can find that any of his fam
lily we're connected with Friends
Another reliable Friend lJoseph C.. Tum.
penny writes:--'I may state that have had
some knowledge Of Benjamin +. Hunter for
many years. My store was within half a
square Of his place Of business. To ms best
knowledge and belief, neither he nor any
member of his family ever had any connection
whatever with the Society of Friends. All his
children went to free school in which have
been manager for upwards of thirty years,
The humane and peaceable sentiments and
views OF Friends have often subjected them
Ia : pn,p md, IL
cause OF their opposition to capital punish.
ment, it has been charged that they would lot
the murderer go free; whereas Just the oppo.
site of this charge is the truth.
As 1t is not the sererity Of the punishment,
but its certainty, that gives the law its terror
TO evil doors. So, as a matter Of government
tai policy, many OF them think that coniine.
ment at hard labor for life, as penalty for
murder, would convict many felon that now
goes scot.free. Whilst their religious princ.
pies in this matter are founded, as they be.
lieye, upon the teachings and testimonies of
Christ, the evidence of the correctness of
those principles is shown in the fact, that no |
Friend or Quaker, during the two hundred |
and thirty years Of the existence Of the Soci. |
ETY., was ever hung Ito my knowledge for the |
crime Of murder.
Respectfully, your friend, p. WooD
Dir. Wood is quite right in supposing
that we would not "purposely bring re-
proach or odum upon the Society of
Friends, by publishing the name of this
man as one Of its members There are
no people whom We hold in higher esteem
for their orderly, peaceable, quiet and up
right department, than the Quakcrs, or
Friends, as they prefer to be called. We
have been familiar with them all our lives.
1t SO happened that our family circle en-,
braced some of the most eminent of its
members. We recall one lady, with whom
We walked hand finland to tho house of
worship, where we listened to her eloquent
voice as she arose to instruct those present
in spiritual things, speaking with earnest
ness and emphasis as she was given utter.
ancc. We recall, alsO,-a valued and
useful mau,-formerly of this State, but
who removed to New York, where he
amassed large fortune, but which he
never failed to dispense to those who had
need, We mention these things to show
how utterly grOundless is any suspicion that
We would do or say ought to cast reproaeh
upon the Friends, or any religious sect
whatever. We published the article in
question, just as We publish every other item
Of news in our paper which we fud float.
ing in our exchanges, that we think will
interest our readers We might just as
well be held to account for any and every
item in our news department as for that
particular one. We copied it from some
exchange, and had no knowledge Of its
truth or falsity, as We can have no knowl.
edge OF the truth or falsity of many other
things which We must necessarily publish
upon trust in the knowledge and good faith
Of those WHO first set them afoat upon the
sea OF journalism, A newspaper publisher
s not properly responsible for any thing
which appears in his paper that is not
original To hold him or to attempt to
hold him to any such responsibility is alb.
iurd in the extreme and unfair to the last
lesree. But suppose Hunter had been a
member of the Society Of Friends, the
yood name aud reputation of that Society
S not based upon so frail foundation as
o be shaken by the moral dellnqueneies of
me man. That flock must be pure indeed
hat has not an occasional black sheep in it.
Even the Twelve, chosen by the Divine
Master himself had Judas. But, be-
'ause one of them chad devil" did that
act bring Christianity into disrepute, or
'ast reproach or odium upon i'll No.
The Church has suffered in all ages from
he CONDUCT Of unworthy members, but
he has suffered IN feeling only, She
lands sure, and the gates of hell cannot
'reyail against her, much less can her
haFaoter be ipjuriously affected by o
newspaper paragraph. We are gratided
o know, or to bo assured, that Hunter
lad no connection with the Society Of
friends, and we thank Mr.. Wood for
making the correction. We win publish
lothing, if we know it, that is not strictly
rue, but captiQps indeed must be the
plrit that would undertake to hold pub
isher responsible for mere items of news
which may appear from time to time In
lis paper. We feel sure that Mr.. Wood
S man of more intelligence and more
nagnanimity.
yrpeE hygs's AorloE. Washington ad- 1
uses Of March 20, sayyi-There cauie hefoya
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