The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-09-09
A stormy Meeting or Elm Fork Assoc
citation.

Our attention has been called to remark.
able editorial, under the above heading in
your paper of the 7lh inst, for the accuracy
Of which, as to your statements, you do not
vOucb, but refer to delegates returned"
withholding their names. AS several state
fments contained in said article are untrue,
md others need explanation, we beg leave to
reply in the interest of truth and in justice
to large majority of the Baptists composing
Elm Fork Baptist association.
This is nj least the second time Elder r. q.
Buckner has been published in your columns
IS AN excluded Baptist, without any state
msnt of the facts directly bearing upon
hi, so.called exclusion. The fact is that more
than one hundred of tho members claim
to be the church proper, though locked out Of
tbs house MS body, and declare others, who
retain forcible possession, disorderly fac
ton because of their persistent violation of
certain Bible doctrines concerning fellow
ship and discipline 1t WAS not until after
this claim had been asserted and the church
had held two special business meetings, that
the Link Curry faction passed what they
called an act of exclusion, which, however,
the denomination refuses to recognize us
scriptural or binding.
The statements you make upon the author
ity OF delegates returned" concerning Elder
Bucknor's course in organizing the assocla'
ton last Friday, do not give acorrect history.
We were present; Elder Buckner
WAS the undisputed, constitutional m yderalor
by virtue of his election last year, and the
constitution required him to preside during
the organization of tho late session. Under
tho constitution he called the association to
order, and without protest attended to the
most sacred part of the duties by reading
the scriptures and Offering prayer. lie then
proceeded further without any objection
offered, by calling the clerk to his proper
part, appointed reading clerks, and calling
upon all delegates to preser their letters of
credence. After several had been handed in
Elder Haynes arose to make some statements,
which the moderator ruled out of order.
Elder IL. rose two or three times. The
moderator explained that he Lad no means of
knowing who had u right to make a motion
or to vote until the names could be enrolled,
which was the first thing in order, AID that
he would proceed according to
the constitution. He stated that if
any question should be properly
introduced personal to himself, he would call
some one to the CHI ir. He first secured the
enrolment of all names handed in, about
which there was no dispute, and when the
letter ffom Plano was called up, and before
the letter from Dallas was read, he called
Major E, f. Brown to the chair, who pro-
ceeded with the election OF officers; Dallas,
Plano and Mount Calvary churches taking
no part in the work Of organizing.
You were led TO state that Elder b. in !
calling Elder Haynes to order, "thrcatened ,
to invoke the aid of the civil authorities"
The truth is that after Elder HIS. remarks
another party mounted bench and vocifer
ously Gale upon all who could not 60 into
the organization to assemble in the rear of
the arbor, whereupon there WAS great confu-
sion. The moderator called again for order,
and said, 1--WE are here as u religious body, |
proceeding according to our constitution"
Some one standing near said, Sand under
the protection OF the civil law" Yes, add |
ed the moderator, "and under the protection
Of the civil law This repetition of what
another said was not any threat but it had
good effect, for order was restored, and sew
raj left the rear and approached the front
very quietly.
You state that "Rev Mr.. Buckner"
< was Sustained by half the delegates
present" The truth is he was no more in
the chair, but Maj, Brown and the constitu.
tonal body were sustained by q much larger
proportion. Your intormants claim that ten
churches went into an organization the next
day at another place. Suppose that be true,
We write with the official minutes Of Elm
FORK association proper, before US, rs it " as
organized Friday. They show solid dele
CATION from IL churches and partial dele
cation from 3; total churches fifteen. Some
of tina delegates from the went with the
boilers. large majority of the entire del
ogation remains with the association.
You state that the moderator threatened
twice to invoke the aid of the civil suthori-
ties. He re erred to the subject but once,
and rs above. 1t is true, however, that
| civil officer did approach the moderator, as
some know and testify, and tell him he was
on hand and ready to aid him in keeping
order; tho moderator only thanked him but
did not ask for aid.
| Your account is also inaccurate in stating
that one Of the opposing delegates IAN
nounced that the meeting would stand ad-
journeG until Saturday morning at o'clock,
when the body would meet at Mount Cal
vary etc. No such adjournment was an
nounced. The boilers had no officer or organ
ization at that time. No motion was made
by them to adjourn, but after the association
proper had reached the point of adjournment
till next morning, one of the boilers
did announce that they would meet, as
qunted from you above. They did meet, as
we learn, next day, and at different place
from the one provided by The church, and
first elected temporary, and after enrolling
names, q permanent m diator.
| The Elm Fork Baptist association con-
tinucd under its constitution amost hsrmoni-
Gus session at the arbor from the time the
boilers left till its close. Nearly or quite one
: thousand people were present on Sunday and
heard preaching by Elder Carroll, Of Waco
and Elder Love, of Cook county. Cores
pondents were present from East Fork, Sister
Grove, Waxahachie and Shiloh associations
y Over $50 we're raised for home missions; {
8 missionary employed for twelve months, one
month paid in advance. About Sl25 were
raised for foreign missions; for all purposes
about 800. The association does not hole
Q the churches responsible for what their un-
g instructed, disaaected delegates did.
q w. II. PRATHrR,
!, w. Il. THACKER,
u +. H. SHUMATR,