Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-30
AN OPEN LETTER
From n Memphis Lady 10 the
Editor Of the Appeal.
Mr.. Editor of the Appeal .

you through the columns OF the LED
GER; | AM a daily reader of your pa
per and regret to find that the
great editor Of one Of our choice
papers should have all at once become
SO thoroughly bankrupt in the way Of
material for the reading public as to
impel him to wage a wordy war on one
of our ministers-Rev. DIR. Jones
This, from my standpoint, land | think
every lady in the city will agree with
me), shows not merely a shrinkAge in
subjects for pure and elevated thought,
but il shows, too, a most revengeiul
spirit. Admit DR.. Jones TO bein error,
is that any reason you should
stand behind a newspaper for your
screen, and abuse without stint a
teacher of divinity through its pages
broadcast over the land? You say:
"Dr. Jones, formerly spoke in praise
of your paper; latterly unfavorSbly,"
etc. We live in an age of change,
and we are quite liable TO change our
opinion both Of people and things. |
don't see any great harm in this. Then
again, you accuse him Of two false
hoods that you can prove them
such by your back numbers" Would
it not have been we'll aud far better to
have gone to him aud told him he had
been wrongly informed, etc? Your
paper has been long and well estab
lisned here, and l should think could
fully sustain its character against a
few Misrepresentation When David
was pursued by his enemy (Saul) the
opportunity offered when he could
have taken Saul's life. Did he do it,
No; for he was the Lords Amounted, y
and this is the reason he gives FOL not
doing it. You have not killed the
teacher of divine truths, but you have
used the whole vocabulary OF inyec
tives upon him. | don't remember
ever to have seen just such an array
of opprobriums wedged together in
print as your last article contains.
Now If preachers are to be hauled be-
fore the public in this manner, will
not those at a distance who read your
paper be deferred from ever coming
within the precincts OF our Taxing
District You could not have said
more of a highway robber or a mur
derer. | never saw a more fertile
memory for words through which to
vent latent spite in all my life. In
deed, you have fairly exhausted the
dictionary from its first page to It's
very close. This, too, on an acknowl-
edged Christian gentleman, who is
going about doing good not only in
the pulpit, but in general. He is a
prominent member of the society fer
the prevention Of cruelty to animals"
and pays his money to its support
Why could you not entertain your
readers with the good he is doing for
our cityf There is a lesson mothers
and fathers delight to impress on the
minds Of their children; namely, IF
you cannot say any good Of one, say
nothing" Perhaps this was omitted
in yeur training, but it is never too
late to learn a COED lesson even from
the weaker sex. The spirit you have
manifested is not snly detrimental
to yourself, but you have disseminated
it throughout the length and breadth
of the wide circulation Of your paper.
How will it be with those whose
minds are not yet matured, and who
take the Appeal as their model? Will
your conscience answer these ques-
tons? Beware how you inculcste a
spirit of revenge against our ministry
through your popular columns, lest
ye see "the handwriting on the wall"
and hear the awful doom, Weighed
in the balance and found wanting
must not forget that you congratulate
yourself that there are Methodists.
Baptists. Episcopalians and Camp
bellites," whose ministers RETAINED
from appending their names to the ar
that is SO offensive to you"
There is not a Campbellite church
in the city, 30 you have placed
yourself il the same category that
you assign Rev. DR.. Jones. For you
are guilty of a mistake there is a
church here, and sometimes
we hear it called Campbellite way out
in small illiterate places, obscure vii
where they scarcely know that
the art Of printing has ever been
demonstrated. But in cities Of cuI-
ture, ike our own boosted Memphis.
II is obsolete. 1t isa nickname given
by the enemy Of our cause ; and you
will no doubt thank me for this In
in case you ever have coca
sion 10 make mention Of said church
again. For | take it that no refined
ever stoOps to apply a wrong
name knowingly 10 an individual, nor
10 a church, nor TO a society, nor TO an
institute Of any kind. Suppose some
one TO give you a nickname. What
would you think Of a well educated.
elegant gentleman, if he we're to greet
you by it? l am aware that your
very peculiar forte consists in the
employment Of very iorcible express
such as have been rather Law
ishly hurled at DR.. Jones. Hence.
do not solicit a reply to this for Of
the very cultivated and refined
Of our leading paper would
in the attempt to make use oil
his tayorite words, out Of his newly.
made dictionary, in an epistle TO a
Yes, | hear him say: [ am
incapable Of doing any such
thing as this l will be %reticient for
once. | will just fold my spleen in
my original dictionary for the present.
but mark it, | will await my chance on
some male offender, and then | will
open up my whole battery upon him
If an apology is needed for the in.
trusion of these lines, you have it, in
all due respect. Very truly,
Mrs. Ton GALE.
How Places are Bought.
Washington Paper.l