The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-11-24
SALOON VS.. PULPIT.
Libel Suit for $4,000 i'm Ohio---An m
Exploded Charge of Plagiarism
Growing out of 1t.

Ltbe, Suit for $4,000 i'm Ohio---An
Exploded Charge of Plagiarism
Growing cut of 1t.
CLEVELAND. Nov. 10.-The sensation in
northern Ohio Just now is the closing chap
ter in libel suit for $3O, 900, brought by
one Frank f. Bronson against Rev. Jas.
Brand, pastor of the First Congregational
church of Oberlin, and successor OF the
eminent DIR. Chas. G. Fimey. The man
Bronson was druggist in the university
town of Oberlin, and persisted in selling
LIQUOR to students and others, to the great
detriment of the college and the morals
and repute of the town. AT last, there
being no law under which he could be
prosecuted, a crusade of moral suaslon was
opened against Bronson. In the course of
this movement Rev. Brand preached a vig-
orous sermon from his pulpit OH the up
permost topic. In the discourse he quoted
from language of Henry Ward Beecher,
uttered some thirty-tive years ago, pas
sage full of inyective, and applied it to the
case of Bronson. On this passage Bronson
has brought a libel suit, placing the DAM
age at $50 ,000 The trial has now lasted
TWO weeks. The testimony was all i'll on
Thursday last, and since then the lawyers
have been filling up the time. Nobody
outside of the court room expects anything
but a verdict for the defendant. The main
object of the suit seems to have been TO
"gct even' with the Oberlin community
by harrassing Il prominent representative
of it.
Out of the trial has incidentally come Il
foolish charge that Mr.. Brand approprlat-
ed Beechcr'S impassioncl language, and
used it as his own in the sermon referred
to. This is wholly and absurdy false.
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, Feb.
! 10, 1882. It was published the same week
from Mr.. Brands manuscript. AS thus
published, the now famous passage with
its context read us follows:
owe have reached time when the
| burning we do of Il Christian man, now
| living, seem to be the only words that
adequately express the feelings of our
hearts,
THE QUOTED PASSAGE.
ooh, thou corrupter of youth, would
not take thy death for all the pleasures Of
| thy guilty life thousandfold, Thou shalt
draw near to the shadow of death. 10 the
Christian these shades arc the golden haas
which Heavens light makes when it meets
the earth and mingles with its shadows
But to thee, these shall be shadows full o.
phantom shapes, images of terror i'll the
! future shall dimly rise and beckon thee
The ghastly deeds of the past shall stretcl
out their skinny hands and push thee for
ward. Thou shalt not die unattended
Despair shall mock thee. Agony shall ten
der to thy parched lips her fiery cup. Re
morse shall feel for thy heart and rende
it OPEN Good men shall breathe freer a
thy death and utter Thanksgiving whel
thou art gone Men shall place thy grave
stone as a monument and testimony that ;
plague is stayed. And rs borne on tn
blast thy guilty spirit whistles toward tn
gate of hell, the hideous shrieks of thos
whom thou hast destroyed shall pierre
thee-hell's first welcome"
This is the strong language Of another
but it is only the echo of the word of God
which declares there shall in no wise ente
into Gods kingdom of love "anyting tina
detileth; neither whatsoever worketh abor
ination or maketh lie." Would to Go
that these men might themselves turn an
repent. Christ died even for them. And S
under this gospel it becomes us to be pati
ent and law abiding, using nothing bu
Christian influence, and leaving all ver
geance to him who hath said, 'Vengeanc
is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. "
) In the printed report not only are tn
2 plain and repeated words of quotation an
= credit given above, but quotation mark
/ are used where they belong.
e The case is attracting wide interest, bot
/ on account of the high character of the dt
t fendant and the Importance of judic
decision as to the limits of the freedom
D speech that may be enjoyed by clcrgyme
= and other public teachers.
G Arthur Unmistakabiy Candidat
: WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.-A member