The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1884-04-25
TEE uNHON MgKTls@ AGAIN.

DEMocRAT headed "The Union Meet
ings" which We regard as very unfortu-
nate for those interested in It's produc-
ton and publication. On introducing
an isolated and missuoted sentence from
the Christian Herald it says:
"Wo tAko the following from an sx-
teaded article in the Monmouth Herald
on the Union Services being held in this
city" Now how will this appear TO the
readers Of tho DEMOCRAT when we tell
them that il is . complete misstatement
Of facts In the first place, thers is not
one word in tho whole article referred
70 about the Union Meeting in this city,
nor in any ether city. Indeed there 10
net the remotast allusion 70 the Union
Meetings here or elsewhere to DO found
Ia the article. And in the second place,
the article was headed ministerial Af-
Fiction" and was written in direct reply
70 an article in the Herald by one Of our
own brethren in Springfield, Mo-, on an
entirely different subject The facts
are Just these In our issue Of ths Her
aid Of Feb. Ist, an article appeared from
said brother on "Preachsr's Assosia-
tions," that 10 meetings Ia which the
different dsnominational preachers alone
Of that city met once in each week (us-
uAlly on Monday a. kind Of social
club, enc 10 devise and discuss plans for
the advancement Of the churches. A
this article was not in full harmony
with the ssntiment Of our brotherhood
on this subject, We made reply in the
Herald Of Feb. 18th. now in view Of
these facts, which were plainly 10 be
seen in the Herald, how we can be de-
liberately represented as making . per-
sonal attack on the Union Meetings
Of this city, we leave for the readers Of
the DKNccRAr to judge. II the junior
editor alone were responsible for this
statement, . word Of explanation would
suffice but when it is claimed that the
piece simply reflects the sentiment Of
two or three sthers In this city who
have allowed themselves 10 become un-
duly exercised over some Of our editor
iAls in our own paper, the matter be-
comes still more mysterious Why
take some doctrinal statement written
fer our own brotherhood in our own pa
per and make q personal and local ap-
plication Of it. IL those specially inter
ested arc disposed to take the editorials
Of our religious papsrs written in reply
TO contributors and exchanges and make
personal application Of them and print
them in our local town paper, they can
keep the churches of the community in
endless confusion. And this, by the way,
is what has been done in this city more
than once. Suppose we were to look
thrsugh our supply of denominstional
exchanges on our table and make such q
local application Of some of the ugly
things We see said about our people,
would that be considered the fair thing?
Besides, why was the article allowed to
rest, after the 6rst breeze, from the Is
II Feb. till the present, and then bring
it forth to the local public under the
hourishinR headline "The Union Meet
ings." This unnecessary work might
have been saved by simply calling at
our residence.
The piece further misrepresents US
on q point OF doctrine. 1t Is true that
we, in connection with others In this
city, practice immersion alone for
baptism, and this we do on the testi-
mony Of the Bible and the scholarship
OF the world to tho effect that neither
Christ nor his apostles ever commen-
ded or practiced sprinlslIng or pour
Ing for baptism. We lay down this
challenge at the feet Of our critics for
their consideration. But to teach
that sprlnkling and pouring do not
bring one into the church Of Christ Is
a very different thing from teaching
that every body will be eternally lost
who have not been immersed. II
Others wish to go to heaven on the
faith Of their great grandmothers iu-
stead OF accepting wnat thoy knew
to be baptism, thew will please excuse
as for not wishing to pursue the
same course. We have something
better To offer the people than to ex-
cite their mere sympathy in our be-
half.
Furthermore we are forced to say 6
word In reference to our relation tc
the union meetings in this city. The
announcement and impression have
gone forth that we decline having
anything TO do with these meetings.
But why was not the other side ol
the matter given, namely, that we
matle both oral and written applica-
tion for our proportion Of the time in
the Court House to be used at oui
ewn discretion aud 1t was not grant
ed, and that this accounts for our
meetings In the w. @. T. u. Hall
every Sunday evening, instead ol
filing our regular time In the Court
House. AS we had no other place to
meet, and there were at least six
good churches in the city standing
idle every Sunday evening, we might
have consistently pressed our claim
! for a portion OF the time, but for the