The Brookhaven leader., 1885-09-17
BEECHER INDIGNANT.
He BRANDS The PHILADELPHIA RE-
PORT NC A MALICIOUS LIE"
All His pebts Paid Promptly and In Fun
as Soon rs Demanded TIL" Divine
Talks of His Connection with Ply
mouth Church-An Interview.

New YoRK, Aug - Mr. Bcecher was
/ found by a reporter enjoying tho cool
Jreezes which were chasing zach other
across the magnificent landscape which is
,prea out before the Bcncher summer seat
1t Prelsaill The morning papers had not
ct arrived, and Mr.. B3schgr, when he com
pie Ell his perusa OF the article published in
no Philadelphia Times, which Assistant
Postmaster Halliday contradIcted, laid it
own with a gesture of impatience, and
, Saii:
1T is a bnseless fabric of nothingness,
,ltbout the least toun laion. 1t is all lie,
IN infamous lie; and, first Of all | would
0cak OF money matters for it is so put as to
fleet uron a man's honor when it says that
are is any assumption OF debt without
q ention or ability to Tay. Nothing ce be-
more remote from the truth. There is not
worL lngmGn IN my employ, AMI l have
seven about thS place, no need wait longeI
for what IS due him IN al the time it will
take Inc to put my hand IN my pocket. There
is not n tradesman who has one penny owing
which he cannot have on demand. This part
of the Philadelphia article would declare II
Wholesale, malicious lie l cannot for the
lifo of me see why such tales should be set
sarv Affections of life"
"W hat of your retirement from the pulpit
of Plymouth churchf'
"The matter has never been discussed
barely mentioned There nevsr has been
any formal consideration of it in the
church 1t has been thought of, of course;
il would be strange ii it had not bBen. | am
not perpetual motion machine. There Is
span to every human life, and some day it
, Will come about that there will be a Plvm-
outh church and no Mr.. Beechcr. As soor
as feel myself going 1 am ready to stanI
up and say: Brethren, we have had good
time together Thank God for that! But
now let us reason for the future. And will
then welcoms younger man and help him
all can to 60 right on with the work"
''HOw is your present healthF
"Never better i'll my life. am prepared
for any amount OF WORK, and l am
ready now to enter the lists against any man
of half my age, and run him a race, say for
a year-an intellectual go-as- you-please con-
test in writing sermons and preaching them,
in doing hard brain work night and day.
My mind is clearer now than it ever has
teen, am there is not an ache or a pain or a
weak spot that l know Of"
"And the chIrchf
as stronger and better to-day than ever it
was The asperities OF the last political
campaign are gradually fading away, and
the oil reign of love and tolerance coming
in Plymouth has been q Republican strong
hold; it was as such that | founded it, and
such it had grown to te. Many were not
ready to follow me when l thought it my
duty as good citizen to support Mr.. Cleve-
land Some of the members of the cOngre-
cation felt very sore for time and absented
themselves from the church. but al save two
are now again in full working fellowship.
These indignant ones remember that l had
always preached the fullest freedom of ac-
tion on the part Of every man, and they saw
that had right to live up to my Own doc
trines. No man can say that l used
my pulpit as q political agency, or
that l uttered one word as pastor to
which any one in Plymouth could take ex-
. ception. What l did out Of the pulp pit, on
the stump and in pushing the cause which
then thought and still think had the most OF
Justice and right and honor i'll 1t, did
openly and above board. There was a
reason for every utterance | made, and this
reason gave with oil the power | hal. His
tory, think, has justified my course Mr..
Cleveland has made an excellent executive
and have not one word to recall-not one
sentiment to change or alter. Those of my
people who differed with then are coming
round to my way of thinking now. All the
bitterness of the strife is passing or has
passed away, and, as | say, l can think of
but two instances among all my peo-
pie where the old Plymouth church
feeling is not back again in
their hearts, One OF the leaders in this
opposition, if we might 50 style it, in letter
on this very point, said it was not so much
a question of Plymouth church leaving Mr..
Beecher as it was of Mr. Beecher leaving
Plymouth but there is no danger, think, OF
either castastrophe-not for a time at least
! The question of change has been considered
by the long headed men Of the church for
/ ten years past, but it seems as far Off as ever
in any practical sense l think can be Of
/ great service vet, and mean to try to give
! the people the full measure of my abilities
! I thank God for what he has permitted me
~ be and do, and every day makes me to see
'hings clearer, and many matters that ere
uuce puzzles are now plain reading and
| thinking. l sleep we'll, eat with good appe-
tite and digestion, and this year my old ene-
! my, hay fever, seems to have forgotten that
/ am in existence-another matter to be
thankful for.
II viii be the first one in the Plymouth
! Church to urge the retirement Of Mr.
| Beecher as soon as Mr. Beecher should be set
aside 1t may come at any time, but have
no intimation of it yet. will watch for it
and will speak out when the occasion pre-
sents itself l do not think there is any de-
mand for change in the ch urcb. Ask any
of the deacons or any Of the nine trustees.
! Go to S. Y. White, or Professor Ross Ray
mond, or Horace b Claim. or Mr.. Ropes, or
] any Of the leading men in the church Tney
/ are as hearty now as they ever were in the
support of Plymouth and its pastor. More
so, even, were it possible. There is no di-
/ vision, no talk of any seperation, and we will
work on to that end, which hope is yet far
/ off,
| Mr.. Beecher spoke of himself and his
4 church work with a calm satisfaction, in
marked contrast to the way in
which he had opened the conver-
! sation when money matters were
touched upon. He became his old genial
self when Smoke" came upon the piazza
and rubbed his great masttr nose in friendly
greeting against the shoulder OF the great
preacher. The magnificent brute received
! friendly pat on the head end pleasant
word and stretched himself along the floor.
while his appreciat,ve master talked with
animation of his seven dogs, mentioning
each by name, and running with the admir-
| alton of lover over the good points OF collie
and Newfoundland, tan and setter