The clarion., 1885-09-02
BEECHER INDIGNANT.
ne BRANDS THE PHlIADELP PHiA RE-
PORT AS A MALICIOUS uE.H
An HIS rebts Paid Promptly and in Fun
a. Soon as Demanded The Divine
Talks of His Connection With Ply
mouth Church-An Interview.

NEW YORK. Aug. 2--Mr- Beecher was
found by a reporter enjoying the cool
ureezes which were chasing each other
across the magnificent landscape which Is
spread cut before the Beecher summer seat
at Pesksxill The morning papers had not
yet arrived, and Mr. Beeeher. when be com
ple.ei his perussai Of the article published in
the Philadelphia Times, which Assistant
Postmaster Halliday contradictai. laid it
down with q gesture OF impatence, and
said:
1T is baSeless fabric OF nothingness,
without the least foundation. It is all lie,
an infamous lie; and, first CT all would
speak of money matters, for 1t is so put as to
reflect upon mans honor when it says that
there Is any assumption of debt without
intention or ability TO pay. Nothing &c be
more remote from the truth There is not o
workingnan In nav employ, AMI have
seven about this place, who need wait longe,
for what Is due him than the time il will
take me to PUT ny hand IN my pocket There
IS not a tradesman who has one penn7 owing
which be cannot have on demand This part
Of the Philadelphia article l would declare a
wholesale, malicious lie. / cannot for the
life of me see why such tales should be set
aaoat, but l suppose il is one OF tbs neces-
sary afflictions of life
"W hat Of your retirement from the pulpit
Of Plymouth churchF'
''fhe 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;
it would be strange IL it had not been. am
not perpetual motion machine. There Is =
span 10 every human life, and some day it
VIII come about that there Will be a Plyai-
outh church and no AIr. Beechar. As soor
as / feel myself going 1 am ready to stanl
up and say; Brethren, we have had good
Tine together. Thank God for thati But
now let Us reason TOR the future. And I will
then welcome a younger man and help him
all can to 20 right on with the work.
''How is your present healtbFs
Never better IN my life. am prepared
for any amount of WORK. and l en-
ready now to enter the lists against any man
Of half my age, and run him a race, say for
year--an intellectual go-as you plsase con-
test in writing sermons end preaching them.
in doing hard brain work n1ght and day
My mind is clearer now than it ever has
been, ami there is not an ache or pain or G
weak spot that know Off
"And the churchf'
was, The asperities of the last political
campaign are gradually fading away, and
che oil reign of love and tolerance coming
in. Plymouth has been Republican strong
hol1; it was as such that | founded it, and
such it had grown to be. 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 absentej
themselves from the church tut a | save two
are now again in full working fellowship
These indignant ones remember that l had
always preached the fullest freedom of &C
tion on the part of every man, ard they saw
that had a right to live up to my own doc
trlnss. No man can say that l used
my pulpit as O political agency, or
that I uttered one word as a pastor to
which any one IN Plymouth could take ex-
ception. What did out Of the pulpit, on
the stump and in pushing the cause which /
then thought and stin think had the most OF
justice and right and honor in it, did
openly and above-board. There was a
reason for every utterance / made, and this
reason gave with all the power 1 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. Thoss 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, can think of
out 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 SO style it, in letter
on this very point, said it was not so much
fal9,1
Beecher as it was of Mr. Beecher leaving
Plymouth but there is no danger, l think, of
either castastrophe-not for a time at least
The question OF change has been considered
Dy the long g-headed men CT the church for
ten years past. but it seems as far off as ever
in any practical sense. l think l can be of
great service yet, and l mean to try to give
the people the full measure of my abilities
I thank God for what he has permitted me
sv be and do, and every day makes me to see
hings clearer, and many matters that ere
Jnce puzzles are now plain reading au1
thinking. | sleep well, eat with good appe-
lite and digestion, and this year my old enc
my, hay fever, seems to have forgotten that
| am in existence-another matter TO be
thankful for
Il viii be the first one in the Plymouth
Church to urge the retirement of Mr.
Beecher as soon SIS 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 do not think there is any de-
mand for change in the church. ASK any
of the deacons or any of the nine trustees
Go TO s. V. White, or Professor Ross Ray
mond, or Horace B. Clafln, or Mr. Ropes, or
any of the leading men in the church. Tney
sre as hearty now as tl,sy ever we're in the
support OF Plymouth and its pastor More
so, even, were it possible. There is no di-
vision, no talk of any separation, AMI We will
work on to that end, which hope is yet far
OFF,
Mr.. Beecher spoke Of himself and his
church work with a calm satisfaction, in
marked contrast 70 the way in
which he had opened the conver-
sation when money matters were
touched upon. He became his old genial
self when 'sSmoksn came upon the piazza
and rubbed his great mastif nose in frienoly
greeting against the shoulder of the great
preacher. The magnificent brute received a
friendly pat on the head and 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
Poison on Cabbage.
LAFAYETTE, Ind, Aug. 81 The family
of Samuel Bringham were taken i'll with all
the symptoms of poison. Prompt medical
attention saved them Tho youngsss daugh-