Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-09-21
DALLAS.
The Pulpit and the Press ut Swords
Ends A Careful Review OF the
Merits OF the Case.
Pnrson Williams. Tennessee Evangelist,
Handles an Evening Paper without
Gloves.
AZ EVANGELIST on pAp TASTE.


c. Williams, the Tennessee evangelist,
has been preaching in the Armory hall in
this city for the past week, and his serv-
ices have been attended by u great
many people. Mr.. Williams has not re-
ceiyed the notice from the press of this
city that hc is wont TO receive from the
papers in the cities of his visitation. All
the journals located or represented here
have treated him with courteous and dig
nlned silence, only giving his meetings
such notice as large gatherings of the
people demanded us matter of news.
Yesterday, however, the Evening Journal
administered mild rcbukc to Mr.. Will
liams for language used by him
in his sermon the previous
night, and last night he
went for the Journal "Ile shed his
linen,n rolled up his sleeves, spit ON his
hands, and swore by all the gods on
Mount Olympus that he would lick the
Journal till 1t couldn't tell itself from
last years corpse. Well, he didn't ex-
actly do that, either, but he did abuse the
paper, intimating that it was the organ of
the devil, the herald of hell, and the side
partner of general cusscdncss. lie said
that he was glad to see the devil at work,
for he then knew he had foe to fight
The head and front of the Journals of
Tending was in relating and CriticiSing the
following incident:
On Friday night, while Mr.. Williams
was preaching, several persons got up
and went out. Williams said in an angry
and sarcastic manner, "those people 60
ing out put me in mind of Il lot of Mig
gers. have preached TO nggers u good
deal, and they are always jumping up and
running out and then running back.
When people do that it shows they have
not been well raised. II il is too long be-
tween spells, (you know what | mean
stay out. This is no theater for people
to run in and out between acts"
That Is not the way the journal gave il.
Its version put Mr. Williams in much
better light, but that is the way it oc-
Cured, Now, tits respectfully submitted,
and that, too, at the risk of being called
bad names by the gentleman that his Ian
guage was unwarrantcd. First, because
he had no right to presume that those who
went out did so for the purpose of getting
drinks, and that is what he charged by
innuendo. The building was crowded
and warm, the seats were about all taken,
and in the back part, at least, most dis
agreeable odor prevailed, presumably
caused by the lack of proper ventilation.
Shall people be pilloried upon mere sus-
picion? Drawn and quartcred without
trial, without proof, and upon presump-
ton only? "Faith, hope and charity
these three, but the greatest of these is
charity"
Second, there were several coloreG per-
sons In the audience-quiet, respectable
ipeople-who came in unostentatiously
and who stood near the door, quietly
and respectfully listening. Granting that
| MIR. Williams knew, beyond reasonable
doubt, that those who disturbed him by
/ going out left for the purpose of visiting
II saloon, or for any other improper pur-
| pose, was it right for him to hurt the
| feelings and scnsibilities of the colored
/ persons present, simply that he might
make his denunciation of the offenders
more emphatic? Assuredly not.
The information contained in the latter
/ part of Mr. Williams rebukc /. e., that
"this is no theater," was entirely super
| tluous. No one would for moment
make the mistake OF supposing it was.
| \ casual dropper-in might be led into the
error of taking IL for some kind of side
show, where all sorts of different fcatS OF
verbose acrobats were performed, but the
name theater carries with it prima facie
proof of responsibility which only the
presence of wcll-known and highly re-
spectacle people lend to the per-
formanCc of these religious bull
dozers. There are many people in
teres'ed in those meetings, honest, we'll
meaning Christians, who really believe
that good will come of them, and are do
ing all in their power to make them sue
cessful in advancing the cause of Chris
tianity and saving souls; but they are in
bad company. The man who uses rough,
coarse, brutal language in the pulpit in
speaking of persons whose motives he
cannot understand, is lacking in gentle
manly qualities, without which it is a
very difficult thing TO be Christian.
These are facts that cannot be contro-
ycrted, and all that Mr.. Williams can saw
about its being the work of the devil, OF
about his being blessed because he Is
prosecuted for Christ's sake, cannot
change them,
PERSONAL.
c. +. Mcdonald and &c. Griffin OF
WaNnhacbie arrived in the city this morn.
Ing.
IL. j. Stands, Forney, w. T. Stewart,
Big Spring, j. X. p. Smith, Ferris, are
mt the ST. George
b. f. Ashcroft, Texas, f.. A. Puthoff
Waco, w. c. Carpenter and W. Perrin
Decatur, are at the st. James.
Geo. Maclaine of Houston, right bower
to Maj. Waldo of the Houston & TeXa,
Central railroad, arrived in the city thi:
morning, and is the guest of Mr.. Chas
Fred Tucker.
IInurv ~ Milo Of a., AI;..a,,.,t I,.iu.
is at the Grand Windsor
W. j. Il. Ross of WaXahachie is here.