Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-12-24
Mountain Should not be Made out of
MOle-Hill---The Preacher Found
Gu~iltIess of Immoral Conduct.
Two Texts Worthy of Observance: avoid
the Appearance of EVIL and Charity
Covers II Multitude OF Sins'--Ihe
Facts aud Rev. Smiths Yer
batin Statement-NOtes.

las been guilty some time during his
ife of ''imprudence." Is there any
nan or woman of his age who has
not? It appears that he was tried for
immortality; found guiltless; that he
all the time publicly admitted that
perhaps he had been lmprudent that
the lowest penalty possible was in
iicted by the church; that if he had
been an officer or 4 member instead
of a minister he would have been re-
proved; only this and nothing more.
The trial, if such you would call 1t,
was private. There is no way to get
the facts as they appeared. We can
only draw our conclusions from the
verdict. If Rev. Smith had been
found guilty of anything like immor-
atty he would have been discharged
from the church. That would hav.
been right. 1t surely would have
been done. Very often newspaper
men have to notice matters whether
they want to or not. On this occa
sion we wish to give the facts as fan
as we can CLEAN them. Our readers
can draw their own conclusions. OF
course there are sensationalists and
scandal-mongers in every community
who level in any chance to pull a
good man down, whether the facts
warrant it or not. We presume that
hardly a week passes that sensations
could not be worked up in Mexico
that would eclipse every phase OF
this one, but Rev. Smith having been
a stickler in regard to morality laid
himself open to criticism if he even
varied one jot or little from the
straight and narrow way. At the
same time he should not he accused
of things of which he is evidently
innocent. There is no use to go into
a long history of the trouble. TIL,
verdict, which was the lishtest pun
ishment that could be inflicted, shows
that no crime was done or attempted
Only the most uncharitable try tC
make q mountain out of a mole hill
Tie following letter to J. NJ. Mar
maduke, of this city, from Bishop
Granhery, of st. Louis, speaks fol
itself:
Dear Bro. Marmaduke
3006 CHESTNUT SY, ST.. LOTS, Dec
Is, 1SS5.-T G. Written, of tn,
Memphis conference, is transferred tt
the Missouri and stationed at Mex
leo. He is given up by his confer
ence with regret; has done Il am in
formed by the best authority a
much for them the past three year.
as any other member, and is be
lieved to be in every way a suit
able man for the place. l com
mend him to you. l do not know
the size of his family nor when h,
expects to go to your city. L sup
, pose it will be very soon. Last yea
he was presiding elder of Paris dis
trict.
The case of Rev. Smith distresse
ME. He came to Missouri Septem
Der, 1884, and was appointed t.
l Mexico. When the North Texa
: conference met the following Noyem
Der there was a report of immoral 0
, imprudent conduct against him. A
he was absent the case was referee
to his P. f, for investigation-that i
to the p. Z. of Dallas district. Th
committee acquitted him Of immor
| ality. That was, however, only
provisional investigation. He wa
responsible to the annual %conferenc,
Hence | read out Mexico to be SUP
e piled, hoping the North Texas cor
t ference would clear him and then b
would be regularly transferred. II
did not attend, as you know, but ws
defended by Bros. Lewis and Bou
land, SO | am told. He was foun
u guilty and suspended for six month:
whether from the church or onI
from the ministry I have not y
learned. | am expecting the lett
from the secretary with the precis
sentence. l do not know the charge
it was, [ believe, imprudent behave
y with a N To imprudence,
understood, during the year |
, confessed. The sentence implies tn
he was not found guilty of crime.
is a sad case. Continue to hold hi
o in sympathy and 10 pray for hil
What he will do or where he is now
Z" do not know. Our church in Next
N must be shocked; he was so usef
IS and beloved there. But the brethr,
must be more circunspect, dilige
and prayerful than ever, that no dal
age be sustained.
This is all 1 can now say. Re;
o. this letter to the official member
n May the Head of the church bic
:, your station and the new preacher
= charge. Yours truly,
y j. {. CREAMERY.
ron examination We find that Smi
II, was suspended for six months, r
from the church but from the min
r. try.-ED. LEDGER.
M Immediately after the sermon |:
ID Sunday by Rev. Ledbetter Rev. j.
Smith made the following statemer
,o That the congregation may understa
o the exact position that l now occupy
the church, 1 will first explain, as seye
T. have desired such an explanation, the I
ture of the sentence pronounced agail
me.
For any crime committed in our hur,
III either a private member or a preacher
o. expelled from the church. The same
Id Tense that would expel one would ex
re the other.
For any immortality of a serious CHI
acter, committed by either preacher
Id member in our church, the same offel
y that would suspend a church member
his church membership, would suspen
preacher in his church membership.
lR To- M lffna - l4n.