Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-25
CHURCH CONTROVERSY.
The Religious War Which is Raging
In Dubuque and the Manner in which
Dr. J. y. McCord Has Been Drawn


with interest. 1t has prevented for years
a united christian effort among Protes-
tant churches. such as is the case here
and IN the three cities
Rev. Mott is pastor of the Second
Presbyterian church and Rev. Brown is
pastor of tie Congregational church.
The former is considered a brilliant
preacher. One day letter appeared in
the Telegraph. filled two columns and
more, charging Mott with plagiarism
preaching one of Talmages sermons as
his own. The article was signed lob,
server"-but as the name Of the author
was demanded, Rev. Brown was named.
Brown didn't hear the sermon. He sent
a man to hear it for him. The fellow
took no notes, relied entirely upon his
memory-and when he and his en-
ployer got together Mr.. Brown asked
him if Mott said anything like this
and he then read an extract from
Talmage sermon. The informer
believed he did In that way Rev.
Brown put extracts from the Tai
mage sermon and the Mott SER
mon in juGtaposition, pretending to
give the extract of Motifs sermon
literary, when such feat was literally
impossible without a short hand report.
The result was letter from the trustees
of Motifs church denouncing Rev. Brown
as coward, falsiier, slanderer. and
| a Jealous sneak. The trustees of the Con.
gregatioual church responded with letter
upholding their pastor and going for
Rev. Mott and his trustees with sledge
hammer. Rev. Motifs trustees responded
with great force, and hewed right and
left with a broad axe.
Now Rev. DR.. McCord is brought into
the controversy in these letters:
FROM REV BROWN.
Editor of the Times:
Iu view of the false impression of the
position of the protestant ministry OF this
city in reference to the exposure of the
recent plagiarisms-an impression which
has been sedulously cultivsted-l an
constrained to publish the following let
ter from DR.. j. S. McCord. pastor of the
Methodist Episcopal church of this city
Before taking the final step which com
mitted me to this exposure, | consulted
my friend DR.. McCord as one of sound
Judgment, and one who would be able tC
take close and careful view of the stu
alton. We talked at length and laid tn,
parallel, with other facts in the case, be
fore him. After considering he said
1T is your duty to go forward" He q
that time based his judgment on m
statement, but has since reinforced it, b.
the evidence which the accused has givel
against himself As DR.. McCord has re
peatedly said to me, IF | had no othe
evidence of plagiarism than the two let
tiers which the accused has himself writ
ten, they would be ample to ccnviC
him." c. o. BROWN.
DR. MCORD's LETTER
Brother Brown: | have no objectio
to your saying that advised you to g
l forward with the exposure of plagiarism
t l told you that if any man, in any pulpit
| was guilty of that offense, he ought to /
exposed. and that 1t was the duty of tn
one possessing the facts to expose hin
You have done an unpleasant duty. an
! to my mind have fully made out you
e case, aud should be sustained by Il
righteous sentiment of the community
:. j. s. MCCoRD.
A number of leading business men
Dubuque are members of the of1ci
board in DR.. McCord's church. and Il
board of trustees of Rev Motifs churt
is composed entirely of business me
and these members of the two boar
have been warm personal friends f
years-yesrs before they knew anythir
about Rev. Mott or DR.. McCord. Or
sees how this quarrel is fastening its oct
te pus like tentacles on other churches ths
% those first involved.
~ Two or three years ago the Chica!
Times charged Rev. VIM. Fawcett TO
merly pastor of the Fourteenth sire
:. church in Davenport, and then of t
N First church in Dubuque, with plagiari
q ing one of Rev. Talmage's sermons. I
Is Fawcett was then pastor OF Grace Met
}. odist church in Chicago. The Times m
,e gave quotations from both Talmage a
r. Fawcett. Mr.. Fawcett was interview
Is and declared his innocence. Mr.. Talma
= was interviewed and said some cruel thin
= about Mr.. Fawcett. Come to sift I
d, charges to the bottom, and it turned c
y that DR.. Fawcett had taken a couple
D, sentences from the Encyclopedia Britts
n. lea to establish certain points in an arc
all ment-and Mr.. Talmsge had, a few wee
to before, made use of the very same pal
of graphs in discourse on the progress
Ter christianity. Mr.. Fawcett was vindic
de ed To the extent that Mr.. Fawcett '
o. guilty, the friends of Rev Mott claim t
he was guilty, though they are ignor
of the srraignment of Mr.. Fawcett.
t. The parties to the Dubuque controve
=" are making themselves the laughing stt
of the worldlings, who exclaim, "see b
these christians love one anotherr NJ
" dy. Sankey. Munhall. Whittle and all
~ other prominent evsngelists combi
% couldn't get up revival 10 Dubuqu
=, they should preach, pray and sing th
year--snd protestant christianity
received backset there it will not rec
er from in ten years.
in Remainder the fact that Circuit Clerk Bop
tcas obliged todisehargs Geo. ". Gamble In o
w. TO havs the records Of his office completely ,cr
mo up before Sdring IL In December. There Uere
o. nearly tt0o hundred unrec0rdsd Instrument
EFT Candles desk that had been accommodating
three years. n took Mr. Bo0man's~son a
ion orsr a month to clear things up and put The re-
In shape and he has had no difficulty ID, ket
'hu up With his work since.