Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1888-03-22
Herndon VS.. H,gbse.

~ Va acAAhS eAiAo tdtOk az y0uE
hands, as what / have to say is
very unpleasant to nie.
Several weeks ago, you copied
into your paper from the Gospel Ad-
rocats an article written by me con-
cerning ]. w. Higbee of your city.
You did this not by my request.
The republication Of. that article
was his excuse for making public
personal allusion to- me at the
prayer meeting of the congregation
of which he is a member, February
90. He did this knowing that I
was not present to correct any
misstatements that he might make.
If there is any fairness in the man,
why did he not defend himself
through the paper that had repub-
lished the article of which he COM
planned, so that the same persons
could read both articles, and then
mark copy and send it to me ?
1t seems to me that such would have
been the plan that would have
been followed by any gentleman.
He stated at that prayer meeting,
as / am informed, that he had a
good cause of action against both
papers for SANDER, but would not
bring suit. / believe that the law
is,that "truth is not slander, (which
principle might cut a very impor-
tant figure in his slander suit.
He said that l had withdrawn
from the church at Columbia and
had put in my membership in a
little congregation in the country,
that had no organization and did
not meet. A congregation had
existed at that placs, four miles
west of Columbia, but had gone
down. 1t was considered a good
mission point and afterI had preach
ed there some time, I told the
brethren that if they would 60 to
work again, that / would join with
them financially and preach there
twice month for a year, hoping
thereby to build up q permanent
organization somewhere in that
neighborhood. The brethren al
Columbia approved of the plan,
but kindly expressed regret al
parting from me. / am doing this
work without pecuniary remunera
ton. Four were immersed at thai
place last Saturday by Bro. Boul
ton, who has been preaching ther,
for the last two weeks. / preached
there yesterday. / preach some
times in the church here, when
have a spare Sunday and the
regular preacher is sick or absent
and am seldom absent from prayer
meetings, and nearly always by
invitation, take some part in them
He said that upon taking charge
ofa department in the Gospel Ad
uocate, had, in my first article
made certain charges against SONS
of the Missouri and Kansas preach
ers, that were not true and tha
he felt called upon to defend them
and had written an article fo
publication; had sent it to me, an,
that / had refused to publish it
and had written the article tha
was copied in the LEDGER. You
readers have read that article
now let me give the true histor,
of it. In the Gospel Adrocate O
June 29, 1887, Higbee wrote:
SIN my former article ! affirme'
THAT standing on the side Of tn
anti-society brethren and hoping b
see them successful are the disc
bedient, the sceptical and the Gov
Fetous. The editor of the Ckristid,
Quarterly voluntarily confesse'
with alleged shame in my presenc
not long ago to the truthfulness q
this affirmation. /"
In answer to that, i wrote an
published in the same paper:
81 desire to say to you and you
readers that | said no such thing
At the time to which he refers, h
was at my house, and we wer
talking about the society, and
was insisting upon its rinscriptural
ness and its evil tendency, and sal
that the heaviest club with whic
the society men could s,slke tn
Ianti-society men, was the sting
ness that some of them manifiste
towards contributing L, the sprca
of the gospel. never neutionc
the .disobedient, the sl;eptical, ne
| the coveteus. y IL disc
Piles were as liberal in supportin
the gospel as they should be, the
these. societies would have take
away from them one Of the stron,
est grounds Of appeal that the
have.'
The last sentence shows in viii
sense ! used the term stingy, simI
Fly az in opposition 10 liberalit,
Any one has the right 10 define b
terms and his opponent i aes pc
imitted to fasten eay otiser ineani1
upon the terrns. In answer to Tn
Ae rrose and published the 70
lowing.
/. |" A Distinction Without q ID
ference. .zzAnd 20 DIR. Herndop
wounded. I affirmed thai be col
fessed that on the side oil the ami