Wichita eagle., 1888-08-11
a REPLY TO REV. B. C. SwARTTS
OPEN LETTER TO REV. J. D.
BOTKIN.
Rev. B. C. Swartz.

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER: Permit Us
to reply to your open letter to Rev. j. D.
Botkin which appeared in the daily EA-
GLE of the It'll inst. The assault thus
made is unwarranted, and can not be
justified. An analysis of your letter
will reveal the injustice you have done
brother minister of the gospel.
Your charges are of a very grave and
serious character, namely: ''Willful and
defiant disregard of solemn vows. DE
faint disregard of the authority of the
southwest Kansas conference Moral
perjury" mo honest man can Go any
such thing as you impute to him, and
that he has ''proStituted his Office
to forward the interests Of political
party" You have given the widest
publicity to these charges by publishing
them in daily paper of the greatest cir
culation of any other paper III the state.
What is the ground of your accusa-
tlon, and what evidence do you furnish
TO sustain your charge against him:
You say:
~ Il see it reported in various papers.
religious and secular, that at a Prohibi-
ton convention held some weeks ago in
hutchinson, Kansas, you were nOminat-
ed by said convention as its candidate
Tor governor for the state OF Kansas.
There is nothing wrong perse IN a
ministers nomination for the honorable
position of governor of this common
wealth. A minister in this state loses
no right of citizenship by the assump-
ton of the ministerial Office. Under the
law he has all the rights of other citizens.
Ii he choose, in the exercise of his right,
to accept the nomination for Office from
any political party no one has any just
ground, thereby, to accuse him of will
full and defiant disregard of solemn vows
-''defiant disregard of conference
authority perjury" &c. &c.
(2) Your assumption OF ''willful and de-
FAINT disregard of solemn (ordination)
views is wholly unwarranted. You
cite paragraph 157. questions and Is,
which are as follows:
Question 5-''Are you resolve TO de-
devote yourself wholly to God and His
work"
Question 16-'Are you determined to
employ all your time in the work of
God?"
Every one knows that these are gen
eral rules designed for the regulation
and direction of a preachers conduct
under the ordinary conditions of his
work. There may and do arise exigen-
cies which justify preacher in depart
ing from the ordinary methods of his
work. This you are bound to concede,
for during the war many Methodist
preachers, including yourself, enlisted as
soldiers in defense of our country. Some
We're commissioned officers and COM
manded companies, regiments and
brlgades. Many more Were privates
in the ranks. Many Metho-
dist preachers of today are
not doing the ordinary work of the pas
torate. They are managing our pub
fishing interests, some being our book !
agents and educators, college presidents
and professors. These all took the same |
VOWS to which you refer, but who thinks
of condemning them as having will |
fully and defantly disregarded solemn |
vows" Common sense teaches us that |
circumstances justify |
departure from the ordinary work of a !
preacher.
The general conference of our church |
has thoroughly comnitted the whole /
church to the principle of prohibition
and heartily approves all lawful and
christian efforts TO save society from the
manifold and grievous evils resulting
from intemperance, and earnestly adj
vises our people to cooperate in all
which may seem to them I'M
iividually) adapted to secure that end
See Discipline, paragraph 30.
The last general conference declared
that the ''liquOr traffic could not be
egalized without sin" As a church we
are committed by its highest authority
20 the principle of prohibition. The
total constitutional prohibition of the
liquor traffic is the aim of the church"
The method of securing this end is
wisely left to the judgment OF the indi-
1idual member who is earnestly adj
used to cooperate with all measures
which may seem TO him adapted to secure
hat end.
When Methodist preacher cooper
ties with measure Though it be to ac-
;ept the nomination for governor which
GEMS TO him adapted to secure that end,
5 he to be publicly arraigned in the col
INNS of a secular paper and charged
With ''willful and defiant disregard OF
olemn vows, moral perjury" dis
honesty and 'prostituting his office to
ldvance the interests OF political party.
shame. Shame!
81 Your charge of ''defant disre-
ard of the authority OF Southwest
Kansas conference can not be sustained
he annual conference has no authority
0 bind or make demands of any of It's
members IN any thing not required of !
hem by the discipline OF the church.
The annual conference NAV review the ,
0nduct of Its members to see II 1t Is III /
harmony with the laws OF the church,
nj may also advise, or pass advisory
but when Ii assumes to /
make OF binding force anything not
equIred by our discipline IL transcends
he limits OF its authority. There is no
aw OF the church prohibiting any Of its
from accepting nominations
nd running for office. No annual con-
erence has any rig mt, neither can it
nforce such a prohibition on any of its
nembers. The Southwest Kansas con-
erence has never prohibited its mem
erS from beng candidates for
ny political office. The most it ever as
umed 10 do was of the character OF adj I
ISory resolutions, saying: 1T Is the
anse of this conference. etc. II q
reacher choose to take the advice he I
lay do so. but if he choose otherwise no
nnual conference can compel has COM
lance with such resolutions. No one
as any Just ground 10 accuse such
lember with defiant disregard of con
erence authority for declining 10 take
be offered advice. The annual confer
nee can not dictate" III matters where
he discipline Is silent.
Permit ~ To ask II yoT1 have not in