The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-18
A Reply to N. T. whitaker, o. D.

Dear Brother:
In an article in the PRESS of March 9th,
you accuse me of making false statement,
OF publishing and circulating a falsehood,
and of misrepresenting other temperance
men because they belong to different politl-
cal party from my own.
Since calling upon you at your residence
on the day when your charges appeared, and
stating my innocence in the matter, / have
been waiting for you to correct the state
ments, which if not corrected. would injure
me in my reputation, and In my work. am
grieved that you have left me to defend N.Y.
self from your mistaken criticisms.
You say sit would havelbeen the wise and
Christian way, since you are one of my
upon me before publishing what you did,
Doctor, is it any nearer from my house to
yours, than 1t is from your house to mine
Ii this Christian way had occurred to your
mind before you published your hard criti-
cisms upon me would have told you what
l told you afterward ,chen called upon go ,is
Nth the paper; that knew nothing of the
item in the Pr0hibitioniSt, which displeased
you, but gentleman Of high character and
responsibility was allowed to send matter
direct to the publishers without passing
through my hands, and that the item in
question was sent in by him, and you would
then have saved yourself what without in.
Quiry you assumed to be a necessity of at
lacking brother clergyman in the news
papers.
this item had come to my hands on the high
and direct authority on which l now under
stand it was made, | might have believed it
without thinking of asking you to verify it.
No doubt it was an extraordinary state
ment, but 1 have many times been astound-
ed by such statements coming from you. For
instance your statement that mot the May
or, his municipal associates, nor the police,
but the State liquor sheriffs are responsible
for the liquor. selling in Portland" that was
in one of your of letters in the PRESS Janu-
airy 49,. 1888, and your present denial, Doctor,
reminds nae that that statement also was de-
MED by you in the Argus of January "a,
1894 Ss9 BY where h you said; I'VE have never init
our city officials are not under the strictest
obligation to enforce all the laws that per-
tain to the office that he holds" You must
believe that do not make these quotations
with wish to hold up brother in Christ to
might have believed without hesitation the
authentic report that you told Rev. Mr. Had.
dock Of Brunswick that there are no open
rum shops in Portland" But, in fact, 1
was not called on to believe or disbelieve
the paper and your a spersions upon me were
all a mistake.
Doctor, would far rather that this cor
rection had been made by you in your own
way. Why have not you done It? You
self, and your Christian life may far exceed
my own. judge no man.
cannot be conscience for any man. do not
claim to be better, or as good as many an
other, but one of the weakest of Gods chill
upon what you would have the public be-
lieve to be unchristian on my part / ask in
all humility if have not always acted the
Christian part with and towards yourself?
When you were called suddenly away and
could not find supply for your pulpit. did |
yours as best ! could? When your Sunday
school wanted a cornetiSt, did l not take
my daughter out of my own school and per-
init her to go to the aid of yours and 60
one year? Are these Christian acts? Yes
Doctor while. you have been as good a
temperance advocate as myself, you have
performed your advocacy within the current
OF popular sentiment and backed by strong
church. while. L have been putting a
mortgage of eight hundred and fifty dollars
upon my home to aid and assist in the work
Of redeeming the wrecks of humanity
strewn along the pathway Of life. No
Doctor, temperance men in this city are
not to understand that l have any moral
cause they belong to another political
party" And In love l challenge you or
any other temperance man In Portland
to name or point out one single misrepresen-
tation ever made. With my zeal for the an
Inhalation of the liquor curse, am careful
what statements make and what represen-
tations use. and am always sure they have
foundation before giving publicity to them;
and If, after standing for II years with the
temperance men Of Portland shoulder to
shoulder in this conflict. if they don't know
my position and earnest endeavors, combined
with life of sacrifice in defense of the home
against the rum shops, am confident that
you who have not been a resident here three
years, cannot enlighten them In the least.
This is the first time in II years that have
went into print in my own behalf to defend
myself against any attacks; but you, know
ing me to be perfectly innocent In the mat
ter, feel Obliged to % &c, fer my own de-
tense aIa - Enc welfare of the work in
Which am engaged.
Trusting that success may attend your ev-
cry endeavor in both Christian and temper
ance work,
am respectfully yours.
u