St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-20
AN INJUSTICE TO SHUTTER.
The Resolutions Condemning Him
We're UniuSt

The Resolutions Condemning Him
Were Unjust.
The following self-explanatory correl
spondence has been received by tile
GLOBE with request for its publica-
ton: -
To the Editor of the Globe
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept 49, 1897. -Lawyer NJ
w. Meagher has just handed me the follow
ing letter, addressed to him by Rev. Marion
D. Shutter, pastor OF the Church of the Re.
deemer, requesting as the expressed wish Of
the reverend gentleman that | give my views
of the validity of the charge referred to in
the resolutions passed on Labor day, in this
city, to the end that the truth may be viHiE
Gated and justice DONE l have no personal
acquaintance with Mr.. Shutter, never having
heard him speak on any question; but 1t
was very difficult for me at the time to be-
lieve that he could have uttered the seIlti-
ment attributedto him in the sense con
yeyed. Mr.. Shutter religious faith forbids
snch a purposed assertion. He well knows
that when falsehoed gets afioat it soon
passes as a fact. His letters ought to and
does right himself before the public. He and
may differ as to reform measures doubt
less wide disparity would obtain were we
to compare notes; but this shall not
make any difference In respect to the
spirit of liberation. We all, laborers inclu-
ded, are to learn that methods of reform are
many and often diverse, but the aim is one
the common good of the great whole. He,
who can and do help emancipate society out
OF It's slavery to wrong and vice should be
hailed as fellow workers. and are so hailed
by all the true-hearted. There is 10 me q
moral beauty in his statement. amounting
well nigh to a labor maxim, He does the
most and best for his country who first makes
a man of himself j. o. BARRETT.
Following is NJ. ID. Shutters reply:
My Dear Mr.. Meagher-I take pleasure IN
replying at once to your kind inquiry. The
resolutions passed on labor day certainly did
me great injustice. The expression s'labor
reformers. rum-soaked and smelling of kero-
sene,'' is one that l never used. The asser-
ton that ever did say so is an utter and in
excusable misrepresentation.
oOn the 18th OF last February preached
sermon in my own pull pit on The Relation
OF the Church to Public Reforms" The
notes of that sermon are still i'll my posses
sion, and the paragraph TO which suppose
allusion is made is written in full 1
am, therefore, able to give the exact
words. The aim Of that sermon was TO
show that the church is distinguished from
all other organizations by the emphasis it
must lay upon the moral culture of the indi-
vidual, be he rich or poor, employer or en-
ployed. emphatically asserted that class
distinctions have no place in true church.
/ said that while other organizations might
lop off the evil branches from society, il was
the great business of the church to endeavor
to make the tree good.
In carrying out this idea used toward the
close of the sermon the following language:
He who trains himself TO vote intelligently,
who obeys the laws of his country, and who
seeks to promote its interests is a better
patriot than he who delights in crowds
and torchlight professions, who comes
heme at 2 O'Clock in the morning
smelling of rum and kerosene. He
who makes himself industrious and
intelligent is doing more TO solve the social
problems of this country than thousands of
mere theorists. The man who reforms him
self, who breaks his slavery TO every evil
habit, TO every bad passion, is truer and
better reformer than he who mounts store
box and tells other people how to reform.
He does most and best for his country who
first of all makes a N an of himself" E%
TIL foregoing is what said, and whether
people agree with the sentiment or not. it
will be readily seen that the difference be-
tween this paragraph and the words attribut-
ed to me is very great. / sincerely regret that
the Trainer of those resolutions should not
have taken the pains to inform himself cor
rectly in regard to my utterances, if he wished
to quote them at ALL Such reckless blunders
even If they are not tinged with prejudice,
only hinder the cause their perpetrators pro-
fess to have most at heart. j am, my dear
sir, very sincerely yours,
MARION d. SHUTTER,
Minneapolis, Sept. II, 1891.