Blue-grass blade., 1892-09-03
how 7HE PARIS
"CHRISTIAN" CHURCH PUT
ME In JAIL.

In resuming the publication of the
BLADE after so long suspension, my
readers, and especially those who
live at distance from me, would
naturally want to hear my explana-
tion of my silence.
From the latter part of February
until the first of June there was a
series of threats, violence and pros
ecutions at law, ending in my being
fined $4,000 and put in Jail for two
months. and the illness of my wife
from nervous prostration, consequent
upon the treatment that l received,
that made it impracticable and mad
visable, had it been practicable 10
publish my paper during that tine.
Insults were cierCJ me ~ men a
high official position in lexington
and threats of violence against ne
were made by them. The conduct
of these men was highly applauded
by the newspapers of Lexington, all
of which are fully in sympathy with
the liquor interest. The town is
dominated by saloon men and whi5-
ky drinkers; portion of it, Megow
an street, is set apart for bagnios;
the race course here is daily more
and more denoralizing our people;
a handsome racing club house for
drinking and race horse gambling
has lately been built in the most val
liable part Of the town; many WON
en-, including those that belong to
churches, go to these horse races and
bet on them and excepting one SER
mon by Rev. j. W. McGarvey, neith-
er pulpit nor press has come to my
assistance to rebuke these things
and this country of churches and
colleges claiming to be d:stinctively
Christian, presents tie anomaly of
having the only man in the state
who Is publicly proclaimed as an in
fidel fighting single handed, so far as
any public effort is concerned, an
immortality that puts Kentucky in
the lead for lawlessness and makes
it a proverb for that which is disrep-
utable throughout the land.
OF course l refer to George w.
Balm as worker against all this, but
he is national in his influence, his
labors being from ocean to ocean and
1 get no more advantage from his
advocacy Of the same cause that i do
than would any other laborer in this
department who may be in the most
remote part of the country.
Moral sentiment and courage are
at low ebb in this State. There is
great shame and pretense in religion.
Recently all the churches of Lexing-
ton united in public resolutions con-
demning one single house here call
ed pool room that is simply q
small and insignificant auxiliary to
the racing business, and one that
has no political influence. But these
churches will not dare pass resolu-
tions denouncing the saloons and
distilleries, the race course and the
Haunting audacity of the bagnios in
our city.
/ have always announced myself
. non-resis,ant, but there seems to
have been some doubt of my SINGER
ity and when l brooked insult and
threat from men in Lexington, and
they found that l was really an ex-
ception to the popular conception Of
"honor" and "chivalry" in this state,
it made me n butt for that class @.
men who would avail themselves at
50 fine an opportunity ID gain dis
tinction in kcntucky's Ig.miaaa-
reputation and fuar men as.iag --
the interest of the Paris Christian
church, three of them being mom-
bers of that church, as / have heard,
ran up behind me as / wasjust going
to step upon a train at a lonely sta
ton where no one was in sight, cap
tured me, and with threats and the
most profane language began the
outrages upon my rights rs Ken
lucky citizen that ended IN my be
ing fined $4,000 and being put in
Jail for two months by the Paris
G.. "stian church in conjunction with
whisky makers, sellers and drinkers,
rs any unpreiudiced and intelligent
citizen in Bourbon county VIII tell
anybody who may ask about it; and
all because what | was saying in my
paper and making a damaging ar
raignment of the whisky trade and
of church that would encourage
such Il trade by taking money from
people engaged in that business, oil
who had made their fortunes at it,
and by allowing men engaged in the
whisky traffic to be members of that
church.
An incident has lately occurred in
Lexington that indicated something
about the courage of those LeXing
ton men who have distinguished
themselves by their threats of me;
they being holders ofyery lucrative
offices in Lexington, and therefore
under more than ordinary obligation
to defend the city with their distin
guished physical prowess. A coun,
Gilman, who is a saloon keeper, hav
ing violated an ordinance ofthe city
the police attempted to arrest him
in broad daylight. in the middle o
one of the most prominent streets O
the city. This councilman drew :
bowie knife and a pistol, and delieC
the police until they were afraid t
approach him.
The Chief of police came and woul(
not arrest him and he is now unde
indictment by the grand jury of thi'
county for not having arrested tha
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