People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-08-10
"AN EFFORT TO SECURE THE RE-
MOVAL OF REV. J. D. BOTKIN SAT
DOWN Upon HEAVILY

BOtkin was passed.
The charges against the pastor were
presented in writing BY John Saylor,
and signed by Henry Knowles. For
some time the source OF the antagonism
to Mr.. Botkin was in doubt, until Mr..
Knowles admitted signature OF the
charges and Mr.. SaylOr, l.. F. Chaddon
and Earl Wichern had been beard from
in no uncertain tones.
The complaint charged:
|. That Mr.. BotkIn had not attended
to his duty in making pastoral calls.
2 That he had preached politics
from the pulpit.
) That be had Jailed to organize the
Glasses.
4. That he had taken too many trips
to topeka.
Mr.. ChaddOn said that he had not
signed the charges but tnat be Was will
rg to.
Mr. Knowles declared that he was res
pOnsible for the charges and that il any
OF the statements we're untrue he would
like to have it proved.
+. Z. Brown was the first speaker who
arose in defense OF the arraigned pastor.
he spoke in charitable and conciliatory
tone. He had never heard the pastor
deliver political sermon.
Mr.. Knowles interrupted. what
about the sermon on Coxey's army and
the one that Sunday" he asked.
Mr.. Brown evidently remembered
THAT Sunday" though the date was
not specified IN the question. He denied
that the sermon, which, as afterward
developed in the heated talk, was
preached from the text Waterman
What OF the Night" July 10, WIS in any
sense political, assuming that the charges
in using the word political meant par
tlsan. The church, he declared, WAS in
better condition than at any previous
time IN its history; the Epworth league
was larger and doing more good work;
the Sunday school was more largely
attended; the pastor should be credited
with this gratifying progress OF the
church and its societies under his charge;
ne was nearer to the larger body OF the
members OF the church than any pastor
who had ever presided over it's destinies,
and he held the confidence, the esteem
and the love Of the common people. Mr..
Brown had heard the criticisms OF the
pastor, but all had emanated from but
few Influential members OF the official
board. They did not represent the gen.
eral feeling or opinion - the membership.
Miss Lizzie Can pbell :ame to the pas
tors defense in al adm rable appeal for
harmony and urged Mr.. Knowles to
withdraw the complaint She had never
heard Mr.. Botkin preach political ser
mon. He had talked about Coxey, but
Co1ey hadn't done thing that wss
wrong.
Mr.. Knowles, contemptuously: "He
HASN'T"
Mr.. Saylor wished to specify. The
pastor had hurried through the room in
which the official board had been in SEES.
sion only few nights before and had
snubbed the board in order to keep an
appointment to caucus with the probate
judge OF the county.
The Rev. Mr.. Botkin had kept silence
until this charge was made. Then he
arose to vindicate himself in vigorous
denunciatiOn OF the statement. Mr..
Botkil had been i'll in bed all day and
was weak and white. But he was mad
clear through. He walked up to Mr..
Saylor and pointed his finger at him.
"NOw, Brother Saylor," he advised,
determinedly, "stiek to the truth. [
left here to escort q Methodist minister
to the depot. Don't you attempt to
tell anything about me that you don't
know. | did meet Mr.. Naugle at the
Depot and walked up town with him;
and there met other men, good citizens
and honored citizens. as Mr.. Naugle is.
But as for that it is none OF your bust.
ness"
Mr.. Saylor looked humble. 81 am
glad you set me right" was all be said.
"Yes, well you stick to the truth after
this" continued the defendant minister.
J.L. Wetzel thought that not 80 much
objection had been raised TO Rev. Mr..
Botkin's utterances in the pulpit as to
the manner OF them. He hoped that the
strained feeling manifested in thecharges
against the pastor could be healed by
christian spirit and that the pastor
could be induced to refrain in the future
from discussing the distasteiul topics or
at least from asserting his opinions in
objectionable manner.
Mrs. Frank Ellis was deeply affected
BY the discussion and chokingly plead
for cessation OF hostilities in touching
eloquence. That the classes had not
been organized earlier, she said, was the
fault OF the members Of the church and
not the pastor. He had done all he
could. The classes we're now organized.
teachers assigned and study was only
held in ab.yance waiting for class books
D. W. Benton was vigorous in mia
defense OF Rev. Mr.. Botkin. He thought
that the officials who had brought
charges against him should kneel at the
penitent bench.
Mr.. Botkin got the floor again and
Mr.. Knowles got his hat and left the
church.
The pastor vigorously denied that he
had ever preached partisan politics
from the pulpit. The sermon to which
such great objection had been raised had
been preached from a legitimate text.
"Watchman, What OF the Night" text
which applied to public and national
and not individual matters. The appli
cation made OF the textwa the only DOS.
sible and proper application that could
be made.
Mr.. Wichern wanted word here and
Mr.. Botkin let him have it.
Mr.. Wichern arose to declare that the
sermon was not a political sermon but
q political speech. He arose TO also de.
clare that be would cut loose from the
church temporarily. He walked I'D to
the presiding elder to turn over some
money and then walked up the aisle to
the rear OF the room from vhi;h nnina /