The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-06

existing are removed by the conclusions of the
legal trial he has assured US he will ask the
church to institute this investigation, assisted
by an ecclesiastical council duly convened
and,
Third-That in view of these things we pro.
pose for ourselves and we ask of all others a
suspension of judgment in the case OF DR..
Brown, and we hereby express our confidence
In his integrity.
AT the request of DR.. Brown the second
resolution was read again by the secretary.
S. G. Simpson then asked permission to
present substitute for this report. After
some technical objections the chairman
declared substitute was in order, and
Mr.. Simpson then came to the platform
and read the following preamble and reso-
lutions:
move to amend the pending preamble
and resolution, so that the same shall read
as follows:
WHEREAS, Certain charges of immoral con-
duet have been made against our pastor, Rev.
e. o. Brown, DID,, by a person now in prison
awaiting trial for detestable crime, and grave
and direct intlmations of like character are
contained in certain letters, recently pub
lshed, purporting TO have been written by a
person who Is at present member of DR..
Browns household; and whereas, these accu-
sations have been disseminated by the public
prints, and though unsupported by proof have
worked and are working incalculable injury
to the good name of our pastor and of this
therefore be it
Resolved, BY the members of the First Con,
gregational Church of San Francisco. duly as
sembled, that, with the concurrence of our
pastor, which is respectfully solicited, we
hereby call an ecclesiastical council to be con-
yened forthwith, or as soon as practicable in
accordance with Congrega tional usages, for the
investigation of the accusations above men,
toned.
RESOLVED, Further that in such investigation
we will Loyalty and cordially assist our pastor
Dy every proper means in mower in bring
ing the truth to light, to the end that his good
name and that of our church may be trium-
phantly yfndieated, and that in the meantime
we. respectfully ask the public to suspend
judgment upon the matter. ana to accord to
DR.. Brown the presumption of innocence which
the rules OF law and the principles of natural
justice and common fairness grant to every
accused person until the contrary is clearly
established.
DIR. Brown then thanked Mr.. Simpson
Tor the Kindly tenor OF the resolutions, and
said that he would be satisfied to have
them adopted as a substitute. He then
continued:
But claim the privilege of asking a oues-
ton OF those whose minds have been inf1u-
enced by what has been published in the
newspapers during the past thirty-nine days.
HAD been in your place and you in mine
doubt whether l should have kept myself free
from the same prejudices that affect you. / do
not blame you for your position. look for
ward with the greatest confidence to the time
when you will come forward and shake me
by the hand and say you are certain of my ill.,
nocence.
have seen my defense. Those men have no
previous prejudice for me and would rather
stand against me-
L now claim the right to ask the question
which spoke of.
He then spoke of the great service he
was doing the community in prosecuting
Mrs. Davidson as blackmailer. He stated
that he had been cautioned against this
course by his attorney, who had graphic
ally pictured to him all he would have to
endure. and added that he had not been
deferred from his course.
Continuing he added:
Within the past forty-eight hours facts have
me feel that should have been the mover of a
motion to look into these things. now move
the adoption of the substitute. want to as
sure you that my absolute vind1cation could
be brought about by speaking twenty sem
fences, but l cannot do so now.
1t Will all be told when the witnesses will all
be here.
believe that there is no plot in all Victor
Hugo that for moment compares with the in
tricate and diaboiical plot that woman has
woven for my destruction 1t has been very
hard to restrain myself from telling you what I
knew, but am now ready to do SO.
Considerable discussion ensued on par
hamentary grounds as TO the substitute
being considered under existing circum-
stances.
An appeal was finally taken from the
ruling of the chair, that the substitute was
q proper one under the circumstances, and
his decision was reversed.
Mr.. Simpson explained that the reason
for his having offered the resolution was
that he believed council should be called
at once and added that if DR.. Brown meant
to call a council Immediately there would
be no need for adopting the resolutions.
DR.. Brown stated that it was his inten-
ton to call the council at once.
During the debate on the report of the
Joint committee, which was now the busi-
ness before the meeting, DR.. Brown stated
that he regretted very much the Kissing of
last Wednesday. and that he intended to
protest against it, but that the chairman
had anticipated him. my son" he said,
says he cannot remember that he took
part in that demonstration. If | knew he
did | should certainly take him to task
for it.''
Mrs. Cooper here arose and disavowed
any ill-feeling toward Master Brown, and
spoke as follows:
In the few words that have to say shall
dwell upon principles and not upon persons
The first are eternal, the last are but transit
tory. 1t Is firm and unfalteriug adherence
TO principle that, in the long run, assures to
us the smile OF God and the confidence of man.
kind. The resolution of the joint committee
as published reads, in part thus: s'We