The herald., 1896-06-17
An Account of Which Was Pub.
lished Yesterday
UNINTENTIONAL OBSERVER
Was There, an Like the Other ChleI
Was Busy Takin' Notes
ciares to Be . True Account Of the
Session-In DR.. FowIer's Defense
(To the Editor Of The Herald.l

meeting of the Ministerial union of this
city, In which statements are made that
are not true, and misrepresent in the
most fragrant manner, a gentleman of
culture and dignity, who has recently
come among us to assume the pastorate
of the Central Presbyterian church.
1t Is poor cause that has to resort to
exaggeration and Misrepresentation of
facts to keep in form. There is courage
that needs q whistle to keep it alive.
Those who are familiar with the facts in
the case mentioned above, are forced to
believe either that the Rev. Burt Estes
Howard has cause to sigh the old Span
ish saw, Deliver me from the indis-
cretions of my friends, can protect my
self from the attacks Of my enemies;"
or that the Rev. A. c. Smither ct AL,
champions Of Mr.. Howard are availing
themselves of trivial things to force
personal issue for their friend for the
purpose of establishing rulings and
precedents to be used at convenient times
in the future.
The writer Of this article was an unin-
territorial witness Of the debate describ-
ed in The Herald Tuesday morning.
recite the discussion of the matter in
the interests of fair play, and to exon
ate Dr. ]. X. Fowler from blame in o,
dispute that he felt was entirely need
less, but that Mr.. Howard's friends
forced upon him, for purposes that we
can only hope are free from the ele-
ments Of discourtesy and guile, that
marked so strongly their actions in the
meeting Monday morning.
Iuse the strong language Intentionally
for we have unpleasant facts to deal
with and cannot expect to improve them
by giving them foreign titles.
DIR. Wilson's motion for the establish
ing Of a committee to inspect the work
of our civil officers was clear enough
1t was made to an association of minis
ters Of the gospel. Ministers were to be
its foundation members, and so far as
possible, the different denominations
represented in the union were to be rep
resented on this committee.
Gentlemen from several Of the denom-
nations had been selected, and when an
opportunity offered, DR.. Fowler nomi-
mated minister to represent the Pres
byterian church, he was objected to by
the meeting on the ground that he was
not a member of that organization; the
feeling evidently being certainly so ex-
pressed, that If as body they were going
to fight crime, 1t would be wiser to con-
fine the committee for the work to those
ministers who were members or the
Ministerial union. wish to repeat that
this person was nominated by DR.. Fow-
Ter, who cheerfully and respectfully, yes,
and in gentlemanly manner. acqul-
DIR. Fowler was then elected to repre-
sent the Presbyterian church, and pos
sibly another before Mr.. Howard's $ name
was proposed. The plan proposed In
DR.. Wilson's motion was that all the
denominations that were represented
in the Ministerial union be represented
on this committee, and at that time IN
the discussion the committee was not
to exceed nine members.
do not have access to the records, but
remember that two Of the denominations
at that time were represented on the
committe by more than one member:
They could not keep the size Of the
committee down to nine, and continued
to put two from each denomination on
the committee.
The Presbyterians were already repre-
sented by DIR. Fowler, possibly by an
other but they were filling up the Pres
bytertan contingent when Rev. A. Z.
Smither Of the Christian church pro-
posed the name of Mr.. Howard.
He did not then, nor indeed until 1t
looked like he would lose the cause he
was championing, much later in the dis
cussion, say word in explanation. that
he named Mr.. Howard ''as a man, and
not as a Presbyterian minister" as he
quotes himself as saying in his articles
in the papers of Tuesday. Whatever
the wishes and fancies Of his friends,
Ln6 rev. buTL ESlcS I1OWdIo, ldlC pas
tor Of the First Presbyterian church of
Los Angeles is a suspended min
lister of the Presbyterian church,
suspended for "contumacy" by the
Presbytery of Los Angeles, to
which he had sworn obedience and alle-
glance, and this action of Presbytery
was confirmed by the general assembly
of the Presbyterian church at its late
meeting.
This Hnnn owl Nnncfctc in a
sistent refusal to obey the rulings of
Presbytery, on Mr.. Howard part, about
the division of the old First Presbyter-
ian church, of which he was pastor. That
part of the old First church that Presby-
terry ruled should be called Central
Presbyterian church Of Los Angeles" is
the body that enjoys the gentle, kind
and wise pastorate of the Rev. ]. K.
Fowler, D. D., late Of Cedar Rapids,
Iowa.
In view of these facts how could DR..
Fowler submit to this disregard of the
rulings of his church. both in
the case Of the church as an ecclesias-
Presbytery and the general assembly
and also that of the body over which
he is pastor, lately part of Mr.. How
ards congregation?
In Mr.. Smither's articles (reporting
the meeting Of the Ministerial
un1ON-O tnat appears IN the
Times and Herald of yesterday
morning, and still continued in the Ex-
press of last evening, he makes state
ments as to the way DR.. Fowler took ex-
ception to Mr.. Howard being placed on
that committee that are simply false.
DR.. Fowler did not use the term "a
gross insult" as 1t appears in the Times.
nor "a direct insult" as he has it in the
Herald article.
The stronpest term Dr Eou1ar ,,Sa5
In expressing his feelings on the mat
ter was "a marked discourtesy," and he
said that with not a grain more of en-
phasis or feeling than any man who
rules his tongue, as we'll as his life, by es-
tablished convictions of right and hon.
esty would use, when his principles were
attacked.
And that he rendered his resignation
to both his seat on the committee and in
the organization as a consequence of
their refusal to comply with this Just
request cannot be set down against him
in the unfair light of the article referred
to, for as gentleman of delicacy IF
feeling, there was no other honorable
course open to him.
The extreme delicacy of his position
and the dignified handling of himself
and the interests entrusted to him be-
ing used,. as they were, by Mr. Smither
and his ally, Mr.. Larkin, to force a DO
sition for their friend, Mr.. Howard, left
Christian gentleman no choice of ac-
ton. That the Ministerial union, as a
bOdy respects DR. FOwler's ,nosition 10