Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-18
DIR. STEEL ACQUITTED
GREAT INTEREST FELT HERE IN
HIS TRIAL AT NASHVILLE.
The CHARGES AGAINST Hin.
'Inemciency and Misconduct" the
Two Specific CompIaints-Ihc spe-
cifcations In Dctaii-Was Formerly
n Pastor Here.

/ fore a committee OF ministers at NASH
vile. Tenn. OF Rev. DR.. Samuel A Steel,
editor Of the Epworth Era and one Of
the leaders in the Epworth League move
ment. for what in military affairs would
probably be called characterization"
The trial began last Friday. and con-
cluded last night. when, special to the
Dispatch says. DR.. Steel was acquitted.
as his friends believed from the first he
would be.
The court was composed 90 nine minis
| ters-viz.: Revs. =. II. Whisner. Stanton,
! Va; W. X Piner, Bowling Green. KY; +.
| l.. Southgate. Cynthiana, KY; /. ;. Hop
kins. Atlanta, Ga; G. w. Wilson, Paris
Tenn; j. r. Moore. stephen, Ark. II. D.
/ Moore. Knoxville. Tenn; A. +. Watkins,
! Jackson, Miss; b. NJ. Messick. st. Louis
/ Mo. The Church discipline" provides
/ that one or more bishops shall be present
at and preside over such meetings as
I these. and Bishops Wilson, Cranberry, and
! Hendrix acted in this capacity
WHY HE Is BEING TRIED.
/ DR.. Steel who was formerly a pastor
/ here. and is well known in Richmond,
was elected editor OF the Epworth Era py
l the late General Conference, but was re-
Gently suspended from the editorship upon
/ charges made by the Book Committee OF
/ the Methodist Episcopal Church. South.
] The charges against DR.. steel relate 10
/ the conduct Of this paper. lie was thought
! TO be an extremist on the subject OF TO-
! bacco. attacking its use. He was also
/ severe on fashionable city Methodist5' ana
/ il IS alleged that he was disloyal TO the
/ Church and dsrespectful towards the Dig
nitarles. No question is raised as to Dr.
/ SteeTs character: he is without reproach
/ i'm regard to his ministerial standing.
| The Nashville American, In its report OF
/ the first day Of the trial, says:
During the interval preceding the for
NAL opening of the court it was learned
/ that Rev Mr.. Lamar of Alabama, and
| Rev. Mr.. Powers, of Texas were two OF
/ the members Of the original commit
/ tee Of seven which Dr. Steel, the de
! PENDANT challenged. and as TO whom
| the challenges were sustained Rev
I Mr.. Smart. of Memphis, was another OF
/ the original committee OF seven, but he
was excused from service by the bish-
| OBS Of their own motion. They also ex-
/ cused one or two others, but the names
| of these could not be learned. The
grounds upon which Dr. Steel challenged
/ Rev. Mr.. Lamar and Rev. Mr.. Smart
| are also still kept secret. II was after
| the changes above referred TO In the
original committee Of seven were made
| that the bishops decided 10 reOrganize
/ the committee and increase it from
seven 10 nine. The committee which as
| sambled yesterday morning was then Sc
/ lected and summoned TO serve.
when the committee convened Rev.
/ Collins Denny, Of Nashville, and Rev.
/ Paul Whitehead, Of Richmond. Va, were
on hand 20 conduct the prosecution on
| behalf Of the Book Committee. and Rev.
| r. II. Mahon and Rev. W. L. Hammer,
| Of Memphis. appeared as counsel for the
/ defendant"
II would. appear from the reports Of
/ the proceedings that Dr. Steers prefer
/ ence was for an open investigation.
| CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
The charges are signed by j. II. Odell.
/ Of Greensboro, n. c., a lay member Of
/ the Book Committee. They and the spe-
cihcatons are set forth IN the following
paper:
The undersigned hereby makes com
plant against the Rev. Samuel a. Steel.
| i. D.. editor OF the Epworth Era, the
organ OF the EpwOrth League OF the
| Methodist Episcopal Church. South. for
| both misconduct and ineRciency in the
I performance OF his duty as said editor,
and asks that the same may be inyesti-
gated according 10 law-namely:
league was established for the promotion
OF piety and loyalty 10 our Church
among the young people. their education
in the Bible and Christian literature.
and their encouragement I'm works OF
grace, the said DR.. Steel has largely
/ failed TO further those objects as editor OF
the Era.
specihcations-O. A marked failure of
the paper to promote piety as manifest
Z d. 81. T.. kfe.1.
says and conceiyes the paper exists, I'm
frequent friyolity OF spirit and expires
sion, and in others respects, as for ex-
ample, Era, November 8. 1894, page 4. edi-
torial Beware; December 8, 1895. page
.. column /, paragraph 3; December L,
1885, page 4. column 3. paragraph 3; De-
! cember 26, 1855, page Z, column ?. para
graph beginning Tobacco is nasty ;
same date. editorial on Or. Meek: Jan
uary 80 1896. page 4. column ?. paragraph
J. February 6, 1895, page 8, editorial en-
| titled Backbone Needed"
.. A general bitterness and uncharita-
| bleness towards persons who criticised
his utterances or illusions TO matters
in the paper. or were represented as op-
posed 10 the paper or TO the league, as
for example, Era Of November Il, 1895.
| page T. column 3, paragraph 9; November
2S 1895, page 4, column 3. paragraph 3;
February -, 1896, page ., column ?, para
graph p
CD Setting forth narrow view OF re-
ligion as consisting largely. IL not chiefly,
I'm abstinence from certain worldly
amusements and from the use Of tobacco;
by giving chief emphasis to them I'm the
columns Of the Era, instead Of emphasiz-
| ing repentance toward God and faith IN
the Lord Jesus Christ. as. for example,
Era Of September 6. 1894. editorial on TO-
bacco, September 20. 1894, editorial on to-
bacco; October o. 1894. editorial on to-
| bacco; February 6. 1896. page g, editorial
entitled Backbone Needed"
a. A general vulgarity of style and fire.
quent use of slang and low expressions;
/ as. for example, Era Of February 6, 1886,
the expression. stand in their gizzards."
| Put a pint cup of water on their coat
iails": March 10. 1896. the expression.
There's game up this tree. Now we are
going to put our foot IN II again; April
lG. 1896. the expression. RAISE his hide; ;
May T. 1896, page .. column ?. paragraph =.
CHARGE OF MISCONDUCT.
2 Aiisconduct-In that instead OF pro-
noting the ends for which the league was
organized. ne has as editor OF the Era, IN
many instances and I'm several direo-
! lions. prompted the ends OF contrary
nature.
Speciications-Q Advocacy Of aggres-
sive war on Turkey and Spain: as. for ex-
ample Era Of October 3. 1895. editorial en-
/ titled Cuba; December 10, 1895, page 4.
column ?. paragraph 8; January ?. 1895.
page 5. column >. paragraph TO- January
80. 1896 page g. column 2. paragraph 4.
co Depreciation Of loyalty TO church
authorities. and the incubation of a
spirit OF comparative contempt for them;
as for example. Era Of August 2 1894.