The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-11

chair In Butler College. To the pubic j
will give an explanation also Of this matter.
Four years ago the board Of Butler Uni
versity adopted, at the suggestion OF Presi-
dent Butler and myself. course of Bib.e
wod baHe eh aSor Of
fessors. To employ so many men IL was
necessary to increase by 100000 the endow-
ment given by Mr.. Ovid Butler for Bible
If this amount could not be raised the Bible
school could not be continued. The board
appon,;tesSd an agent 10 ras9 the Money ous
of the enterprise. The Disciples are not an
educational people Nearly al their schools
arr langulsninE bss sssn Joege ,n co1
dition for years. Many thought this year
would be its last. In addition to this gen.
era. lack OF interest in education, there has
been for many years widespread enmity
10 Butler University. Under such circum-
stances the prospect for a thorough Biole
school was certainly not good. / thought,
however, the Effort ought 10 be made, that
an opportunity ought to be given to the
church, or more correctly, to the preachers.
to show how they stand with reference TO
education. i was not in their way. Two
years ago, when the preachers began to
object to me, i wanted to resign and re-
manned in the school only at the request of
President Butler and several members OF
the board Soon after IL was reported that
Joseph /. Irwin, Mr.. Sweeney'S father-in-
law, was willing to give Butler College
some twenty or thirty thousand dollars, hut
was Withholding it because of my connec-
ton with the school. / authorized Mr.. A.
M. Chamberlain, financial agent of Butler
like minded man. that II he would give his
money / would resign at once. Mr.. Irwin
did not give the money. 1t is not generally
believed that Mr.. sweeney urged him :. to
couraged Mr.. Twins giving For personal
reasons have been DESTROYS OF leaving the
school soon, as many persons know. The
only grief / feel over the adjustment of
the Bible school is that the church has so
little desire for an educated ministry. The
ignorant, bgoted preachers are the raw
spots that annoy me. 1t IL now clear to
all where the blame for the failure of the
Bible school rests. / was viking to resign,
and If 1 had not been, the board has sense
enough 20 dismiss me and employ another
man. il the preachers really desired a thor
ough Bible school. But they prefer that
only a little Sunday school work be done in
connection with the college, so that the
young men shall not know more than they
do.
Mr.. Sweeney wants to discuss various
things pertaining to baptism. have had a
question before the church for months:
How do the Disciples regard baptism? l
have received no direct answer. When called
swered that L do not regard immersion in
water as necessary 10 salvation. In my first
reply to Mr.. Sweeney / told him that he
must nrss answer my gtes0n before t "SH l,
But he did not feel disposed to say whether
he regards immersion in water as necessary
first and must be answered first If Mr.:
Sweeney had answered my question should
have attended to anything he wanted dis
ay In order
show that Mr.. Sweeney's assault upon me
is only part of old conflict between
the preachers and the school / referred to
some things which. according to the report
OF very trustworthy gentlemen, Mr.. Sweeney
said. With regard to this Mr. Sweeney says:
81 am compelled to brand 1t as a tissue Of
mi n a statement.
| the Professor feels aggrieved by the above
| statement he has only to summon me before
| and if I do not prove his statements to be
through your columns.'' He no doubt felt
a very strong impulse to brand the state,
ments as false, and he yielded to it. But
| do not feel aggrieved. He has made so many
false statements with regard to the Bible
only feel pity for him. do not say that he
| knew his statements were false. perhaps ne
| did not. But / am sure that If he had been
truth as he was of injuring me he would
| have informed himself before writing. But
| although / am not aggrieved. the way is
| fore the elders of the Irvington church
| whenever he wishes 10, but, OF course, M
/ cannot prove that my statements were raise
for 1 have only to name the gentlemen wne
| told me and then / am done with 1t. Mr.
| Sweeney, with his documents in his pockets
| is evidently initiating the Irishman who pro
4
| swear that they had not seen him commit the
| crime of which he was charged. He has hi:
| documents from men who did not hear hin
cay these things 7 desire careful attention
| to the following: Mr. Sweeney says that No
| will make me public apology If he doe!
| not prove that my statements are false. HI
knows. then. that that is the proper thing Z
| do. If he calls mans word in question
| and fails to show that he had right to d.
so he knows that he owes that man an apol
| ogy. Very well. i am glad he knows that
| He has not forgotten that in the same bluS
tering manner as now. he called my wore
In question with regard to the letter pub
| lished / produced sufficient proof of thu
correctness of my statements. Did Mr.. Swee
ney apologize? Not a word. He promises Z
do so the next time. What right have Il
believe that he will do so? When he ha
| done what he recognizes to be right shall
believe that he will do so again. Mr.. Swee
ney must now state publicly that he had M
right to call my words in question with re
| gard to the letter, and that he did 50 mere
| ly to break the force OF the letter. Until h
has made this statement shall hold him un
worthy of consideration. II. Z. GARVlN.
| Tryingfon Ind Nav g.