The San Francisco call., 1897-06-22
RACY READING FOR THE
INITIATE.
He Tells H W His Chicago Sur.
porters Rallied to His
Assistance.
THE LOCAL CONFERENCE rs
SCORED
E Elthusiastic Recital, Hitherto U pub.
lisheS, of the Doctors Eastern
Triumph

Triumph
The following letter from the Rev. DR..
e. o. Brown will be read with interest by
those who remembe the trial through
which he passed LAST year. The doctor
had been accused of misconduct in con-
neetion with one Matte Overman, and
his case was tried exhaustively by the
Bay Conference of Congregationalists, with
the result that he was suspended. There
after he was rehabilitated by the DUBUQUE
and Chicago conferences, which declined
10 permit the reopening of the full case,
but decided upon single points at issue.
No full details of the Chicago proceed
ings have been published in Chicago or
this City. The present letter was written
by DR.. Brown himself, and representing
MS own construction OF the proceedings
and which he desires accepted by friends
here, will be OF peculiar interest. He is
not sparing OF his censure of those who
opposed him here and his friends will re-
loice in his confidence that his vindica-
tion is justified.
The letter reads:
$50 WEST POLK STREET,
CHICAGO June Z, 1897
To Ny Dear Friends and Brethren Deacon
Others to Whom This May Come: The meeting
OF the Chicago Association was of such in
ierest and importance to you, as well as to
myself, that viii try to give you some idea
of what trAnspired. We met in the small
Iecture-room of the Y. NJ. G. A. building
Every chair was filed, and twenty or more
were standing throughout the session, which
lasted from 80 to 4:30; but before 1t as
sembled much of the most important work
had been done by our friends on the commit
lee, Rev. ]. I. Blanchar and Rev. w. A. Water
man, D, pastor Of the Millard- avenue
Church, formerly my successor at Kalamazoo.
The other members OF the committee were
Rev. Z, ?. Goodwin, DID,; Rev. Willard Scott
ID, and Major Reddington. DR.. Goodwin
was taken sick and Immediately resigned from
the committee, leaving it evenly divided in
sentiment
Dr.. Scott and Major Reddington being not
fully in sympRth: with DR.. Mclean, but so far
as 10 hold that action should be delayed ana
another council called, not to 60 into the
whole matter. All considered that must never
be done.
The following principles were accepted by
the entire committee:
l. No man can be tried q second time for an
ofense for which he has once been tried and sc-
Quilted.
annoyances and expense would be an unheard-of
proceeding either in civil or ecclesiastical courts.
3. 1t is a hitherto unheard-of and almost un-
thinkable thing that when one has been tried by
the Supreme Court las council) that lower court
(as q cOnference) should without trial condemn
him for the very chars on which the upper court
had tried and acquitted him.
4. ID6 case therefore, so lar Or. Brow g
gui or Innocence Is concerned, is forever closed
by the acquitta al of the council and the alleg ed
new evidence is utterly worthless, not only be-
cause OF the worthless character of those who ut
ter 1t, but because of the suspicious time and
Circumstance under which it was brought for
ward
on the committee were as emphatic as my
friends The perjured documents presented
by DR.. Mclean, therefore, were not even read
by the committee, but relegated to the rotten
oblivion which they belong
In the minds of the committee, therefore,
this left the clear letter of the Dubuque
case had been complicated, and three
associations were involved they were
all ready to recommend that Dr. Brown
and the Bay Conference call a mutual
council to meet here apart from the pois one ed
atmosphere OF the coast to consider simply
and only this question, WAS the Bay Confer
ence warranted in suspending Dr. B. without
trial and for suspicious touching matters on
which the council had acquitted him?"
This would put the Bay Conference on trial
without the power of having recourse to per-
jurers to lie them out of their embarras s.
ment. All of the committee agreed squarely
that unless the Bay Conference Would agree
openly and positively 10 such council here
and for the one purpose named. then the
whole committee would recommend that
DR.. B. be received.
The committee ad journed last Tuesday, first
having as was supposed, agreed to recon-
mend such council, but DR.. Blanchard per-
ceived that such a recommendation would
ence desired aud nothing further. He knew
that the Bay Conference would never consent
TO fair trial of its own ofense separated
from all confusing issues, so early Wednesday
morning he sent the first of the series Of tele-
grams, which are correctly quoted in the in
closed clippings from the Jimes-Herald of
to-day.
You will see the Characteristic duplicity of
the answer sent by Hatch to the fair ques-
tions OF Mr.. Blanchard. That showed
Blanchard and Waterman that nothing fair or
frank was to be expecte from that source and
showed them also that DR.. b. could expect
nothing fair from such men If he should be
party TO another council with them, When
the committee met therefore, on Saturday,
Dr. Blan churd and DR.. Waterman read the
teleerams and drew squarely ouLof the fol-
mer proposition, having the sufh cient reason
that II would be worse than wasted breath to
recommend what would be utterly futile, ex-
cept in annoying Dr. b. with further delay.
Scott and Reddington were taken compietely
by surprise-owned that Hatch had not sent d
fair answer, but wanted time 10 telegraph on
their own account My friends said: "No,
gentlemen; you could, OF course, under press
1re get such answers as you desire, but these
telegrams, obtained without pressure, repre-
semi The true sentiment OF those men, ana II Is
manifest that however or wherever they call
any council they would drag this Whole mat
ter again before the pubic. which all agreed
would be outrageous and not to be tolerated"
DR.. Bushnell and DR.. Scott were careful to
state that they did not believe the charges
against Dr. B. Mr.. Blanchard thereupon
arose and said that he had been in favor OF
such council, but, etc ne thsn Teau lhe
feIeorame THAT show that any effort 10 get a
fair answer or understanding from these men
is useless and / for one win not recommend
that DR.. Z. go into any council with men 50
unfair Ne has had one council, that is
enough; that acquitted him. l say receive
him now" Tremendous applause.l
DIR. Waterman then read an elaborate report
half an hour in length. giving history OF
the case showing how exhaustIYeiy the coun-
eli had tried me, how, finding l could not be
Condemned on the only matter before the
couuci, another and utterly trivial affair,
Sybtch rranspired four days after the council
,res called, which il had therefore not the
siightest right TO touch, was dragged in TO
I've some excuse for censuring me.
He cited the legal authority showing that
the case on its merits could never be re-
onened- showing how futile it would be 10 try
ana get an understanding with men who
wou ID trife with the mittee OF the chi en-,
cago Association by sendlng an answer ,niro mtoa
and do another, and much more Of like ma
ture. Heaffirmed that many Of thls assocla-
ton know DR.. B. They have learned from