The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-10-15
Jasper Protestants Fail to Dwell T0geth
er In Harmony.
To THE PUBLIC:

The undersigned very much re-
Igret the necessity of defending in
print the action Of a part OF the
Protestant population Of Jasper, be.
Ilieving that no good can possibly
come to any one from discussion
of matter that is settled, and il
is to be hoped is settled right, and
were it not that the pastor and
trustees OF the Jasper M. +. church
have published statement in a
large number of the papers Of the
county from which an erroneous
impression must necessarily be
drawn, we would have nothing to
say about the matter.
We do not believe the public are
interested in, or care about the dis
sessions of the handful of Protest
ants at Jasper, neither do we be-
lieve that these dissensions can be
ever healed by flying into the news
papers and publishing exparte state
ments. Neither do we desire in
any manner or form to widen the
breach between the Protestants of
Jasper, and were it not for some
erroneous statement in the com
munication of the pastor and trus-
tees Of the Jasper nj. f.. church,
whereby large number of the citi-
zens of Jasper are placed in false
light, and which, if true, they would
be guilty Of false pretense in secur-
ing the use of the public school
building in Jasper, their statement
would rot be answered.
In the communication of the pas
tor and the trustees ''to the public, "
they say;
"The facts are that neither the
pastor, trustees or members of the
M. L. Church in Jasper ever did OF
said, in any way, anything to dis
courage or prevent any orthodox
religious organization or society
from feeling perfectly welcome tc
|, meet in the Methodist church house
when not occupied by the Metho'
dists.''
This would mean that the Jaspe]
Union Sunday School was neverxnf
fused the use -nf the NJ. 4. chYSo1
and that the use of the public So
; building was of their own choice,
, and because they did not want t
meet in the church.
On the 18th of May there was or
ganized in Jasper the Jasper Unior
Sunday School. This Sunday
School drew up courteous reques
directed to the trustees of the Jas
per NJ. 4. church by name, request
ing the use of said church on Sun
day afternoons at such time al
would not conflict with the othel
church services, and agreeing t
pay their part for ianitor anc
church expenses. The written re-
quest was signed by the presiden
and secretary Of the meeting, tht
superintendent and secretary Of The
Jasper Union Sunday School, and
by a committee Of three, and was
personally delivered to one of the
trustees on May IL, 1897, in the
forenoon. At noon on May 18th
no answer having been returned by
the trustees TO said request, the un-
designed +. K. Woods and Richard
M. Milburn, waited upon the trus
tee and received from him ths
answer that the trustees had DEcID
ED that the Jasper Union Sunday
School could not use the church a
any hour. This refusal was stateC
in as emphatic manner as posi-
, BILE and could not be misunderstood
and it was after this refusal that
they secured the use of the public
school building.
Again, in the communication
above referred to, the pastor anC
trustees say: "All in control O
the church house have always ex
, tended cordial welcome to every
Christian organization, and the va
cation by the G. p. of the church
house was an act Of their owr
choice, and a surprise to the M. K
J trustees and pastor. I"
As to it being Of their owr
"choice" and how much Of "sur.
prise" it was, the following will ex
plain. Under date of July 26, 1897
the pastor, Rev. j. K. Fisher, over
his own signature in writing to Rev
j. |. Gregory said: "You used th'
church at your last appointment
. after having withdrawn all your ser
vices, by your own choice from th'
church, without the consent Of th'
pastor and trustees, and left anothe
appointment for the first Sunday il
August. We are willing that yot
/, use the church provided you max,
the statement as requested.
would suggest that you see you
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