The San Francisco call., 1897-09-10
DOCTOR BLISS
AGAIN MISQUO7ED
An Emphatic and Complete
Denial Is Entered to
the Charges.
How Innocent Expressions Were
Badly Distorted in Order to
Make a Case.
Corroboration Comes From Prominent
Men Who We're Present at
the Meetings.

Rev. DR.. W. D. P. Bliss is again com.
PEELED to enter a denial of words attrib-
uted to him oy the Examiner. The fol-
lowing is sef-explanatory:
To the Edator of the San Francisco Call
DEAR SIR: When d mali has been as seriously
and repeatedly mlsrepresented and misquoted
as | have been of late in this community, 1t
seems almost useless to say anything, bu since
l see that your paper desires to do me justice,
will you allow me III your columns TO formally
deny that said the things, either before the
Congregational Club or the Socialists with
which am credited as saying. Iappend let
ters from Rev. MIR. RAIDER and Rev. Mr.. Scott,
who respectively, were present at the two
NEE tings, and know what did say.
As to my reported utterances before the
Congregations Club, II has already been
noted tnat made no general accusations as
10 plutocratic clergymen or churches, and
mentioned no Individual names, except after
ward in private. Ny paper, according to one
OF the two daiiies which ported il, was in
dorsrd by majority of the club according to
the other daily by nearly ali the club. 1t
stands 10 reason that could not have taken
the position with which l am accredited, for
surely no ministerial club would indorse that
The reporter who reported me not pres
ent al the clnb-through no ault of hers-and
took my utterances third hand. Yet it is on
this report of report OF what | said that
have been condemned. AS for my uttera noes
before the Socialists, have been almost more
seriously misre presented. In the first place
y,
elsewhere. said that IL the Bible damnation
means damnation, and that l believe God
uamns the present system. never INDUCED
in tina phrase as profane utterance. Iwent
on to quote Christs wordS where he con-
demns seif-seeking, the love of money, etc.
Secondly, did say that sometimes Ifelt that
there was more true religion in practical So
cialist societies than in fashionable churches,
but in the same sentence asked The audience
TO note what / meant by practical socalis S,
and told them that the only practical social
ism which | knew was the brotherhood of
man, based on The fatherhood OF God.
Thirdly, took no such deistic view cf God
as am made to take by the papers. simply
said did not believe in God who was q lar
away individual outside OF the world. ! be-
lieyed in present Goo, and bade my audi
ence Speak TO him then, for he hears, and
spirit with spirit can meet. Nearer is he than
breathing and closer han hands and feet" /
was addressing an audience mainly composed
o. unbelieving workingmen, anu in plain
workingman's words | tried 10 make them
think OF God and Christ and the divine life as
facts of the present inverse. | do not believe
that one of my audience misunderstood me !;
ye. by altering my words ana emitting por-
lions OF my sentences | have-perhaps without
intent-be.n put in an utterly wrong light
If a man can be SO misrepresented no charac-
ter is safe ana no clergyman secure. am
gratefully yours, w. d. T. BLISS
}. E. Scott writes:
was present in Turk.street Temple when
Mr.. Bliss addressed the socialists. al Id desire
TO say that his statement of what he said is
correct. He said nothing irreverent, bur u ade
burning plea for belief in God and actual
applied brotherhood on earth. J. E. SCOTT.
DR.. RAIDER writes the following cor
roboratlon:
Permit me to say that DR.. Bliss statement OF
what he said before the Monday Club is cor
rect
first heard of DR.. Bliss when a student in
the Andover Theological Seminary. He ad-
dressed the probes sors and students and made
q profound impression. He has since had q
notable career. Earnest, sincere and genuine
is this reiormer, not unlike Professor Heron
in his spirit and purpose He quite properly
used the Trinity corporation as illustration
OF the wrong use of the unearned increment
He prob bly, was rash in his comparison
with lngersol), but he stated very puzzling
fact-a nut for every minister 10 crack. He
said nothing Of "piutoeratic G gyman," re-
ferring only to The most powerful eccleslasti-
cal corporation in the world and its relation to
its tenants. He confessed that his allusion to
anarchists was unfortunate. Some believe
they died Tor murder, others for an ideal. DR..
Bliss holds to the latter. He urges Others to
have ideals, and die Tor them if they are worth
it, He does not sympathiZe with anarchists
He believes many OF them to be thoroughly
bad. DR.. Bliss simply said what every
Thoughtful man believes in; that hypocrisy in
the clergyman or the church is worse than
infidelity in Ingersoll. And he is right.
WILLIAM RAIDER,
President of the Monday Club