Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-07-28
COGGINS' CORRECTIONS.
THE GOOD BROTHER SEEMS TO
HAVE STIRRED UP A
HORNETS NEST.
Strother Underwood Now lombard
ing Coggins-The Rush Hill
Debate Resulted in More
Harm Than Good

Harm Than Good
Correspondence Of the Ledger.
WORCESTER, Mo, July 2e.-In your
issue of July 81 / see that ]. @. Cog
gins, one of the d~isputants in the late
religious discussion al Rush Hill,
writes to make a few 'scorrections"(2)
and, as he says nothing about the
questions debated at the religious de-
bate, I do not quite understand what
he wishes to scorrect."
1 wish, however, in your valued |
paper to correct a few of his mistate-
ments in his reply to Spectator"
whoever he or she may be. He in
forms Spectator that he has never
been guilty of blowing his own horn.
As to the correctness of that state
ment l will just refer the reader to his
article of last week. AS to the fact
as to who informed "Mr. Spectator"
that j. O. Coggins had studied law, I
will say that probably Spectator"
heard me say SO in compliment of
which Mr.. Coggins informed me inn
mediately after the close of the de-
bate.
l would advise Mr.. Coggins that in
stead of turning lawyer on this special
occasion that he had better turn doc
tor and diagnose his own case, as I am
certain he is sick and, from his walls,
his case must be of a serious nature.
Perhaps the medicine which he re-
ceivd from Mr.. Allison does not agree
| with his physical nature.
In regard to my ruling as moderator
by the reqeust of either party privately
is an entire misstatement, as I went
upon my own responsibility privately
to both parties, including their mod
| orators, telling them what my rulings
would be in regard to interrupting the
| speaker. This was done in order to
save lots of time and to prevent the
interruption of the speaker while on
the floor. I made but few rulings
publicly until near the close of the
debating of the last proposition, when
Mr.. Coggins became so intolerable in
personating not only his opponents,
but also including in his abusive man
ner a good old lady sitting in the audi
ence.
AS to his second allegation in his
Corrections" 1 positively deny.
Mr.. Coggins states as a fact that on
the morning the debate began he
objected to me being a moderator on
account of my religious relief. My
first knowledge of any such objection
was when l read his corrections" in
the LEDGER. MI. Coggins ought to
and probably does know that in all
religious discussions it is an established
custom to choose as moderator a
non-church member, and this demon
strates beyond a doubt the unfairness
of Mr.. Coggins in his illusions to me
in his article of Corrections"
Because 1, as chairman, would not
consent to his abusive epithets being
cast at his opponent, Mr.. Us. Allison,
he seeks to pour forth his venom upor
me in a published missuatement, OF
as he calls it, corrections"
I did not confess to his brother, ],
W. Coggins, or to any one else tina,
Mr.. Allison and myself were of the
same faith. / have stated and will
now state that the Christian Gus and
nobody else) church is my favorite
church, from the fact that they repu'
diate three-fourths of che Bible, while
l repudiate it all as divine.
lam very sorry, indeed, that these
differences over the debate have
arisen between us as friends, being &C
near together in religious belief.
Now, Mr.. Editor, in conclusion I will
, state that I have an abundance o.
ammunition for coast defense, which
consists of pepper and salt. I send
few packages of pepper now and havs
on hand a cargo of salt which, !
needed, / will cheerfully donate fol
, the preservation Of any one liable t.
> spoil on account of elf-conceit.
Respectfully yours,
P. 8. UNDERWOOD.
P. S.-If there would have been an.
good effects come from the discussion
j., of the propositions from MI. Coggins
standpoint it would have been over
thrown by the brother, j. w. Coggins
q in his unremitting persistence in dis
!, regard to my ruling and in trying t.
make a speech at the close of tn
debate. However, by strenuou
0 efforts 1 closed the debate in goo
order and I understand he made tn
desired speech to the few REMAINING
;, in a very indecorus and obscene man
u ner.
The 18th annual meeting OF tn
Audrain County Christian Missionar
Incorporation WILDE held at Rock Hi
church, 10 miles northeast of Mexic
. and 4 miles north of Rush Hill, begin