The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-11-01
RELIGIOUS ROW.

RELIGIOUS ROW.
As to Mr.. KelIy-with Leitch as an
Under.Study.
Greenville Mountaineer.
The Mountaineer seems TO have struck a
hornets nest In reproving the Rev. Thomas
81. Leitch for his unWarIantea a. atlsGk s;ls upon %
tist church, and as the weather Is unusually
warm for the season, the hornets are reckless
ly spiteful and ill.tempered: "wednesday
night at the tent meeting, Rev. M. B. Kelly
gave prelude to the regular services, using
The Mountaineer and its editor as the occa-
sion for his performance, which was oy no
means justified or excusable on account Of
our comments upon Mr.. Leitchs false and
slanderous statements. Mr.. Kelly's remarks
were reported In the daily News, and we
have Mr. Kellys sntn0rty LOT says tHa Tss
only addition he wishes made Is that we
knew Mr.. Leitch came here upon his invita-
anti of a conference among the ministers Of
the city. The report OF the DAILY news ls
given elsewhere, so that our readers may see
for themselves that MI Kelly mas grstaitf0us, o,
matter which did not concern him directly,
and Of course he has no one to blame except
himself for the outcome, whether IL ls pleas
ant or otherwise.
/. mr.. Kelly lays great stress upon the fact
that Mr.. Leitch came here by his invitation.
which is doubtless altogether true, but that
does not e1culpate LeCn or gtVea 9t T,1a
also true that Leitch would not nave come
without an invitation from Methodist
Cause in other days bis coming and going as
he pleased met with strong opposition from
some of the Methodist preachers, and the
church authorities put STOP 70 n,s as on
evangelist In any community had behind II
an Invitation such IS Mr.. Kelly sent. WIN
Mr.. Kelly deny this statement? or Will ne
deny that at the Columbia District Confer.
enoe held at R1dgeway in July, 1897, Mr.;
Leitch made statement, when the renewal
OF his license was under consideration, IN
church at Fort Valley, Ca. where he adminis;
tered the communion although not authorized
to do 30, as he was not an ordained minister
Did he not confess that he was Ignorant OF
pledge then and there to obey the laws OF the
church, and was not his license IN danger OF
remaining unrenewed II he had not MADE tne
in South Carolina, but In many places where
he is best known It would require the endorse.
ment of Mr.. Kelly and several others to install
ment men as Of gpentiity. pii Mr.. KelIy has 9nfoTsa
nateiy stood sponsor for Leitch in this
continuity, which is not at all to his credit
with many persons who have been TO hear
g Mr.. Kelly also puts great store by the
ASSERTION that the city ministers had prom1s-
ed TO give the meeting their support ana co
operation. and that tne tent meeIlng vas Tine rne
beyond question that Leitch already hao tne
Invitation TO come here before the ministers
were called together, and we believe IL Is mue
that the conference was called 70 OBTAIN
cooperation, which was necessary TO insure
the expenses Of the tent meeting. and that
Leitch is now disgruntled and sore.headed on
account OF the sIimness OF the cooperation
and the slenderness of the collections. That
is the milk in the oocoanut, and explains why
Leitch has been casting slurs right ana LETT
upon the preachers OF Gereenville, abusing
and misrepresenting them without regard to
decency OF propriety. Will Mr.. Kelly kindly
Invite another conference Of the ministers,
and ask them TO Put on record tne IRE ee ba sna 1a
enjoyed the privilege Of his acquaintance
II would be worth while to look upon the
scene, and 1t would be an excellent reminder
taking and afterwards" only the conditions
would be reversed. Mr.. Kelly has the oppor-
tunity of his life, and in calling the post.faoto
preachers invited who did not attend before
for good and satisfactory reasons TO them
selves. Possibly they had known Mr.. Leitch
de6arred their attendance. AT any rate Mr.:
Kelly can get store Of valuable and uselol
Information by issuing the invitation Tor
special session OF the ministers conference.
8. MIR. Kelly shows very clever inventive
genius In trying to distort what was said by
The Mountaineer into an attack upon the
tent meetings. He read TO the congregation
and did not have the fairness to read 1t
through, so that his hearers could judge for
themselves. He was the interpreter OF our
was SnTusds made with Nj. feitch, which was solely
with reference to his unjust and vituperativa
attack upon the work OF score or two
OF excellent women who never gave thought
to Leitch or his meetings. II 10 reported to
us that the cause Of Leitch's anger was
through misapprehension on his part, as he
imagined that the reception took place while
he was preaching, and as Leitch must over.
around, they had committed a very grave
offence. AB a matter OF fact the reception did
not occur when Leitoh was holding forth at
the tent, but IT was between the services.
Mr.. Kelly would have 1t appear that The
Mountaineer had insulted the ladies who at
tended the tent meetings, because OF the
coarse things. but We expressly disclaimed
any responsibility op this score. Will Mr..
Kelly deny that bis protege ha. reputation
in that way? Has he not used the coarsest
Greenvillee. His alleged sermon to "men
only" on Sunday afternoon fully confirms
his reputation. One gentleman said TO us
that he would not dare 70 repeat LeitO6s 81 stE; o
not q professor OF religion at all. Another
said that the mayor OF Greenville would be
justified In placing Leitch under arrest II he
ordinance against such obscsnity. Mr.. Kelly
would do we'll TO make some inquiry among
his fellow.citizens II he objects TO the mild
Characterization of "coarseness" being applied
to the language OF the gentleman for whom
he has undertaken to give surety.
f. It is not to our liking that we are forced
to make defence against the attack OF Mr..
Kelly, as We prefer to live at peace with all
mankind, but this unwarranted and unjusti.
fable assault was made In the presence OF q
large congregation, and We have the right to
resent such an outrage upon common fair.
ness and sheer proprlety. II we had been
present the impulse would have been very
doubtless these champions OF truth and
righteousness would have proclaimed to the
world that we were disturbing q religious
meeting. God save the mark, when preach
ers can devote their time in the pulpit to the
abuse and derision Of those who are absent.
It is contemplate In the extreme, not to say
cowardly, and reflects entirely upon the
preachers and not upon those who are assail-
ed.