Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-11
HERRoN's LETTER.

HERRoN'S LETTER.
The Communication to the Grinnell
council-Discusses Family Affairs.
Many people have wondered what
George D. Heron, the deposed minis
ter of the Congregations church had
to say in his letter to the council that
recently tried him at Grinnell and have
wondered why it was not printed. The
letter was received by the council but
was not read in public. In some man
ner, however, it has been given to the
outside and is as follows:
Professor Herron's Statement.
"Brethren:-I received your request
that | join with you in calling a coun-
Gil to inquire into my standing as a
minister and as member of your
church. l could not join with you in
this call, nor do l feel it essential that
l should. You are body of Chris
tian gentlemen seeking to do what you
believe to be your whole duty, and the
council called by you will be as i'm
partial and as eager to do what seems
to it right, as if l had joined in the
call. I could not hope to include a
friendly church on the council; for,
however sad the reflection on myself
to say so, have no friend that know
of in the Congregational churchesN or
ministery of Iowa.
Weeks in advence of my trial, in
the public prints of the religious press,
your pastor has proclaimed me guilty
of the thing for which am to be tried.
think he represents the general feel
j,,rr ~ no oh, 80
place beside this general feeling the
fact that l have nothing to offer in
self-defense and that l have nothing to
say that will not serve to further con
Wet me in your judgment.
Let me say at once that if literal
Interpretation of the civil court decree
is to be made the basis of your proceed.
ure, and if refuse to go behind that
decree, then do not see how you car
do anything else than establish the
conviction at which you have already
arrived, and dismiss me from the
church and it's ministry. I might sug
gest to you that a court decree, grant
| ing a separation of this kind, is based
upon technicality, as you must know
Our laws are so made that man and
woman legally united cannot get apart
save upon such nominal charge Of
wrong doing. 1 did not know the
charge upon which this separation
was granted, until l read it in the
newspapers. | suppose it was the
least charge upon which such a de
cree could be issued in an Iowa court
STILL fully realize that this suggestion
has no value whatever as evidence.
i do not go behind the court de
: cree, and, offer no counter-evidence,
see no course open to you save to dis
miss me from your fellowship. The
burden of proof, in virtue of all the
circumstances rests upon me; and if
cannot or will not prove my limo
cence, the responsibility is mine, fol
you have given me opportunity. Ant
know that I cannot escape this dis
position of the church toward me.
Furthermore, the responsibility TO,
the circumstances which call you to
gether rests upon me, where the pub
lie has placed it. 1t seems wholly uh
necessary to say this for no hint o
blame upon anyone else has reached
, my eyes or ears, while have been uni
, versally condemned It does not seen
worth while to suggest that such
; crisis might come to a life withou
anyone being morally to blame, SO W,
will let the responsibility and con
demnation rest just where they are.
should not count anyone my frient
who would undertake to defend me a
the expense of another.
| Did Not Desert Children.
81 would ask you to kindly let m,
explain, however, that did not deser
my children. There lives no fathe
who loves his children more than
But have long held it as principle
that children belong first to the moth
er. Where such separation take
place, il the mother desires all the chill
dreh, they are rightfully hers, and NJ
considerate man would take one o
them from her. Besides, in this case
l think the children would choose thei
mother who has been their constan
companion, except when she was twic
absent with me in Europe. They ar
not babes, but are arriving at SOM
years Of capacity to choose for them
; selves, the oldest Of them just bios
soming into womanhood. This ma,
not be known to you, because of tn
fact that have not yet reached tn
period Of middle life, but it may b
, understood when you take into accoun
the fact that the marriage took plac
before had quite reached my 21s
birthday Furthermore, when I turl
from the desires Of q fathers hear
for what is best for the children then
selves, think their choice of thei
!; mother would be wise; for the
: will have a good mother an
: the life of a man given to tn
socialist revolution cannot fail t
! be more or less the life of an outcast
as the revolution intensifies and array
a ruling class against working elias
| in a final issue and crisis.
Sin this connection, l would like t
say that l do not see why the matte
!, of adequate financial provision shout
have been made basis of complain
or discussion. Certainly it was tn
right and duty of the mother Of thes
children to accept such provision i
..I a;,orJo ,nefioo ~ I,n,co1f o-J 49,. =.