The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-05
SUPPOSED TRACK
ON DR.. WHIST I.
Causes Great indignation Among
the Baptists.
DR.. EATON MAKES cHAResE
Or That i. What 1t Look, Like TO Many
Persons-A sudden change las
TAKEN rls. ID the sita.
alton recently.
DR.. EATON MAKES CHARGsE

BAPTIST ministers and laynen in this city
md elsewhere are indignant over WHAT
they regard as an attempt on the part OF
DR.. T. Z. Eaton, editor Of the " estern
recorder, a Baptist paper published In
Louisville. to cast reproach upon Tue
name of Dr. w. II. WhIts!t, OF this city,
by laying upon him the responsibility
OF disgraceful act
Just whether or not DR.. Eaton meant
DR. Whitsitt in a certain article he pub
lished in hiS paper is not definitely set
tied, but friends Of the Richmond minis
ter are Of opinion that he did. Letters
have been sent to DR.. Eaton asking al
explanation. So far as can be learned, no
reply has yet been received. 1t is expect
ed, however, that before many days some
answer will come from DR.. Eaton, stat
Ing whether or not he really did mean Dr.
NVhitsitt. The statement is made, now
ever, that when asked to deny that ne
referred TO DR.. Whitsitt, Dr.. Eaton de-
ciined to do so.
When the incident will end is not
known. The Religious Herald, of this city,
Or. w. T. Hatcher and DR.. c. ii. Ry-
land, also of Richmond, and others, are
1nose or less included in DR.. Eatons
charges The Herald may take hand
in the matter before long.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Some time ago there appeared in the
New York Evening Post an article which
recited a silly story, which had been IN
circulation years before concerning one
of the professors in the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary. This story
was IN effect that the professor
in question had occasion in a
certain instance to discuss before his class
the theory of innate ideas. When he
had given his own opinion upon the mat
ter a member OF the class took issue win
him and presented a different theory. II
was said that the professor, after dls-
playing considerable doubt and perplex-
5ty about the matter. declared that he
would settle it by submitting the oues-
zion to the suffrages of the class. A
majority of The class voted in favor OF
the professors theory. and lie thereupon
pronounced it the correct one
The Post article wa. evidently
written or inspired by some one
unfriendly to the Baptist denomi-
nation. as it intimated very clear
ly that Baptists were in the habit OF
settling all great questions according to
the Louisville professors method. 1t re-
ferred to the occasion when the late Jno
Jasper called upon his congregation to
vote rpon his astronomical theory-Ih
Sun Do Move 1t declared that the
historical question in reference to the res
toration to the ordinance of immersion,
raised by DIR. W. II. Whnsitt, was dlspos-
ed of in the same manner. IN the same
article il was charged that Baptists hold
10 the doctrine that immersion is essential
10 salvation. With regard to john Jas
per, il may be remarked incidentally that
his church was called Mount Calvary"
instead of Mount Zion.
GETS TO WORK.
This attack uron the Baptists pro-
volked DR.. Eaton, editor of the
Recorder, to indulge in some very severe
denunciation of the writer in the Evening
Post Finally, in reply to letter from
DIR. Eaton. the managing editor Of the
Post said that he had obtained the ma
terial for his editorial from trustee Of
the Southern Baptist Theological Semi
nary DR.. Eaton Immediately addressed
n letter to each of the tiIty-six trustees,
requesting him to state whether he was
the one referred to by the New York
paper. In response, forty-nine trustees
wrote. denying that they had anything to
do with the matter. The remainder,
among whom were DIR. X. z. Hatcher ana
DIR. c. II. Ryland, Of this city. did not
answer taking the ground that DR.. Eaton's
question was an impertinence.
When the full list of trustees appeared
In the Recorder. with those who had re-
piled checked off, the editor Of the Post
wrote at once that the name of his in
formant did not appear among the trus-
tees and hence that the person could
not have been one of them as was at
first supposed. DR.. Eaton thereupon as
sumed the role of detective and, It is
said. claimed that he has demonstrated a
phenomenal aptitude for the business. He
struck a ytran leading out from Louis
VILE, tho scent of which grew stronger
and stronger at every STEP With q
laGdalbL4 enthusiasm and accuracy he fol-
lowe& shis Trail from the Kentucky city
to Richmond. In the Western Recorder
of January 23rd, he announced results in
an editorial, in which he declared that
while he has not positively located the
malicious slanderer of the Seminary pro-
fessor and of the Baptist denomination
vet there We're arrowheaoS which point
to his whereabouts. The man. he clear
ly indicated, is d resident OF Richmond
Va.
THE ARRowHEADs.
In his article DR.. Eaton, as stated, de.
clared that there are .'arrow-heads" which
point to the criminal. The mistake il
calling John Jasper's church MT. Cal
vary instead OF Mount Zion, according K
a,r. Eaton, was an indication that the
person had been a resident of Richmond
but short while. Other arrowhead:
are in substance as follows: 1.-THE
criminal designates DR.. Whitsitt a:
civilians Heth NVhitsitt," which ha:
a certain significance; the crimina
belongs to the small class wht
charge large part of Southern Baptist:
with believing immersion essential to sal