The broad ax., 1903-06-13

The passing Of the Rev. =. J. Fisher
of ollYet Baptist church Of this city,
Is being accompanied with sencation-
a arrests and counter arrests by the
members Of his church coupled with
q heavy damage suit for alienation OF
. W1fe's affections soon to be hleds
It Is said, in the courts Of this city.
This so-eaIled Doctor Of Divinity, at
{ fhis writing. Is under arrest on two
warrants containing sraYe charges,
and is out Of fail only under heavy
bonds for HIS appearance on the day
Of trial 80
Sensational facts came TO light last
week which cast a darker cloud over
this mans troubles and places him in
q new role. It is now predicted by
his friends, that as soon as he can
escape from the clutches Of the law,
he win bow before the storm Of pub
lie Indignation and retreat in disgrace
to the South, whence he came. This
shows Enthusiastically the approval Of
the course taken by The Broad Az,
the only independent and aggressive
newspaper in Chicago published BY
our race. 1t should be said in fair
ness, however, that the Chicago Con-
servator, fortified by an astonishing
grasp Of the actual situation, and with
an overwhelming array Of stubborn
facts, in its last issue. took the field
against this gospel tramp. This in
dicates that, If the public press fol-
lows the dictates Of conscience, pub
fishes the truth and does its utmost
to keep the pulpit honest, upright and
clean, the better element Of the people
in tn community viii very soon ap-
prove its courageous course.
There are certain preachers in this
city whose unsteady footsteps are
tending toward the mire, and whose
pulpits ought to be occupied by ADLER
better nd cleaner mep- The result
IN one particular case, however, has |
brought its own speedy punishment |
If a minister OF the gospel with one
leg or more, is so foolish as to reduce
love making to an art, he ought to |
have sense enough TO refrain from
practicing that art on the married
women Of his flock. II he disre-
CARDS that commandment which says:
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbOr's |
wife, If he forgets to maintain the
dignity Of the pulpit; If he offers
his heart to another mans wife, no
matter how gracefully the tender is
made, he may, perhaps, have reason
to regret ii. A few weeks ago a GER
tain minister proclaimed from the pull
pit that his wife was the most beauti-
ful woman he ever saw, but, If current
reports are true. another mans wife
looks good to him"
CandOr compels me to admit that
many Of the frivolous and SHY things
ascribed to some Of our ministers,
have proven on~inVestigation to have
been enormously ascribed to them, or
else to have been so qualified at the
time Of speaking by other statements
rs to lose much Of their apparent
foOlishness; but any sOcaIled Doctor
Of Divinity, who alienates the affec-
tons Of q wife, and then causes the
arrest Of the injured husband because
he does not ike It, is a moral lepeF
and q social assassin, more dangerous
to society than famine, food, plague or
pestilepce. II such eVn influences
are exerted over the weak, and such
Illicit love as this can succeed, it
would mean a suspension OF the most
hsllOWed rights Of many a family, ss
wen as the most sacred ties Of home
This ofense increases in enormity
as It Is more carefully scrutinized.
It Is nothing that It is directed toward
q member Of the Baptist church and
by a Baptist preacher, denomination
IS nothing, because in its larger and
fuller significance it is blow at the
purity Of every church. the chastity Of
every home and a scandal and a dis
grace 10 any community.
what God hath Joined together let
not man put asunder," was not writ
ten Tor naught. Perhaps Of ali the
sayings Of Jesus Christ this one the
Baptist Church in particular has en-
phasized and most obviously laid to
heart. Her cOnsecrated ministers
have never tired Of laying particular