Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-20
CALLED DOWN HARD.
DIR, Allen, a Former Pupil, scores
Me MILAN for Slanderous falsehood

Salt Lake City, Utah, May 2O.-To the
Editor of the Deseret News. In Mon
day nights News" you devoted some
space to the Rev d. j. Mcmillan, MS
stories about preaching the gospel with
the Bible in one hand and pistol In
the other" about il not being sale to
admit one was not a Mormon, ana
about the remark being common that
"the foot Of Gentle should not tread
the sacred soil Of sanpete county
All OF these are very remarkable state
men,s coming, as they do, from rev.
erend gentleman: remarkable because
there is not particle of truth In one
Of them. All OF these things are sup
posed 10 have occurred when MI Nc
MILAN was teaching school and doing
missionary work at Mt, Pleasant over
rs years ago.
AS ] was one of Mr.. McMillan's pu-
pills, wish 70 make a statement OF
the facts In the case: He came TO Mt.
Pleasant and established a school. Be
ing well educated and very courteous,
Mr., Mcmillan was quite popular IN the
little town. My parents invited him to
our home, and entertained him; he was
invited into the homes Of the people Of
zen. and was treated very kindly and
hospitality. The Bishop Of the ward,
William Seely. thus entertained him on
several occasions. Things went on this
way for two or three years until Mr..
Mcmillan went TO Illinois on a preach
ing tour, and 70 let the people know
what brave man he was for daring to
do open missionary work among the
'Mormons.'
On that tour he made the remarka-
bic statements which are quoted above
and the illinois papers printed them.
On Mr.. McMilIan's return 10 Mt, Pleas
ant. he was waited on by committee
OF citizens, mostly "Mormons, who
showed him the papers containing the
lies he had been telling while he was
away, This committee was indignant
and told him In very forcible language
that he ought to go before the people
and retract those slanderous statements
and apologize TO the people who had
been so kind and hospltable TO him. |
well remember the Sabbath meeting
when DR.. Mcmillan came to apologize.
An unusually large number Of people
We're in the Mt Pleasant ward meet
inghouse in anticipation OF hearing his
side OF the story. He walked to the
stand, smiled pleasantly and said he
was very sorry that this thing had &C.
CURED, but that he bad not written the
article In the paper about the Nor
mons" and he would see that II was
corrected He then bowed and walked
out He was not accused of writing
the article, hut In this technical way he
thought he could make good his apol-
ogy,
From that day, the people OF Mt.
Pleasant Mormon and non-"Mor-
10 Of ha lou N q
population at that time was non-"Mor-
mon') lost their former high regard for
and confidence In this young preacher.
His influence was gone. He had shown
base ingrautude to community about
whom he had wllfully and maliciousy
lied The nom" Mormons" told him that
Il was great insult 10 them as there
were enough Of them to have insured
him proper protection 10 his person
and religious rights had such been
needed But Mr.. Mcmillan was In no
more danger there than he Is In Salt
Lake city or In Los Angeles whore
he Is today
Mr. Mcmillan preached In the Mt.
Pleasant meeJnghouse. The ward
choir sang for hlm-the people went
and respectfully and attentyely lis
tened to him. He was always greeted
kindly on the streets and in places Of
business and entertained Hospitality in
the homes OF tie people. In whose
hearts he he'd a warm place until he
proved plainly that he was utterly
unworthy OF the treatment given him.
But even after this. he was not threat
encd. he was not moiested.
Now these ore the facts. and yet
am sorry and palned that my old
teacher, a man claiming TO be a repre-
sentative OF the Master, would get up
n pulpit as he aid on last Sunday
here and say the people OF Mt Pleas
ant would not sell GENTLE anything
10 eat II they could get out Of IT," And
~ a Mormon did sell us anything he
lived IN mortal dread OF the conse
quences:" that they would never al
low tie feet OF Gentle TO tread the
sacred soil OF Sanpete county" and
that they made threats even strong
err"
Now. Mr.. Editor have said that
would like to meet Mr. Mcmillan and
tank TO him. but fear II would do no
sc Cd In years rome by, have felt
very hard towards him 10 think he
has been going around the country
telling the above quoted lies. and by
low the feet Of Gentle to tread the
doing SOME OF the first missionary
work among the 'Mormons."
have nothing but pity In my heart
for him. He Is now going down the
other side Of llfe's rugged hill and he
viii have many bitter memories before
the bottom IS reached.
SAMUEL Il. ALLEN, ND.