The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-10-29
He LECTURES DOWIE.
Or. Parkhurst Says Plain Things to
the New Elijah.
WENT TO HEAR HIM PREACH.
Said That His Exhibition Was Below
the Standard of a Circus-Carrfe
Nation Creates a Diversion.

New York, Special.-About 1900
persons. half of whom were Zionists-
attended John Alexander Dowies
early services in Madison Square Car
den Tuesday, where he preached on
Blasphemy."
He then said he was going to meet
the editors of the New York papers at
his hotel and requested his followers
to pray for him.
The 600 members Of the Dowie choir
will join the house visitation force, in
creasing it's number to LAO. Deacon
Spslcher said the work was greater
than anticipated.
Dowies chief aides, his wife and his
son, are about to leave him for trip
abroad. They will start on Thursday
from this city, taking the steamer
Saxonian Saturday from Boston. They
will 90 first to England, then to Aus
tralia, where Mrs. Dowies family
still lives. They do not expect to re-
turn to the United States until next
July.
Mr.. Dowie, srrayed in evening.
clothes, talked for two hours Tuesday !
night before a great throng in Madi-
son Square Garden. The burden OF
his talk was denunciation OF the
clergy and the press.
Carrie Nation, who occupied seat
near the frcnt, asked Elijah" to an.
swer some questions. He refused and
ordered her to sit down. Dowie then
praised the spirit in which Mrs. Ma
ton had warred on the saloon. but.
said she used wrong methods. Grs.
Nation again demanded the privilege
of asking questions. At once the Zion
guards surrounded her and with the
aid of several policemen. elected her.
The meeting was one Of continuous
disorder.
The Rev. DR.. Charles H. Parkhurst
sent an open letter to Mr.. Dowie as.
follows:
u do not want to be presuming. but
doubt If it is any more presumpttVe iR
ME to come and try to clarity you
than it is for you to come and try to-
clarity New York; and | don't know
which Of us has taken the heavier con-
tract. l attended your service at
Madison Square Garden last evening.
and went determined to enjoy 1t II
I could. and to be benefited by it,
and to go away and refute some OF
the charges that had heard alleged
against you. But 1t was no use; your
behavior on the platform crushed ev-
cry throb of sympathy had with you.
never heard from a public speaker
such discharge Of efferVeScent
wrath and coarse invectives. went to
hear you preach the Gospel and you
preached Dowie, Zion City, stink pot.
was ashamed of you, and almost
ashamed to be in your audience. It
was a long way below the STANDARD
even Of the circuses that l have at
tended in the same garden. The only
consolation could derive was that it
was so abominable and so far beyond
the bounds Of the respectable that
even those in your congregation who
did not know what Christianity is.
! would have no idea that it had any
thing to do with what You were say
ing.
"Of course the Righteousness of the
performance was only enhanced by the
immensity Of your pretensions. If you
claimed to be only an ordinary man
there might be some hope for YOU
even with what you call the :Tabble.
but the rabble is discriminating and
can discriminate as keenly as the
keenest between a prophet and a jug
gler: between an Elijah and Mounte-
bank. I say this in no spirit OF anger
but either your head is twisted Or
your heart infeted or you have blum
dered badly in your method. You can
not bully people into zionism nor
blackguard them into the kingdom OF
heaven. 1 hope you will take this in
the kindly spirit in which it is offered
and that it will be blessed to yon.