The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-03-18
DEFENDS HIMSELF.
Mr.. Alfred Fnrlow Takes Exception
to statements Recently Made I'm the
Charlotte News
Boston. Mass. March Il. 1904

BOSlOQ, Macs. A8ECo L. ~
Editor. The Messenger.
Wilmington. ~. C.
VIII you kindly publish the following
reply to an article which you reprint
ed form The Charlotte News Refer
ing to my work as publication commit
tee for the Christian Science denomi-
nation. IL vas stated:
Nobody expects a paid advocate to
write disinterested communications
People generally do not believe much
IN the truth or sincerity OF such ar
ticles."
II the fact that one receives a recon-
pense FOR service destroys the merits
OF that service. and IL II is true that
the only worthy employment is that
which receives no reward then the
common practice OF mankind as wei
as the teaching OF our Lord Is wrong
The generally accepted prHpo~t'"" I
h one cannot justly obtain some
thing for nothing. and Jesus declared.
The laborer is worthy OF his hire
All classes OF laborers. including
teachers. preachers and newspaper
writer's, in some way receive compen-
sation for their services: and 1 dare
say the good editor Of The News him.
though perhaps not according to his
deserving.
Even from our critics standpoint, IL
will not do TO plead that every other
vocation and ministry shall be reward
ed except that of the Christian Scien-
fist. unless II be admitted that the
Scientist IL the only n doing Gods
service and therefore the only II who
should labor without reward.
For about fifteen years / wrote cor
rections on the subject Of Christian
Science for the public press. for which
1 never received nor expected one pen
ny OF compensation. and / began my
| labors along this line in the city OF
Boston without remuneration there
for.
I care little about defending my own
| position. my special interest being TO
have il understood that a man may
write quite as accurately and truthful-
ly when his services are Acknowledged
by a just compensation as he can with
| out pay. 1t is said that 1 have been
smoked out to an admission that the
world grants me a living by honest Ia
| Dor, when. as a matter of fact, this has
| long since been known to the pubic,
the church which 1 serve having pub
| lished it.
You refer to the treatment OF diph-
| liberia on the part Of Christian Scien
| fists. During a season recently pass
| ed. in Boston alone Is to 80 deaths from
| this disease were recorded each week
/ During that period. which extended
over some weeks. not one case from
this disease was lost by Christian
| Scientists, yet it is known that
many such cases were at the time un-
| der their treatment.
In the city Of New York during a
six months period nearly 1.2OO children
died from diphtheria. Just about this
time a Christian Scientist lost one case
in a family in which he a healed
three others Of the same disease and In
which four members had died under
medical treatment. The Christian
| Scientist was arrested on a cSrge or
~manslaughter, whereupon the follow
ing notice was issued to Christian
| Scientists:
Mrs. Eddy advises. until the public
thought becomes better acquainted
with Christian Science. that Christian
Scientists decline to doctor infectious
or contagious diseases" Mrs. Eddy
] gave her reason for this advice in the
following language:
when, under the protection or state
or United States laws. good citizens are
arrested for manslaughter because one
out of three Of their patients. having
the same disease and in the same fam
liz. dies while the others recover, we
naturally turn to Divine justice for
support. and wait on God" Again she
declares. statistics show that this
Science cures a larger per cent. OF ma
Iignant diseases thar does materla
medica-"
It is a pitable fact that the blunder-
ing and mistaken administration OF
anti-toxin alone has killed more chill
dren than have died twelve deaths at
at one time occurred in this manner.
It IS we'll known that Christian Scien-
fists have had marke success in the
treatment of contagious cases. Wheth-
er or not this is believed by our critics,
It is not in good taste for them n
chide Scientists regarding a practice
which they have discontinued for up
wards Of two years.
ALFRED FARLOW.