The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-04-07
A SHARP REPLY
By A. B. Williams to the Sian.
ders of Bishop Potter
ABOUT THE SOUTH.
The Editor Challenges the Slanderans
New York Bishop to a Show of
Hands a to the Moral Condl.
tion of His Diocese and
The South Generally.
The South Generally.

tlon of His Diocese and
The South Generally.
Bishop Potter of New York Is ont
of the pet superstitions of this un
try. He is part Of the general New
York superstition. Because New York
is big, most Of US as ume that any
man who becomes prominent there
must be very large and great man in
deed. We persistently forget that AZ
many fakirs, humtugs and light
weights rattle and swell arc und III
large places in New York as anywhere
else In the world. AS for Bishop Pot.
ter, he has said and done as many silly
things as any old gentleman we know
OF. A recent experience of his indi-
Gates that his manners are as bad as
his morals In some respects are de-
feotive, his Judgment Is bad and his
arrt gance extreme. Some time ago he
undertook to discuss the divorce qu s..
tion in New York newspaper. AS we
recollect, he f1ouL dered around the
subject good deal and failed abSO-
1utely to make any definite suggestion
or 10 indicate any cJherent policy for
his chuich or for legislation. II the
course Of his some what tlabby and cha.
otto remarks, however, he said that
the absolute abolition Of divorce would
not do. He added: I'VE have an ex
ample Of what would result from such
a measure in South Carolina, where
the law does not recognize it.. Pro
hibitipg divorce is merely putting
concuuinage at premium" This does
not impress us as high or a church
manlike view. Certainly cuncubinagc
Is not at a premium anywhere iii South
Carolina.
The editor of the Columbia Is. o.
State w1ote Bishop Potter very re
Bpectful letter, pointing out to him
that he had done the homes and peo.
pie of the State serious injustice, re
ferring him to the bishop and Clergy
OF his own church in that State for
evidence and asking him to make care
aui llq quffy Into TIC iacrg add ttieiii.
take such steps as equity ana justice
may dictate"
In reply the editor received most
insolent letter from Bishop Potter, In
directly denying that he had used the
language attributed to him and de-
scribing the editors letter and ar.
ticle on the subject by Judge Benet,
enclosed with IL, as equally unwar-
ranted and impertinent."
The editor Of the State replied with
another respectful letter, In perfect
ly proper and deferential way, taking
of the bishops hide. He pointed out
That the offensive paragraph had been
published prominently, that Bishop
Potter had not seen iii TO make any
denial or correction OF an outrageous
and shameful SANDER against the peo-
pie Uf q whole State and tuat his de
NAL suggested in his own letter was
as evaSiYe as diScUurteOus. A few days
later Bishop Potter printed in the New
YORK Globe brief sta cement on the
subject, In which he said he had no
apology to make to South Carolina
and exits nded his SANDER to the people
OF the whole South. He is quoted as
saying:
he had simply remarked that in
view Of the prevalence OF misco gena
tion In the South, the pose OF lofty
and superior virtue on the part Of its
people, anywhere had III 1T an clement
equally comic and pathetic"
An accusation like this cannot be
sustained or disprovcd by statistics or
amdavits. 1t can be considered only
In the light Of general and obvious
facts. Virtue Is nUt a thing OF sections
or OF countries. TIE good are good
and the bad are bad cverywhese ard
wherever human nature is, the afft c.
tions and passions OF men and women
stray In forbidden paths. One thing,
however, Is certain and p ain. That
Is that the moral t, ne is infinitely
cleaner and the social standards are
Infinitely higher in South Carolina
Than In Bishop POtter'S diocese. Ger
ta1nly woman divorced ire N her hus.
band and married TO another man in
side OF twenty four hours would not
be received in respectable society any.
where in the South. Yet woman who
did that very thing Is a leader of New
York's most exalted society. Nobody
knows the secret annals Of vice; bu'
every observer WLo bas met anC
known the people OF New York anC
any Southern State knows that in the
South vastly less filth is talked anc
written than in New York. The natu
raj aud Inevitable presumpl ion is that
lives in the South are v,ry mucI
= cleaner. The Women whose conduct anC
sSnvers alton are so distinctly loud ant
ad as to Justify definite criticism i.
tabooed In every Southern State. Bsh
op Potter cannot say that that is til,
case even In the highest AMI theoreti
cally most exclusive society OF his owl
community.
1t would be interesting to know
where Bishop Potter got bis imprea
sions Of the morals II The people o
the South and how he would 60 abou
justifying himself for circulating & sucl
q cruel and Injurious charge as tina
concubinage and miSce gcnation ar
eneral in this part Of the country
The truth Is that miscegenation in 1t
legal sense is impossible anywhere II
the South because 1t Is forbidden ant
severely punishable by law. We d
not hesitate to say that the charg
that these vices are general or evtl
widespread In the South Is false, ant
IL making that assertion we will d.
better than Bishop Potter. We vii
offer good evidence to convict him O
falsehood IL he Is willing to dare th
Issue. We will put OH the stand til
Protestant Episcopal clergy of tn
Vvhnlo Gpnth frnpo hjeHo~c 1l.,a -.