The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-05-29

the 18Th inst. arr two 4fktFFS etfT I&eHA
Rev /. johnson. % Raleigh. sccr"
ia~> ~ the Baptis, state Board -
Missions ARID tie other from ReN.
Thomas IL. Mood. ~ NAuteo. y. ~. 2
ml~<!onary. under MFR. ohnso : board
These TWO letters cover nearly 3 AA4t
page of your paper. both dcstaE}nS
tins controversy and both octnE care
ful - dodge the real question AZ issue
MIR Mood gives q description IT
Island iu the totla@tns
words The Island consists 81 three
distinct communities "a North End
COMPOSED aiTuost cNCluSlEslN ot italr
lists. and In which There Us 2 Istp-
list church. 1Lss iasn To- miles 81
Mantle. a u P). tbl south fnl
mpoScd almost exclusively ~ M.ta-
oaiSts. in which there X a strong and
ao%uriShiuc cthodlst church. N ec1
Mautco. the county seat. a vigorous
little town II about 500 pcoil. cen
trsllly located ou the front side facinE
the ocean. II Mas my plan t. haNs
appointments IN each OF these COM
munitics."
You must remember that this Is aD
Island with no back country y draw
from. Mi. Wood says ht had plan
ned to preach once a month ut the
south End in the Academy hut Mas
shu out 10y the teacher. whom IA
supposes had had a conference With
ne anu NdS tA'4ft= - *At@*tafAA@r ~6
teacher lives Within * miles ~ -
Wood and within easy call by phone
and Mr.. Wood could haNc ascertataed
the facts any day il he had 50 desired.
The action tat.cn by the teacher WITS
without my knowledge until after ~
was done. but / heartily endorsed his
action. The reasons fer which NIL
be seen later I'm his article. That
community IS about one mile wide
by about three miles long. With Watcl
ON three sides of il and a marsh on
the other. Mr.. Wood says that tn
people arc almost Exclusively Meth
odist' with a strong tlourishinE
church" his church has some too
members and is located within a feW
hundred yards OF the academy In
question. Which. by the way. is not
public property. but belongs 70 III"
members of that Methodist church.
one of Mr.. Woods dcaconS accom-
panied him to the South End on tn"
occasion referred TO. ana in answer
to a direct question fro>1 the teacher
deacon old Mr.. Wood, that he
could not build 4 Baptist church there
unless nc built It out Of members 81
the Methodist church. Mr.. Wood
thanked the teacher for his candor
and commended him for his action.
but in the next breath enquircd IF
there was any other building that
could be had for thai purpose
Mr.. Johnson says his board IS We'll
pleased at Mr.. Wood's work mt as
sures us that Mr.. Wood will not
proseIyte these Methodists. Now
will McSsrs. Johnson and Wood tell
us what they intended to do there.
where Mr.. Wood says the people arc
almost exclusively M~ethodists." Where
was he to get members from for that
new Baptist church which he had 1.
mind to build
n conditions in Manteo are but
little different.
Mr.. Johnson says that because a
Methodist brother served on their
building committee that 1t did not
mean that they were trying To prose
lytc him. and gives 4 case If a similar
kind in another part Of the state.
This. however. does not prove any
Trims in this ease. The Methodist
brother accepted the position i'm good
faith and served them well. Nor did
his pastor object to it. The proSclyt-
ing come not of tn" position itself. but
in connection with it. II necessary !
can give names. occasions and meth
DDS employed.
Mr.. Wood docs not tell the who'll
of the court house episode. AT the
time of which he spoke the new brick
court house had been finished some
two or three months. The Commits
s%ioners, men of high standing n in
tegrity, without any suggestion from
or SO far as | know from any
one else, decided that they would not
the new court house used for
anything except court and political
purposes. This | think occurred be
fore Mr.. Wood came to the island or
one new his plans. When the
commissioners refused him tn" use OF
the new court house they told him
he might have the old court
house free of charge, which was a
comfortable wood building ready seat
1t had Il good stove and was large
enough to accommodate his COngrega-
ton. Mr.. Wood told them he wOuId
have it. He at once arranged
to use an old delapidated store about
half the size of the old court house.
without seats or stove The reason for !.
such action was easy to see. During /
time Following tho refusal by the
Commissioners the use Of tn. court
house, Nh. Wood drew Hp a petition
again for the new court house
and requested the people to sign it. He
called me in d store one day and re-
queStcd me to sign it. ] told him that
] endorsed tho action Of my people at
End, that it was strictly q Bap-
matter and ] thought the Metho-
dists had nothing to do with it.
The Young Peoples meeting refer
ell to was in tn Methodist church be-
fore Mr.. Woods school was organized
in the court house. But if it was not
right had Mr.. Wood to dictate
10 me What | should do I'm my own
rrt'-. D. ,- "it- -. a,.,a ~r,a0DIa1 &.
was a Methodist meeting in a Metho-
hist church. and composed of Mctho-
list people. Did Mr.. Wood expect me
to send my young people to him for
instructions2 a man who holds up
the Book of Discipline Of the Metho-
dist church and "ridicules it. slurs at
Methodist preachers. and makes FUN
their church and doctrines?"
| Will pass over the personal filings
ne makes at me. the people OF the
lsiahd Know me and ! am quite willing
10 let them Judge between us.
Then again these do not answer the
that has occasioned ali this
controversy VIZ. IF the people are al
feady members of the Methodist
cnafch and our Baptist brethren do
intend to do any proselytinp
arc the members 10 come froyn