The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-01-31
THE CREIGHTON CASE.
Continues to Be Live Issue in State
Mehodisn.

CC0InUCS 10 DC ~ AitO ASSuS Ii hoc~ieS
Mehodisn.
The case Of Rev. c. w. Creighton
of Greenwood, against whom charges
were preferred at the last Methodist
conference held in this city in De-
|vember, says he Spartanburg Jour
nal, continues to be a live issue
in South Carolina Methodism. The
case, it vii be remembered, was not
finally disposed of, the matter beins
left in the hands of the presiding elder
of his district.
The Southern Christian Advocate
publishes the following anent the
Creighton affair which will be read
with interest by many Methodists.
There is probably in all the world
no body of men more sympathetic
than the preachers Of the South Caro-
lima conference. They are Jealous for
each others reputation and ever ready
to pa1liate and forgive. It is with pa
thetic sadness that sometimes they
are forced to take action against "a
brother. So has it been in the case
of our brother, Rev. c. W. Creighton.
He is strong thinker and forceful
writer and speaker but has a pen
chant for creating discord and dis-
affection witharsoever he goes. The
conference bore with him, the pres:d-
ing elders tried him again and again,
until It IS sa5d that on accouct Of his
unacceptability no presiding elder
was willing to have him in his dis
trict. Then it was that Bishop Dun
can, from heart Of kindness suggest.
ed to him to transfer to California,
supposedly hoping that with new en-
vironments and conditions he might
profit by the past and measure up to
his possibilities. This Mr.. Creighton
declined, and the bishop would not
force him. He was then sent to
Cokesbury circuit, a fine work, but
paying only about two-thirds what he
had been getting. This decrease in
salary Mr. Creighton resented. and
since then the Wals of his wrath have
been poured on those he thought
to have crossed his path. The
question has pertinently been
asked, would he have thus act
ed had he continued to be sent to
work paying $500 and upward? Had
he been made presiding elder at
salary of $4,000 would his paper be
in existence, and would his bitter al
tacks upon the presiding eldership
have been made?
IN view of the charges pending
against Mr.. Creighton, we deem it un-
wise to go into a history Of his past
three years attacks upon the officers
and policy Of the church. At the
last conference he was charged i'm
morality, alleging SANDER and lying
and a committee of three preachers,
consisting of NJ. L. Carlisle, r. W.
Barber and T. C. O'Dell, was appoint
ed to investigate the charge. The
duty of this committee was to hear
the evidence against him, and dete.
mine whether or not trial was nee
essary. When in such cases a trial
IS necessary it is the duty of the
committee to formulate bill Of
charges. 70 US it seems unfortunate,
ken, that Mr.. Creighton should have
carried it into his paper, endeavoring
thereby TO prejudice the case. But
since conference he has been more
bitter than before.
Mr.. Creighton says the ten p:esia-
ing elders preferred charges against
aim. and re charges them "it;1 con-
spiracy in so doing Ee talks about
a secret ballot and endeavors to play
to the sympathies Of the people as
greatly wronged man. What are the
real facts in the case? Mr.. Creighton
in his paper, accused these presiding
elders Of graft OF lying, and various
other heinous offenses, and yet when
their names We're called il confer
ence under the question, are all
preachers blameless in their life ana
official administration? he opened not
MS mouth. thereby giving by his 81
lence sanction to the passage Of their
character. AS an honest man it was
his duty, if half he charged were>true,