Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-02
Revs. Jones, McCord and James
Put Elicit on Toasting Iron
at Ministerial Meeting
ELICIT MAKES A PROPOSITION
Jones Say. Reform Movement Here
Suffered Because Of Leadership of
Certain Men = Preachers Object to
Being cIassed With Liquor Element
Elicit Would "stay Out Of IT."

An ordinary council meeting in the
olden days, or a school board session
when something Interesting" was
looked for, were as liquid diet to a
boiled dinner when compared with the
regular meeting of the Marshalltown
Ministerial union, Monday. The
preachers had diversion from the
usual placid discussion of theological
subjects, and three members Joined In
telling O. D. Elicit, Ph.D, what they
thought of him and his newspaper.
What attracted Mr.. Elicit to the
ministers meeting no one seems to
know. He seldom attends, altho he
Is eligible to membership. He now
probably wishes he had not gone. The
subject of a reform movement for
Marshalltown, to curtail the power of
the saloon, was brought up in q gen
eral way by Rev. Merle N. Smith. of
the Methodist church. This was all
the cue DR.. Elijah Brown Jones, of the
Baptist, wanted. He said that o re-
form movement in Marshalltown suf-
fered by reason of the leadership OF
certaiu men Cooking straight at Ell
lett;) that he would not be willing to
follow their leadership even If he knew
they were right, because he wouldn't
know how soon they would lead him
wrong. He had no confidence, what
ever, in their judgment, therefore he
Il ctt H..
called reform.
Mr. Elicit was on his feet in an in
stant, but not to say what the others
thought he would. Instead of a re-
sentiment, Jones nearly tainted when
Elicit stated that he heartily agreed
with him.
Rev. Mr.. James, of the Episcopal,
then asked Elicit: IF that is your
attitude, who was responsible for GER
tain editorials in your paper and why
did you attack Rev. McCord?"
Elicit said nothing, and McCord re-
peated the question as to the attack on
him.
Elicit replied that he had had men
in his (McCord's) church for the last
three weeks preceding election, and
that in that time he had not said
anything to line himself up for better
moral conditions n Marshalltown.
. Jones. James and McCord were not
satisfied. They wanted some specific
reason, and Elicit replied that Ingle-
he had to attack McCord to defend
himself. The force of the logic, how
ever, was lost on the ministers.
Agrees to Stay Out.
After a lampooning of some length,
in which much past history was dug
up Elicit made q proposition. He said
that if the ministers of Marshal1town
would take up some movement to bet
ter conditions in the city, he would
stay out Of it and devote his columns
to other counties in the state, where
reforms were much needed. Elicit
added that he could run his paper with
out any support from Marshalltown as
we'll as not. Mr.. McCord replied that
he need not make such a sacrifice. as
he couldn't do any harm anyway.
What Preachers Object To.
In the recent municipal Campaign
certain articles have appeared in the
columns Of Ellett's paper. The keynote
Of nearly every article was the lack
of support of the ministers to the cause
Of prohibition. They intimated, and
even accused, certain ministers Of be-
ing in an alliance with the liquor in
terests, and Of being afraid to open
their mouths in opposition to the pres
ent administration. The preachers
told Elicit that they were just as much
in sympathy with reform movement
as he was, but they didn't like the way
alleged reforms were born and
nursed.
Jones added that If a reform move
ment could be kept out of it's present
hands, that possibly, in two years time,
the ministers could work together Tor
tha election OF some good man.