The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-12-18
A WORD IN REPLY.
REV. MIR. THACKER GOES FOR
MIR. VAUGHN.
Gives His Side of That Now Famous
Calhoun County Church Trial

From First to Last.
Editor Times und Democrat
have just read an article in your
paper and copied from The Chris
tian Appeal, and from the pen of Mr..
John Vaughn (?) of Jamison, S.
c., under the caption "The Other
side of the Calhoun County Churcn
Trial.
AS my name appears in that
article seve raj times in connection
with this trial and in way to
misreprelent me to the public, /
am sure you will do me the justice
to give me a full reply.
l always shrink from newspaper
controversy. and especially with a
man like Mr.. Vaughn, an adapt at
misrepra sentation, and one who does
not seem to know that there Is any
difference between truth and false
hood.
If this sounds harsh, I must be
excused by the public, for the use
of any strong terms to express (nOt
bitterness), but an indignation,
which ! feel, after l had been harm
ed, misrepresented and slandered in
private. for near twelve months by
Mr.. Vaughn and others. Not con-
tent with this, they must now go in
to the public prints with their vile
ISLANDERS.
Mr.. Vaughn is not a member of
the M E. Church South, having
been suspended therefrom for ma
licious SANDER, having been given a
fair and impartial trial before 4
jury of five of his brethren, whom he
trusted with his case. And since
he seeks newspaper notoriety and
gets (who???) to push the pen for
him, we disclaim any responsibility
for discussion of the matter before
the public.
After we have stated the case as
it is, We are willing that the public
should make up its own verdict.
But. to state the case fully, let
me say, when I came to this charge
two years ago found, upon in
yquiry, that it was and had been the
custom for years to sell the minu-
tes of the South Carolina Annual
Conference and in this way raise
the amount assessed on the charge
for the publication of said minutes,
instead Of taking collection for
this purpose This custom was fol-
lowed, which is the only equitable
way to dispose Of said minutes, a.
it puts the minutes into the hands
of those who pay for them, and, as
there are never enough for every
one to get copy, those who fail
to get them do not pay for what
Others get, since there is no collec-
tion taken. But this seems to be
the thing which troubles the right
eous (?) soul of Mr.. Vaughn, that
he cant get something for which
others have paid. He believes ir
free things, free minutes, free gos-
pei and the free use of the tongue.
When we carried the minutes to
Prospect church, some time in early
part of this year, we told Mr..
Vaughn. with some others, that we
had the minutes and any who wish
ed them could get them. He reached
out his hand and we handed him o
copy. But after waiting, and seeing
he made no motion to pay for them,
we told him they were the same
price that they had been, viz, Is
cents per copy. He then handed
the copy Of minutes back to me and
turned off and went to another
crowd and said, "These preachers
are selling the minutes and putting
the money into their own pockets and
it's a raseally piece of business.
Note, II you please, gentle reader.
that he not only raised the ques-
ton of the right and authority Of
the preachers to sell the minutes.
but he accused them of theft, a
crime of which, if any be guilty,
they ought to wear the convicts
stripes instead Of the cloth of the
clergy. And, if he knows his charge
to be true and fails to exhaust every
effort and resource to put them in
stripes he is also party to the
crime and is no better than they
If he does not know his charge to
be true. he then shows capacity for
thinking evil (See Prov. 23:O, and
slander that should make the prince
of darkness tremble on his throne
with fear, less his reputation should
be blackened by Mr.. Vaughn S
tongue.
Yes, the thought Of wronGdoinS
and theft came in troops and bat
tered down the doors, tearing them
from their very hinges. and forced
an entrance into that pure and holy
mind and heart. so full of that love
that "thinketh no evil that he will!
even love the REV. J. H. Thacker, "
in spite of the fact that that same
Rev J. H. Thacker" is so full OF
the ingredient called dignity
that he cannot go, hunt up and beg
pardon of the man who has sland-
cred him and accused him of be-
longing to gang Of thieves, and
for not other reason. we believe, than
that he failed to get something that
some one else had paid for.