Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-05
PEOPLE OF gLLswoRr4 GIVE
GREAT DEMONSTRATION IN
HONOR OF PASTOR KICKER.
FIGHTING PARSONS DEPARTURE
MARKED 1Y UNUSUAL SCENES
Preacher Who Becomes Socialist Edi-
tor Given . Demonstrate of Conf
denee by People of Town Which No
Has Several Times Stirred-Move to
Diseredit Kicker Fails.
[From the Jewell Record.l

Rev. A. w. Kicker the man who dur
Ing the past year and a half of
his passionate of the Congregational
churches at Jewell. Ellsworth and in
Lincoln township. has become known
as the lighting parsoN.' and who dur
ing that time has been. thru his inter-
est in clean politics. clean citizenship.
and clean town, a most decidedly live
wire as source of copy for the news
paper men of Hamilton county. preach
ed his farewell sermons last Sunday.
and Tuesday morning Of this week left
Jewell to enter upon his new duties as
associate editor and travelling corre-
spondent Of the socialist paper. appeal
to Reason" published at Girard. Kan.
In the above innocent appearing news
item is involved n story of a farewell
that in many particulars was almost
tragic.
Sunday evening Rev. Kicker preach
ed his farewell sermon in his church at
Ellsworth And what a farewell that
was. Mr. Brinton. president of the
bank at Ellsworth and president of the
American Life Insurance Company. of
Des Moines, the man who has lead the
opposition to the fighting parson.' was
not at the meeting. Mr.. Brinton left
town some time during the day bound
for Chicago. But practically all the rest
of Ellsworth was there. Folding chairs
were. brought in and utilized. and the
aisles and every available nook and
corner of the church We're filed. Ev-
cry seat was occupied, every available
inch of standing room. even out into
the vestibules, was crowded jam full Of
eager listeners, and crowds that could
not enter the building stood outside the
door.
Rev. Mr. Kicker told in 4 recital that
was simple and direct. the story of the
events that led up to his resignation of
his pastorates in this county. and that
recital was sufficient to bring to his
side every man, woman and child, With
whom before the idea of policy hal
been too effective. The story has been
told before, but only in part, as the
Fighting parson" told it in his fare
we'll sermon. He told how he came to
Ellsworth with the Ideal In his mind of
making the church the predominatins
influence Of the community how sue
cess seemed to attend his efforts, until
the dance was discontinued. the ORCH
estra as feature of his church SER
vice was introduced. and clean and
wholesome amusement for the young
people was afforded in which the older
people by taking an interest and an
active part became controlling influ-
ence for good. Then the drug store
permit question. entered upon the
scene, and the parson found the super
intendent OF his Sunday school. de-
handing that the opposition to the re-
newal of the permit be ended. The
lines were drawn. The parson held
that the church could not stand for the
drug store Permit. The banker de-
clared his u,timatum. that the parson
must enc his opposition to the permit
or leave the town. Rev. Mr.. Kicker in
his farewell sermon told OF his efforts
| to effect q reconciliation with the bank
| err in orde" that the best interests OF
| thee hurch might be secured. how he
visited him at his home and at his
place Of business, only finally to be re-
fused admittance, and how he had re-
course to the malls in his effort to eff
feet peace But the parson would not
abandon his position that there was no
place In the church for the support OF
liquor permit, and that view. coupled
with the dana ges the parson had done
to the political control of the banker
stirred ,hat individual to the point
where he would not for a moment en-
itertain the idea Of reconciliation.
! The story as told by Rev. Mr.. Kicker