The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-14
CASE PROMISES
REAL SENSATION
Pastor of Old St. Johns Believes
His Attack on Astor-F Force AZ
fair and the "Smart Set" Gen
orally Has Brought Down
Wrath of His SUI
perior.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.l


Philadelphia diocese OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church is threatened with a
sensation such as II has never ex-
perienced' before. unless the Ri Rev.
Alexander Mackay- Smith, u. D., bishop
OF the diocese. makes retraction OF
and public apology for certain letters
which he is said TO have written to
Rev. George Chalmers Richmond, rec
tor of old ST. Johns
Mr.. Richmond stated this afternoon
that he would not bring action against
Bishop MackaySmith in civil court
or ask for pecuniary damages on
charges Of SANDER and utilization. but
that Instead he would lay his charges
before an ecclesiastical board and ask
for trial before the bishops OF this
province.
Will Take Case TO bishops.
The rector declared that If Bishop
Mackay-Smith had not rctractcd his
letters by the early part OF October,
he would place the matter before the
group of bishops who will be in Phil
ndelphia October IS to consecrate the
newly elected bishop adjutor. Dr.
Philip Rhinelander
Mr.. Richmond states that since the
fret of this year he has received a
dozen letters from the bishop. any
one OF which he claims woald consti-
tute good grounds for action againatI
According to Mr.. Richmond. he sent
a post card to Bishop Mackay- Smith
on or about May 81. informing him
that he had received an increase in
salary from his congregation.
IT was an ordinary card" explain
ed the rector. such as any one might
write informing a friend OF a piece
OF good news. II read something like
this My Dear Bishop take pleas
ure In informing you that at a meetin &
OF our vestry. held such and such a
date. my salary was Increased from so
much 10 so much per year know
you Will be glad to hear this. Very
respectfully yours, G. c. Richmond
About week later a reply came
from the bishop which astounded me
IT consisted OF four typewritten pages
and was devoted almost entirely TO a
bitter attack upon me. Let me read
some Of the things the bishop said in
that letter.
Il have told my servant. who knows
your handwriting. not to hand me any
more OF these babyish epis;les. but 10
tear them up without reading them.'"l
read Mr.. Richmond, after he had skip
ped hurr!edly over the first paragraph.
which began with the formal greet
ing OF Sir"
Another paragraph in the letter
read I make allowance for YOU in
TINS matter because | remember that
you are the nephew of the person
whom. when ] was boy was known
as Cray Richmond" because he made
himself scandal in every commun
1ty he ever entered. AS the name in
dicated he was generally regarded as
insane.
"Not Right in Upper story"
This feeling that you are not quite
right in the upper story IS now gem
1ity hn1f
delph!a, 1 do not say whether they
are right or wrong. but things have
gone so far now that everybody hates
you and you hate everybody. 10 net.
as your bishop reprove you as people
are all the while telling me I should
do. for 1 have known that you had
1ons ago gotten beyond the poin,
dience for any reproof, human or di-
vine; but there must be some explana-
tion Of your attitude"
Mr.. Richmond believes that his pub
lie utterances on the coming Aston
Force marriage and his condemnation
OF the alliance as an outrage against
the church and decencv helped 10
arouse Bishop Mackay- Smith against
him
In his sermon to-day. Mr. Richmond
took another fling a the Astor-Force
affair, and urged that steps be AIKEN
TO induce Congress TO eract a uniform
code of laws governing marriage and
divorce. In part he said:
Evil in the world is a call 10 Gods
sons to put on their best armor To-
day we see the signs all about US of
the power OF sin. The men and wo-
men of wealth and social position are.
a rule, squandering their powers on
the pleasures of day. The eternal
outlook on life the deep purpose to
grasp the real reason of things the
longing for the permanently good a;d
true, are given but little Consideration
by the smart set of New YORK and
Philadelphia.
"In our charities we are stlngy; In
our refinements we are shallow: IN our
intellectual pursuits we fail as a rLle
TO go very deep. Al least we come
short OF the moral and spiritual value
of much of our study. and in our t:e..t-
ment OF the stern social and industrial
problems about lis we seem ins.ncaro
and we lack courage.
when we look al the attitude to-
ward the divorce evil of many men,
leaders in our so-called best life ard
of some OF our churches, which seem to
play with tine question, we shut our
eyes to our lack of moral stability and
stamina.
81 do not desire to prc,ong this con-
troversy OF such q disgusting sight as
this coming Aston Force affair Not
even God can change these people from
the error of their ways. They care
not for God, man or the devil Evi! to
them is attractive. Goodness. purity
piety and Christian graces of life do
not reveal to these folks anything to
be desired
THE public replies to my sermons
fContinued ON Third PapeO