Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-06-28
Elder Pitman's Statement

Editor News Will you allow space
in your cO.Ginns tp correct 4 misrrp-
rescnta,iJu that ha, been going the
rounds of the Press to the effect that
the outlaw Aliens, of Car.o,i county,
were Primitive. or in the parlauc.. Of
adverse criticism. Hardsl II Baptist-?
The facts are. that not on" OF the cut
laws charged with the dastardly crime
of shooting up the court officials at
llillsvillc are members of the Print
tive Bnptis. church. because there is
a strong element ui Primitive Baptists
IN Carroll county, many wagging tom
CUES and poisonous quilts have been
employed in charging this crime to
these people when. rs before stated.
not one OF The several outlaws are
"emh"rs ut the Primitive Baptist
church. Prim'tiv Baptsts are not
disposed To boast we feel we have
no right to do so. The Master tells
his disciples that when they have done
all they can to still call themselves
Improbable servants. This, we feel,
is the right course. But perhaps it
would not be out of place here to let
others boast little for us, and to say
for ourselves, as a matter of fact,
that while Primitive Baptists are not
the only lovers of law and order, yet
none of our traducers can show Il
better record in morals in the COM
mercial world and in State and county
government than has been made by
our 10, 600 membership in Virginia.
Our people have ever been noted for
their love of law and order. Washing
ton said that the Baptists were the
most ardent and trustworthy defenders
of the Revolutionary cause. Elder
John Gano, a Baptist member, and a
Chaplain in Washington army, was in
close touch with the General, and one
of his most trusted friends during
those troublesome times. Thomas
Jefferson said he got his first practical
lesson in local selfgovernment from
observing the discipline of little
Baptist church he sometimes attended.
DR.. Lotion. noted new school or
Missionary Baptist theologian of
Nashville, Tenn, said he was reared
among Primitive Baptists and knew
them well, and that he never knew
but one to take advantage of the
homestead law to keep from paying
his debts, and that he was promptly
turned out of the church for so doing.
The late Samuel Jones, native of
Georgia, where there are about 20,
600 Primitive Baptists seemingly took
pleasure in stating, when preaching
on Honesty, THAT to be Primitive
Baptist was considered, in CONNER
cial circles, most trustworthy letter
of credit. Elder Samuel Hurst, n
minister among the new school Bap-
lists in recently published article
relative to the Hillsville affair, said
that there are about dozen Primitive
Baptist preachers in Carroll county
with as many churches or meeting
places. Prominent among these are
Elders Isaac Webb, Smith Webb and
+. L. Branscom, n better man, more
consecrated Christian, more Patrio-
tic citizen never lived in any county
in Southwest Virginia than Eide +
Isaac Webb, at first school teacher,
afterward a county Judge, Treasurer.
and all the time preacher of the
gospel, without remuneration. Few
men have been more highly esteemed
for their many virtues than he. Now
some 80 years of age, his life has
been, is now, and will be for years
to come, benediction to the county.
Elder Ftp. Branscom, of Laurel Fork
Va, is also typical man and citi-
zen, and editor of a religious period
ical in general circulation throughout
Carroll and adjoining counties. The re
is also another Primitive Bap list
paper published in the county, at
Eona, by DR.. j C. Hurst, and widely
circulated throughout the same sec
ton. AS people the Primitive Bap-
! lists, like the Dunkards, are plain
and simple in habits, and noted as
law abiding and respecting citi-
zens, and they yield the palm to no
people for honesty in payment of
debts. But enough of this. We will
only add, that Primitive Baptists
have right to complain against the
unjust and unreasonable charge of
the Hillsville tragedy to their ac-
count, and il is but fair to epxect all
papers that have published such
charges to make as prominent dis
play of our denials as was made of
the SANDER.
K. II. PITMAN,