The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1916-03-23
why DOeSn't "The Christian
Index" Tell the Truth?
In Re, Rev. w. w. Stowe.
Deceased.


ment, an obituary notice of Rev. w. w.
Stowe, recently deceased.
Somebody has been prodding The Index
about this, for the issue of March 9th, con-
talns an attempted explanation and defense
which publish in full, although The Index
never treats me with equal fairness and
courtesy:
The Christian Index has been severely criticised
because OF it's rule to publish obituary notices.
one hundred words free, and charge one cent
word for all over. certain church sent an
obituary of minister, containing several hun
dred Words and as the rule applies to ministers
and laymen alike, the church notified that
one hundred words would be published free, and
that there would be charge of one cent word
for all over. On that account the church took
offense. In the criticism made, however, the
committee acknowledged that there only one
member of the church that subscriber to
the paper. We at once wondered why that
church would want the obituary Of the minister
in The Index Among other things, it was al
legged that the preacher had turned thousands of
dollars into the Golfers of The Index without
charge Of course the clerk in the office sent the
FeSulat1On notice as to the extra charges Tor the
obituary. We knew nothing about it until after
the criticism came. We just happened to remem-
Der that the preacher many years ago was a sub
scriber to the paper, which discontinued to
his address, leaving him due several years sub
scription On that account have watched his
attitude toward the paper fer sixteen years, and
can truthfu1ly say that all that time he never
sent much subscriber, either
renewal, to the paper. Be that as it may we must
protect readers by limiting the space Occu-
pied by obituary notices. We have enough obit-
uary notices now to make several copies Of the
paper, in toto IF there limitations to
the length of obituaries, readers would have
little else from week to week. If the paper furn-
ishes one hundred words free, the friends of the
deceased ought to be willing pay cent word
for more lengthy memorials.
That is the flimsiest, weakest, meanest
thing I've read, In coon's age.
The Index won't even now mention the
name Of the Soldier of the Cross, who died
in the field, under the banner of his Captain!
The Index meanly traduces his memory
cynically callous to the feelings Of his family
by representing the dead preacher as man
who wouldn't pay for his paper, and who had
been under the hostile Surveillance Of The
Indem, FOR SIXTEEN YEARS!
My That's long time to bear malice.
The present MANAGEMENT of The Index
pleads that it did not know what "the clerk
In the office" had done about Brother Stoves
obituary. but it does know that the deceased
minister had not FIR sixteen years, sent in q
single subscription or renewal.
Here we have truly marvellous mixture
of ignorance and knowledge.
I can understand how Doctors Bell and
Graham could have been ignorant of what
"the clerk in the office" did for that unwel-
come obituary, but the thing which puzzles
me is that Bell and Graham "can truthfully
say" that. for si@tcon yecrs, they had their
eyes on Brother Stowe, and that "he never
sent so much as one subscriber either new or
renewal"
Then, what is the meaning of the follow