The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-06-30
REv.P. 0. CASON MAY
RECALL RESIGNATION
In Difference to Urgent Pc
tition of Congregation.

Last Sunday Rev. P. @. Cason, for
several years the popular pastor of
the First Baptist church in this city,
sprang a surprise on the congregation
of that church by rendering his resig-
nation as pastor. Only limited num-
ber, and they among the church Off
cials, had any inkling that the resig-
nation was coming.
But Mr.. Cason has had a call to
southern Tennessee church where the
opportunities for work are greater
and the salary is also 5000 per year
more Now what could an ambitious
minister of the gospel, willing and
anxious to enlarge his field of labor
and with opportunities for greater
usefulness do but heed such a call?
And then, again, there has been al
together too much gossip in the Pa
latka church, with the good pastor
having to get up in the morning to go
out and defend his character against
the gossip of a certain set of male
and female scandal l-mongers who
worked without other material than
a perfelvid imagination whose lead
ing string connected with a tongue
attuned to lolling morsels of gossip
and scandal concerning those whose
one aim in life is to reach righteous
ness through clean living. The scan
dalmonger gets irritated when it
comes in contact with such people.
Pastor Cason irritated some of 'em,
and they talked. 1t didn't matter
that he disproved every item of their
dirt; that his official board met and
sifted every charge to the base and
found the man clean; that the orig
inal scandal-monger signed a retrac-
ton in the presence Of witnesses and
acknowledged ct" had lied. The
words Of the mongers spread, how
ever, and the good pastor was get
ting tired. The clean life of Palat-
ka knew that Pastor Cason was a
part of it, and that his detractors
were scum; but the hurt had been
deeply inflicted and the pastor got
tired of re-opening and dressing the
wound. Opportunity knocked at his
door. 1t was the call to q larger
field in Tennessee. He would cut
loose from it all and go, hence the
resignation.
But the action of Sunday didn't
take with the good Baptist people of
Falatka, and they wern't going to
stand for it if there was any remedy.
These people got busy and at the
weekly prayer service on Wednesday
night they presented the pastor with
a petition as long as your arm, beg
ging him to stay. They coaXed, and
argued and some of the more emo
tional among them shed tears at
thoughts Of parting. They made
many promises; gave Mr.. Cason a
months vacation, and begged that
he reconsider.
Result Mr. Cason will preach next
Sunday morning and evening. Their
he will go to Worthington Springs
for three weeks and has promised
while there to reconsider. He will
rejurn to Palatka the last Sunday in
JIly, when he will also preach and
give his decision.
Paatka people who would hav this
Pood man continue with us might do
veil to help swell his congregations
next Sunday. A full house and
oN,'6owing on that r:'aSion would
b. N the nature Of Il testimonial of
appreciation of the man and his years
of effort in behalf of a bettnr, more
sanely moral and upright Palatka. 1t
would be also something of a protest
against he unclean spirits that have
wiggled into this church and their eff
fors to taint it with their own vile
imaginings.