Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-03-19
PASTOR ORDERS
Legislator TO
Leave Church
lContinued From Flrst Page. !

] aNARRA anu wac AhNnNhNNA " AGtlNE
after heckling Of Mr. Downward by
some of those resent had started.
! Mr.. Downward is a Methodist and
an official member OF Grace NJ. E.
Church. The incident caused much
discussion among members Of As
bury Church.
Pastor Dawson spent some time at
the Legislature the past week in be-
half OF the Wilmington license re-
submission bill, and had a clash with
President Pro TEN. Barnard of the
Senate. one If the opponents OF tho
resubmission bill, who Is chairman OF
the committee that has the resubmis-
sion bill peacefully sleeping" as BAR
nard expresses il.
Mr. Downward when seen this
morning in Dover. about the action
| Of Mr. Dawson. refused at FIRST 10
| discuss the matter. but when told
/ that the subject was being freely dis
| cussed in Wilmington and at the
( State House said
Il was told on Sunday that Mr..
! Dawson had made an announcement
! in his church to the effect that / was
/ against temperance. / went 10 AsbuIy
Church 10 sec Mr.. Dawson and saw
/ him in the Sunday school room.
81 asked for the privilege of max
! ing a. statement aB to my stand on
temperance bills. While telling those
who were present why / was not
present to vote on the anti-shipment
| bill, Mr. Dawson interrupted me to
say that ! should have been present
when that bill was voted on no mat
ter what my other business In Will
mington was.
'Ho declined to allow me TO con-
tinue my explanation, and taking me
by the arm ordered me TO leave the
room. at the same time telling me that
was disgrace to Method'sm."
Mr.. DRWsOn's Version.
Mr. Downward was not forced out Of
Asbury Sunday School but he was re
questcd to leave and did so. protesting
he had been a member of the MUtho-
dist church for forty years and thought
Mr.. Dawson owed him an apology Tor
lis treatment. This is the explanation
! ly Mr.. Dawson today of the incident
between himself and Mr.. Downward.
The affair grew out Of a statement
made by MIR. Dawson in his morning
sermon to the effect that Mr.. Down
ward had not voted for one of the
dry" bills before the Legislature and
was absent when the other was voted
upon. according to Mr.. Dawson.
During the holding OF the Sunday
school in the afternoon, Mr.. Down
ward suddenly appeared, like cy-
clone" Mr.. Dawson said. marched up
TO the front OF the room where Mr..
Dawson was standing and said in a
loud tone OF voice. according TO the
pastor. Il understand YOU falsitied
about me in church this morning
Mr.. Dawson replied that if he had
falsifed he was ready to apologize,
but Mr.. Downward continued to speak
and explained that he had not voted
for the bottle repeater" bill because
/ he did not know what was in 1t. Mr.
Dawson states.
At this a young man in tho Sunday
school shouted
Then II was your business TO
know. and IL you didn't know what
WAS in the bill you should not have
been there" Pastor Dawson said
I al was absent when the other bill was
voted upon continued Mr.. Downward,
/ without pausing Mr.. Dawson SAYS. "bc-
cause had important business in vii
mineton inspecting the fire depart
ment"
A young man who is a member Of one
of the fire companies shouted, according
to the pa stor; The inspection is only a
iolliiication, anyway, and YOU did not
have TO he present"
BY this time there was considerable
uproar. Mr.. Dawson says, and he re
quested Mr.. Downward TO leave. "You
had better so home and stay there. 3"
some one shouted" as Mr.. Downward
started for the door, the preacher stated.
Mr.. Downward paused by the entrance
long enough to say m parting 81 have
been n Methodist for forty years and
have been insulted," according to Mr..
| Dawson.
Mr.. Dawson today said he had moth
! ing TO say about Mr.. Downward He
believed, he said, he had spoken the
truth in the sermon yesterday morn
ing and that n Mr.. Downward felt
he had been misunderstood he should
have come to him quietly and explain
ed and he would gladly have been
given an opportunity to explain before
members OF the congregation of the
church
ITO come into the Sunday school
room among many young children and
act as he did was certainly discount
eous." said Mr.. Dawson
Mr.. Dawson also explained he had
made the statement he did in the
church at the morning service be-
cause he felt Mr.. Downward. as "a
Methodist, should AZ least have been
willing to stand by his colors and not
lodged" the issue as he apparently
, attempted 10 do. Mr.. Dawson said the
a whole incident lasted about ten min
: utes. Pastor Dawson denied he cs-
n corted Mr. Downward to the door.
r Mr.. Downward's stand on dry
measures ia we'll known in Dover. lie
9 is looked on and classed as one OF
! the 'drys." When the Loose anti
4 shipment bill was voted on it happen
! ed that Mr. Downward was not pros
, ent. he having left for Wilmington
! earlier in the day 70 transact some
! urgent business in connection with
! his Office as president Of City Coun
! ell The bill was called up and actef
upon in his absence.
Mr.. Downward voted for the vii
|. mington-rural New Castle county re
submission bill and answered no
voting tn the roll call on the bottle
law" repeater. In explaining his rea
son for not voting on that bill, Mr.
Downward told the House that he be
lieved in local option and such ques
tions should 20 TO the voters.
Mr.. Downward was a member o.
the House two years ago and voted
! sta.,-sf - al lille that Qamp nm pN,