The Nevada County picayune., 1921-03-10
A PLEA FOR CHRISTIAN CHARITY

history that every good cause which has ever been projected has been hin dered by misunderstanding aliena- tions and contentious among those who were its friends and proponents. The church of God has suffered and is Suf- ferng today. more from strife and con tentions within it's folds than from at Jacks from without. The same is true of the cause of temperance, prohibition and every good cause X most striking and painful example of this unfortu- nate weakness of human nature is seen in the furor which has bee created by certain remarks which were recently mads by Rev. Dr. Phillip Cone Fletcher of Little Rock concerning the pending repeal. or amendment rather. of the anti cigarette law. These remarks have subjected Dr. Fletcher to a yolley of criticism in the columns of the Pic ayune. in public meetings. and in pri- vate conversation. And now comes the March number of that very excellent magazine. Candid Opinion, containing lengthy editorial criticism of Dr. Fletcher'S utteranceS. This editorial iS unobiecti0nable in its spirit and mat ter except for the fact that the editor is criticising q man who stands for ex- actly the same things for which he stands but who has happened to state his ideas in slightly different language from that used by the editor himself. Unfortunately the criticism which have appeared in the columns of the Picay une and which have been made to the writer in personal converse tion by sev eral of our people are not so temperate. or charitable in spirit as is the edito- rial in Candid Opinion.
 The pity of the whole situation is that Dr. Fletcher and his critics stand for exactly the same things. His critics are opposed to the use of tobacco; so is Dr. Fletcher. They think that the state should pass law prohibiting the sale or giving away of cigarettes to mi nors; so does Dr. Fletcher. The Feb ruary number of Candid Opinion con- tains very able editorial under the caption, "The Backwash." This edito- rial deserves to be printed in leaflet form and scattered broadcast over the state. And yet in that editorial the writer says, T have never believed that the tobacco habit could be legislated out of the adult life Frankly it would be foolish to do more than suggest the enormous waste and the bad example, Thousands of our best citizens use to- bacco" In one of the dearest, best ad- dresses to which it has been the privi lege of this writer to listen in a long time, Mrs. Lora S. LaMance said. speak ing from the pulpit of the Methodist church in Prescott recently, "The Wo- mans Christian Temperance Union has never undertaken to restrain grown men from using tobacco by law. We have simply tried to persuade men to quit and have had the remarkable sue cess to persuade about one in five thousand to leave off the habit"
 Now what is the nature of Dr. Fetch CTS offense. Simply this; the legis- lature proposed to repeal the present law which forbidS the sale of cigarettes to any one and pass q new law which wisely: Il have never believed the to- bacco habit could be lcgislated out of forbidS the sale of cigarettes to minors, only Editor Mckenzie says. and says the adult life" Dr. Fletcher says, If Il man wants to smoke let him smoke.
 Perhaps the proyerbial Philadelphia lawyer" can. discover some difference in the essential meaning of these TWO statements put this writer cannot And vet. strange to relate the editor of Candid Opinion and Mrs LaMance hay been strongly commended for their utteranceS. as they deserve to be. and Dr Fletcher has been roundly
 
 This paper is not written in critl' cism of any one but. with malice to ward none. and charity for all, in the interest of harmony and good will,
 Dr. Fletcher needs no defense at my hands. He iS well and favorably known throughout the state and no man in our Little Rock Conference is more highly esteemed. or more sincerely loved by his brethren than pr Fletch- CT. An unkind attack on him strikes directly to the heart of every Methodist preacher in Arkansas, as we'll as to the hearts of thousands of others by whom he is most highly honored. Let us cease to wrangle and criticize each other be-