Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1907 — AN UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE [ARTICLE]

AN UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE

An occurrence at the union re Vival meetings last Tuesday night was not mentioned in this paper for the reason that we thought a discussion of it might tend to create hard feelings and injure the prospects of the meetings. Occasionally things happen that the Bewspaper can net better by discussing. The incident would have passed unnoticed had not the Jasper County Democrat so mentioned the affair as to east unwarranted odium on Eev. H. L. Kindig, pastor of Trinity M. E. church. That paper accuses Rev. Kindig of having threatened to throw a hymn book at Evangelist Loose. As nearly as we can learn the facts Of the momentary C isparity are that Evangelist Loose had been criticising the business men for not closing their stores and attending church each evening, and he had brought the local preachers into the discussion by censuring each lor not herding their flock into the meetings. His chastisement of the ministers was a practical charge of cowardice and indicated a laxity in their standing against evil in the community. The evangelist had referred to the “little ministers,” meaning preachers with charges in small towns, and the term and his air of personal superiority in the accumulation of his meetings had not rested very easily on Rev. Kiudig’s mind, and when he indicated a weakness in the attitnde of the local ministers against vice, it was too serious a matter to let pass unnoticed.

Rev. Kindig spoke feelingly and said: “We are just as brave as yon Mr. Loose. Yon may leave that kind of talk out” Later in the evening by way of retort, Evangelist Loose prefaced a remark by saying “Ii Rev. Kindig does not object” Rev. Kindig was very regretful of his action, and undertook no defense for himself in becoming angered and giving vent to his feelings Before the large audience at the meeting. But he did net assnme an aggressive attitude as charged by the paper reporting if. It is an easy matter with the freedom accorded an evangelist to attack vice from the pnlpit and Rev. Loose has slammed all kinds of sin, and all amusements under the ban of the church, in unmerciful terms. It is a more difficult problem to take off one’s coat and fight tho actual vice cut with its supporters. Since the city has been ridded of saloons, freed from public gambling houses, disposed of a very odious house of iniquity, and.had other purifications during the more than four years Rev. Kindig has been here, and since he has had an active lea dership inall these matters along with the other local ministers it would seem that Rev. Loose was entirely unwarranted in , his statements, as unwarranted as he has been in his assumption of the depth of iniquity Jn this community. This would not justily Mr. Kini dig in his heated reply, but when it was coupled with an almost direot comparison of the Evangelist’s it would be a temptation that would be hard to resist, and even a ministerial garb is not always sufficient to cast temptation aside.

The truth is, (hat „the meetings have been a great disappointment to the Evangelist and the local ministers, and even the pnblic has been a little disappointed that the plea for righteousness by the Evangelist did mot meet np to the expectation of his predicted ability as a soul saver.