Cutting Down The Attendance

We have been receiving some more or less catty letters from Brother Murch and Brother Witty barbed with assurances that our opposition to their phony unity conferences has disgusted sensible brethren and helped more than it has hurt their efforts. If that is true they ought to be more pleased than sore at us. It really makes little difference whether the name signed to these letters is Witty or Murch because they are "Siamese twins" in all these matters. They think in the same groove and when one of them talks the other echoes. They do like to write to us and what they write to either of us the other reads. We are somewhat twinnish in our own way. Evidently the Christian Standard has not seen what they have written to us and innocently let the cat out of the bag. In fact it looks like two or three of them got out. The Christian Standard has this to say about "The Unity Conference."

Space does not permit of extended treatment here of the Unity Conference of brethren at Columbus, O., last week; but we can not forbear stating that it registered a definite advance in the development of fellowship between brethren of two groups.

While certain brethren among the "conservative" element have conducted a campaign that seems to us to be motivated by factious spirit, not to say jealousy, and thus manifestly cut down attendance somewhat, the net result was a meeting in which brethren proved that they could speak frankly of their differences and do it in good spirit. That is an accomplishment.

It does not require a spirit of divination to see that the Christian Standard is disappointed and somewhat peeved. We already knew that Witty and Murch were by the sort of letters they have been writing us. The charge that we were "motivated by a factious spirit, not to say jealousy" is just the bitterness of disappointment working out. We do not mind taking a little of the credit for the "manifestly cut down attendance" but we do not deserve all of it. B. C. Goodpasture, H. Leo Boles and others in the Gospel Advocate have administered some stiff punches. The Firm Foundation has made a few mild, disapproving grimaces, but it is not displaying its former vigor. It seems to be tired and minded to serve as a "haven of refuge for the weak and faint-hearted." We are not running a hospital, we are conducting a war. We are not as much concerned over good manners in "religious journalism" as we are in fighting digression, sectarianism, premillennialism and other wild gourds the reckless and ignorant are trying to "shred" into the pottage pot. The Christian Standard thinks we are "motivated by factious spirit, not to say jealousy" and the same charge has recently appeared against us in the Firm Foundation. When two birds of such a different feather flock together on a point like that, it will not be surprising to us if some who do not know us and who do not read the Bible Banner, actually believe it. If the thing is repeated enough it may pass for the truth. I'm getting a little bit suspicious of us myself. When a man like John O'Dowd, who always makes an "A" in journalistic deportment, is given the blessing of the editor of the Firm Foundation in referring to our "nastiness," there must be something wrong with us. When and if he and Brother Showalter decide to set up a school of "clean journalism" who knows but that we may matriculate, especially if Brother Cox will teach a class and write to "Dear Junior" for some copies of the Rio Grande Valley paper to use a text.-C.E.W.