The Facts
"If you can't answer him, smear him," were the opening words in a recent editorial in one of our exchanges. While the editor of that journal was ostensibly condemning this practice, his own journal has given such a thorough-going demonstration of this exact policy that all over the land sincere and fair-minded brethren are not renewing their subscriptions to his journal, and are declaring with Emerson, "Do not say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary." We have long since abandoned any hope at all for fairness, accuracy, or even simple honesty in the references this exchange makes to the Gospel Guardian. Does one expect truth and both sides of an issue from the Communist Daily Worker? When men have a false doctrine to sustain (either politically or religiously), it is hardly to he expected that they will observe ethics in sustaining it.
The issue of the exchange dated September 26, 1957, gives a fair (and by no means unusual) sample of the deceit, dishonesty, and "smear technique" by which that journal is seeking to answer and offset the powerful effect of simple Bible truth set forth from week to week in the Gospel Guardian. Being unable to answer the truth as taught in the Guardian, they have hoped to gain their point by "smearing" the Guardian's editor. Here is one part of the smear article:
(Editor's Note: I recently preached in a meeting in Jasper, Alabama, where Gus Nichols has done an outstanding work for the last twenty-five years. The Jasper congregation "sponsors" a radio program, with the help of several neighboring congregations. The brethren in Jasper told me that Yater Tant preached daily for almost a week on this program, which is conducted on the same principle as the Herald of Truth broadcast, while he was in a meeting not far from Jasper. How one can print such things about Herald of Truth as the foregoing, and preach on a similar program is difficult to understand. As Emerson said, "How can I hear what you say, when what you do is thundering in my ears?" (Sic.) Maybe this is the explanation: "It is all right if I do it, but all wrong if you do it"
The Gospel Advocate is glad to encourage and help the Highland elders in their great work, regardless of how much they may be misrepresented.)
From reading the foregoing one would be pretty well convinced, would he not, that the said Yater Tant was anything but a Christian or even a gentleman. And, of course, that is exactly the impression that our exchange editor wanted to leave. That is why he wrote the "Note."
But What Are The Facts?
We present herewith a photo of the cancelled check which shows that the Zion Church (where this writer was engaged in a gospel meeting) paid the entire cost of the broadcasts which this writer presented, sending their money directly to the radio station.
Actually, the daily program which Brother Gus Nichols puts on is NOT "on the same principle" as the Herald of Truth broadcast. Those who are familiar with both arrangements understand this. But knowing full well that some critic would try to make it appear that they are the same, and that this editor was preaching on a "similar program" to the Herald of Truth, we very carefully stipulated before the meeting ever began, and before the first sermon was preached over WWWB, that the Zion congregation pay for the entire program, sending their money directly to the station, making arrangements with the management to do so, and NOT going through some "sponsoring" congregation.
We present herewith a reproduction of the cancelled check which will show that that is exactly what happened. That a false charge has been made and a slanderous accusation published against this writer is not particularly important. We have grown accustomed (and largely impervious) to them. But that the man who published the slander had every opportunity to KNOW he was publishing falsehood IS important. Whether he did actually know it was false at the time of publication or not we do not know. Some are convinced that he did have that knowledge, and deliberately tried to "smear" this writer by publishing that which he knew was false. They, of course, are brethren who have completely lost confidence in the integrity or even simple honesty of the exchange editor. They feel that the love of money has so blinded his eyes and eroded his character that deliberate falsehood is not beyond him. We do not share that judgment... not yet, at least. But we must confess that his obvious unfairness in recent years does not give us too much ground on which to stand in defending him Anyhow, the cancelled check will speak for itself, Here is documentary evidence, compelling, conclusive, We shall see whether or not our exchange editor makes correction and apology. Thirty years ago we wouldn't have even had a doubt but that he would offer apology. But time, and power, and money, can do strange and ugly things to a man's character. So, we shall wait and see,
(Chart Goes Here, (check photo)