DISCUSSION IN OHIO.—ALMOST.
By J. H. Waggoner
To the Mich State Conf. Com.: I have not hitherto made any report to you of my visit to Geneva, Ohio, for the following reasons: When I left Geneva, I was under promise to await the receipt of a letter from the individual who had extended to me propositions for debate; and since my return I have been constantly traveling and busy, and had no time to attend to the correspondence since receiving news from Ohio. I now submit the following brief statement: Last fall I gave some lectures two and a half miles from Geneva village. After I left there, Dr. Bane, Disciple, held a meeting or meetings in the same place, and my friends informed me by letter that he asserted that I dare not return there; that we were afraid of the Disciples, &c., which led to an agreement between them that I should be requested to come there and debate the Sabbath question with whomsoever he should obtain. Their request was forwarded to me at a time when I could not attend to it, and soon after that I had to commence work on the book on Spiritualism. So I informed them it would be impossible for me to do anything about it till that work was completed. During the time of my labor on the book, they wrote several letters urging me to come on, saying that Dr. Bane threatened to publish us all as cowards if we did not meet them soon. After the session of the State Conference, the Committee, who had also been addressed on the subject, requested me to go to Geneva as soon as circumstances would permit, and attend to the matter. I accordingly went to Ohio, and arrived at Geneva July 2nd. Bro. F. Dickenson in a letter of Jan. 30, said, that Dr. Bane, “requests that the village of Geneva be the place of holding the discussion.” Bro. T. L. Bane, Jr. under date of Feb. 5, said, “Father suggests Geneva village as the place to hold the discussion.” On July 4th, I met Dr. Bane at the house of Bro. Bane, his son, by appointment; and, in consequence of reports he had circulated about a discussion I had with Mr. Higgins in Orwell, I arranged to have witnesses present at the interview. To my great astonishment, he denied ever requesting to have a discussion at Geneva, and refused to arrange for one there. He said he wanted a debate, but wanted it in some other place! I urged the absurdity of the thought of the friends there being a party to getting up a debate that they could not hear, and the injustice that would be done to them and to the community whose interest had been awakened in the matter, by taking it away from them to another people who were strangers to the circumstances; in this I was sustained by all those present; but to no avail. Several propositions had been furnished by Dr. Bane, the substance of which I had expressed a willingness to discuss, provided the discussion be at Geneva; but no definite agreement had been made respecting the questions. The last conversation I had with Dr. Bane was on the 11th of July. From my experience in the progress of this matter, I feared that I could obtain no fair and reasonable terms, and that no agreement made would be complied with if it was found to interfere with their purposes. Accordingly I requested those present to certify to the agreement then made, which they did immediately after Dr. B. left, while it was fresh in every mind. The following will show what was agreed to: “This is to certify that, in a conversation held on the 11th of July 1866, between Dr. T. L. Bane and Eld. J. H. Waggoner, it was mutually agreed, and so left between them, that J. H. W. was to affirm the proposition offered to him on the Sabbath question, and Andrew Burnes was to affirm on the first-day; in substance as follows:
“Do the Scriptures teach that it is obligatory on Christians to meet upon the first day of the week to commemorate the Lord in his institution. And that they should discuss these propositions in Geneva, Ohio, and repeat the discussion in Bloomfield, or Chardon, as might be agreed upon, at a time to be agreed upon by the parties.
“H. A. ST. JOHN, PALMER SHAW,
“T. L. BANE, JR., EMMA BANE,
“WM. T. HUTCHINSON.
“Geneva, Ohio, July, 11, 1866.”159 I agreed to repeat the discussion at another place in order to get it at Geneva. With this arrangement, the friends in Geneva were well pleased, though it was understood by all that on my return to Michigan I should go with the tent, and could not spend time again with this matter till after tent labor ceased. Notwithstanding this plain agreement, Dr. Bane expressed doubts whether Mr. Burns would be willing to come to Geneva to debate. His plea was that there was not sufficient intelligence in Geneva to appreciate a debate! As he seemed to rest it with Mr. Burns, he promised to write to Mr. Burns and inform me. Since my return to Michigan I have received the promised letter from Dr. Bane, saying that Mr. B. had left it all to him to fix the places of debate. This, of course, removed the last difficulty out of the way of our agreement of July 11th, but instead of standing to this agreement, he made no reference to it whatever, but named Bloomfield, Battle Creek, and Cleveland, as the places for discussion! and also expressed an anxious fear lest I should back out!! I now place all the letters and papers relating to this matter in your hands. I have had no correspondence with Mr. Burns, and know not what has been written to him. Perhaps it has been so misrepresented to him as to justify on his part the remarks you will find in the enclosed copies of his letters to his friend. By this statement of facts and accompanying papers, you will be able to see where the “bluster” has been, and what has been the object of it. I am still willing to meet Mr. Burns, or any one that they may select; but I despair of being able to bring them to any fair terms. On any point of fact involved, I would refer you to any and all the friends at Geneva, who are acquainted with the circumstances. J. H. WAGGONER.
Holly, Mich., Sept. 3, 1866.