A False Report Corrected
By Editor
“Nature Worship Revived.”—In the SIGNS of March 12 was an article with the above title which quoted a report, coming to us from several sources, in regard to a “hugging social” in North Greenfield, O. The hugging was said to be of different prices according to age. We did not print the name of the church, nor the name of the young lady promoter. A correspondent, W. T. Steele, University Park, Colo., writes us that he has investigated the matter, and finds the report a canard. As proof of this he sends a letter of denial from Mr. C. W. Hoffman, “pastor of West Mansfield circuit.” West Mansfield is a town or village about six miles from North Greenfield. He writes, “Our church is not in debt; has not had a social of any kind for a long time; uses no questionable methods to raise money, and has stood for fifty years a model society.” Of this we are glad. Now if Mr. Hoffman’s letter refers to the North Greenfield church, and his is the only church there, we are even more glad still; for we find no pleasure in knowing of such things. The report, of which we published a part, named no “merchant” in connection with it, as Mr. Hoffman intimates, but a young woman. We suppressed the names of both church and persons, as it was not our purpose to expose persons, but to point out the evils, and warn against them.