DEBATE AT PLANO, TEXAS.
By R. M. Kilgore
The debate with Eld. Caskey, the Campbellite champion, has terminated, after continuing nearly two weeks. I found him no better prepared to meet Bible arguments this time than he was at Terrell, though he had written to other parties that he was “fully posted,” and had declared that he had “sold out to the sects” to “meet the archdeceiver, hypocrite, and falsifier” in debate; that he intended to first kill his doctrine, and then kill him personally, etc. During the debate he claimed that the rules of logic and of parliamentary practice did not compel him to produce any negative proof, and found fault with me because I would “pile up texts” against his, for “this would manufacture infidels.” We debated on the Sabbath question four evenings. It is a fact that he did not produce a single argument from the Bible to show that the Sabbath law was abolished, but simply denied and ridiculed my arguments. The best point he made was, it all “came from Michigan,” “was Battle Creek logic,” “Yankee guesses,” etc., etc. Of course, with minds of a certain caste this was better than a plain “thus saith the Lord.” Saturday night, in a speech of nearly an hour on the affirmative of the Sunday question, he only quoted one text, Acts 20:7, but he waged an unrelenting warfare against the seventh-day Sabbath, trying to show that it was abolished, etc. I submitted to it; for he had boasted that the moderators were in his favor, which was apparent to all unprejudiced persons. While I was replying to his first speech on this question, without giving me notice before I began, he deliberately left the house, asking a fellow-minister to take notes, and remarking that the debate would be resumed on Monday evening. This was the second time he had dismissed the debate in this manner. I stopped and appealed to the audience: “Do the people of Plano think that this debate should proceed, while Eld. Caskey takes such liberties as he has twice taken since it began, dismissing and resuming it at his pleasure, without consulting others interested, or gaining my consent, thus causing others to remain here in suspense, and hindering me from filling other important appointments previously arranged?” I called for an expression of the people, and the moderator then asked all who thought the debate should proceed on the grounds stated to rise. Thirty-eight voted for the debate to continue and sixty-two against it. His second then announced that Eld. Caskey would be on hand Monday evening whether Mr. Kilgore was or not, and that the debate must go on. Again on Sunday evening the same announcement was made at the close of their preaching service, when it was also announced that Eld. Kilgore would be there too. This was done without my knowledge. On Monday evening the house was lighted and heated, and a goodly number assembled. Eld. Caskey failed to make an appearance, though he was in town. Thus closed the debate in the midst of the Sunday question. The people decided that Eld. Caskey should not take the management of the debate into his hands any longer, and that if it went on it must be carried on on terms more equitable. He greatly objected to my leaving disputed points to the people, and ridiculed it. He was afraid of the voice of the audience. “It is three months to-day since we pitched our tent here. We leave a company keeping the Sabbath, and they are strengthened by the debate. We lost none. I am ready to leave for Rockwall. R. M. KILGORE. Dec. 11.