It is humiliating to be under the necessity of publishing the facts contained in this leaf. But duty demands that they should be known, that justice may be seen, as far as possible, to those who have been abused, and that all may be instructed by the painful lessons which we are learning.
The deep interest which the true friends of the cause take in its advancement, has often led them too far, to trust too much in the hands of the inexperienced and unruled. This has been especially true in the case of ministers. When a minister of some talent has joined our ranks, there has been too much rejoicing over the fact, and too little caution lest he be injured by influence and means being at once put into his hands.
Some seem ever anxious to exchange those who have long been true to the cause for comparative strangers. This has injured them, and in some cases ruined them, while it has grieved and almost discouraged those who are wearied and worn by faithful labor in the cause.
There is a spirit of murmuring against the old hands, especially with those of little experience, who have least relative to matters on which they so freely pass judgment, which is wonderful. Nothing can be done at the Office, or by the old hands that is as it should be. And some talk and act as though it was their highest religious duty to murmur and raise the spirit of rebellion against their best friends as high as possible. We say such persons have not the Spirit of God. They give the best proof that they have unfortunately fallen under the strong power and inspiration of that first great jealous rebel, Satan. Where this spirit is indulged in, it is almost sure to get hold on our inexperienced preachers, and in two cases out of three, ruin them. We might here mention the names of Case, Bezzo, Hall, Stephenson, Phelps, Rhodes, Holt, Butler, and others. E. W. Shortridge has also fallen murmuring against Bro. Waggoner, and well nigh crushing Bro. Snook, who have ever been his best friends. It was Bro. Snook who first urged us to raise means to lift the mortgage from E. W. Shortridge's home, and at the same time Bro. Snook had no home of his own, and did not ask for one. It was mainly through the influence of Bro. Snook that Mrs. W. raised $441,46 and sent it to E. W. S. to lift the mortgage from his home. Bro. Snook has since erred in giving E. W. S. so much influence in Northern Iowa, and in bearing with his folly too long. Now as a reward for loving E. W. S. better than himself, he has suffered the crushing influence of divisions and jealousies among his own dear people in Northern Iowa, caused by the unrighteous conduct of E. W. S., and he and Bro. Waggoner have been compelled to lay up the tent for the season, but try to save something out of the ruin caused by E. W. S. and others in Iowa.
Bro. Waggoner went to Southern Iowa to labor with E. W. S. the Tent season of 1861, in hope of helping him into the message as he did Bro. Hull the summer of 1858. But he could not help E. W. S. for the very reason that he did not feel his need of help. And after Bro. Waggoner had suffered much with him, and tried beyond his strength to build up the cause in Iowa, E. W. S. took advantage of the influence given him in being acknowledged as a Tent preacher, and made a powerful strike in sympathy at Bro. Waggoner's expense, reporting that Bro. W. had received much, and he but a trifle. Figures show that E. W. S. received for the past eighteen months more than twice the amount that any other preacher among us received in the same time, and his numerous letters all the time have been speaking in a murmuring style of his poverty, and the small amount he has received held up in deceptive contrast with what Bro. W. has received. Bro. Waggoner bore a pointed testimony in Southern Iowa. The elements of rebellion are there. The cry of many was, Down with Systematic Benevolence and the Gifts, and give us tobacco, coffee, hoops, and let us have our own way. This state of things, the strike of E. W. S. for sympathy, was well timed to crush the pure testimony and to injure the cause. These are the fruits of rebellion.
But something will be saved in Iowa. There are many there that bleed for the cause. The time has come for them to take their stand against this wicked murmuring against the old experienced hands in this State.
Iowa has had the labors of our ablest preachers, and reports in the several sheets of the Good Samaritan show that about $625 has been given by Eastern Iowa to help preachers while laboring there, and the time in that State, besides the $441,46 to E. W. S. For all this the old friends of the cause are paid for injuries and murmurings against the Office and old hands. Some of these favored ones have indulged in contemptible talk about speculation at the Office, &c. Do they think the old friends in Michigan and the East, who have so freely handed out their money, have no care for the cause? Do they think the responsibility of the cause rests upon those of little experience in Iowa, who are least prepared to judge in these matters? Thank God that the Office is among its friends, who have from year to year assembled at Battle Creek in General Conference, and know how things are going. These men and women who know how these things go, and have freely given of their means to help the cause in new fields, raise not a single murmur against those who have long and devotedly given themselves to the interests of the Office, and the cause. We shall hail the national crisis with joy, for it will put an end to this rebellion. God will humble those who under the guise of the present truth wickedly murmur against men who have consecrated all to God, and are laboring with all their powers to advance the cause of truth, and they will yet weep the bitterest tears for their unparalleled rebellion against the faithful servants of Jesus Christ, which must result in the ruin of many souls. God will punish the rebels.