Silas C. Swallow

Silas C. Swallow (1904)

Silas Comfort Swallow ( 5. March 1839 - 13 August 1930 in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania ) was an American Methodist - preachers and prohibitionist politicians of his life opponents of slavery was.

Life

Swallow was the child of staunch Methodist parents. His father, George, was a trustee of the Wyoming seminary . It was probably named after the Methodist preacher Silas Comfort (1803–1868), a courageous anti- slavery fighter who was a member of the Genesee , Oneida and Missouri conferences. In a church trial in St. Louis , he allowed a "Negro" to testify , which was forbidden in Missouri at the time . He was reprimanded by his church. The complaint was lifted in 1840 by the General Conference . The General Conference later bowed to pressure from the southern states and passed a resolution that disregarded the testimony of blacks in states where they were not allowed to testify in public trials, even in church trials. This resolution was repealed in 1844.

Before joining the ministry, Swallow was employed as a teacher and later studied law . He served as a lieutenant in the American Civil War . He joined the Baltimore Conference in 1863 and became a founding member of the Pennsylvania Central Conference in 1869 . He was reportedly an eloquent and powerful revival preacher. He was successful as a church builder and presided over The Central Pennsylvania Methodist as an elder and editor .

In this position, Swallow wrote heavily against alcohol , religious indifference and corruption in the state government. His opponents campaigned against him to prosecute him for defamation . He was convicted, but the sentence was later overturned by the Pennsylvania Superior Court .

Swallow died in his Harrisburg home in 1930. He was buried in the Paxtang cemetery near Harrisburg.

Church services

The official records list the following appointments:

• 1863-1864 Milton circuit
• 1864-1866 Berwick
• 1866–1868 Catawissa
• 1868-1871 Newberry
• 1871–1873 Williamsport , Third Street
• 1873-1875 Milton
• 1875-1877 Altoona , Eighth Avenue
• 1877–1881 Age President , Altoona District
• 1881-1884 York First
• 1884-1886 Williamsport Grace
• 1886-1887 Agent, Dickinson College
• 1887-1892 Harrisburg , Ridge Avenue
• 1892–1902 Superintendent, Harrisburg Methodist book room
• 1902–1908 no appointment upon request
• 1908–1930 retired

Political career

He was for the Prohibition Party nominee for the Mayor of Harrisburg, the State Legislature , the Office of the State Treasurer and the post of Governor of Pennsylvania, but failed each.

He was also a party candidate for President of the United States in the 1904 election , with George Washington Carroll running for Vice President . Although both were well known beyond the abstinence movement , they only got around 258,000 votes - compared to the previous election when John G. Woolley ran for the Prohibitionists , an increase of less than 200 votes. The election was won by incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt .

Fonts

Autobiography

As editor, Swallow made sure that his life story was recorded for posterity. When he reached his 70th birthday in 1909, he published the 482-page hardcover autobiography III Score and X - Selections, Collections, Recollections of Seventy Busy Years (III result and X - selections, collections, memories of the seventy busy years ") .

This proved so successful that he brought out several updates:

• Toasts and Roasts of III Score and X , 1911.
• Then and Now - Some Reminiscences of an Octogenarian , 1919.
• IV Score and More , 1922.

Other works

Other Swallow brochures and pamphlets are held in the archives of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church . The date and content range from his Camp Meetings and the Sabbath of 1879 to his A Sermon on Thanksgiving and Thanksliving of 1917.

Web links

• Silas C. Swallow in the database of Find a Grave (English)