Silas C. Swallow
Encyclopedia
Silas Comfort Swallow (1839–1930) was a United States
Methodist preacher
and prohibitionist politician.
member of the Genesee
, Oneida
and Missouri
Conferences. While serving in St. Louis, Missouri
, Comfort admitted as evidence in a church trial the testimony of a Negro
, a practice which was forbidden in public trials in Missouri at the time. He was censured by his Conference, but that censure was overturned by the 1840 General Conference. The General Conference then bowed to Southern pressure and passed a resolution prohibiting the testimony of Negroes in church trials within states that forbade such testimony in public trials. That resolution was rescinded in 1844.
. Before entering the ministry Silas was employed as a school
teacher
and later studied law. He served as a lieutenant
during the American Civil War
.
He entered the Baltimore Conference in 1863 and became a charter member of the Central Pennsylvania
Conference upon its organization in 1869. He was reportedly an eloquent and forceful preacher and revivalist. He was eminently successful as a church builder, presiding elder, and editor
of The Central Pennsylvania Methodist. In the latter position Swallow vigorously attacked alcohol
, spiritual indifference, and corruption
in state government. His enemies led a campaign to have him prosecuted and convicted of slander, which verdict was later reversed by the State Superior Court.
Swallow died at his home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
in 1930. He is interred at Paxtang Cemetery near Harrisburg.
’s candidate for Mayor
of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, state legislature, State Treasurer, Governor of Pennsylvania.
He was also Party candidate for the position of President of the United States
in 1904 election. Election was won by Incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt
of the Republican Party
.
Swallow was also surpassed by two other unsuccessful presidential candidates:
This proved to be so successful that he came out with periodic updates as follows:
and Thanksliving.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Methodist preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and prohibitionist politician.
Namesake
He was presumably named after Methodist preacher Silas Comfort (1808–1868), a courageous anti-slaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
member of the Genesee
Genesee
Genesee, derived from the Seneca word for "pleasant valley", has been used as the name of:-Geographic features:United States*Genesee, California*Genesee, Colorado*Genesee County, Michigan*Genesee County, New York*Genesee Falls, New York, a town...
, Oneida
Oneida
- Native American/First Nations :* Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy* Oneida language* Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
Conferences. While serving in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Comfort admitted as evidence in a church trial the testimony of a Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
, a practice which was forbidden in public trials in Missouri at the time. He was censured by his Conference, but that censure was overturned by the 1840 General Conference. The General Conference then bowed to Southern pressure and passed a resolution prohibiting the testimony of Negroes in church trials within states that forbade such testimony in public trials. That resolution was rescinded in 1844.
Early activities
Silas Comfort Swallow was born of staunch Methodist parents. His father was a trustee of Wyoming SeminaryWyoming Seminary
Wyoming Seminary, founded in 1844 and currently led by President Kip P. Nygren, is a private college preparatory school located in the Wyoming Valley of Northeastern Pennsylvania, in Kingston and Forty Fort It is near the Susquehanna River and the city of Wilkes-Barre...
. Before entering the ministry Silas was employed as a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and later studied law. He served as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
He entered the Baltimore Conference in 1863 and became a charter member of the Central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Conference upon its organization in 1869. He was reportedly an eloquent and forceful preacher and revivalist. He was eminently successful as a church builder, presiding elder, and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of The Central Pennsylvania Methodist. In the latter position Swallow vigorously attacked alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
, spiritual indifference, and corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in state government. His enemies led a campaign to have him prosecuted and convicted of slander, which verdict was later reversed by the State Superior Court.
Swallow died at his home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
in 1930. He is interred at Paxtang Cemetery near Harrisburg.
Church service
Dr. Swallow’s official conference service record lists 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 presiding elder, 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, by request.
- 1908-1930 retired.
- 1931-forever dead.
Political career
He was the Prohibition PartyProhibition Party
The Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...
’s candidate for Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, state legislature, State Treasurer, Governor of Pennsylvania.
He was also Party candidate for the position of President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1904 election. Election was won by Incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Swallow was also surpassed by two other unsuccessful presidential candidates:
- Alton Brooks ParkerAlton B. ParkerAlton Brooks Parker was an American lawyer, judge and the Democratic nominee for U.S. president in the 1904 elections.-Life:...
of the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. - Eugene Victor Debs of the Socialist Party of AmericaSocialist Party of AmericaThe Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
.
Autobiography
Being an editor, Swallow made certain that his life story was recorded for posterity. Upon reaching his 70th birthday in 1909, he published a 482 page hardback autobiography:III Score and X – Selections, Collections, Recollections of Seventy Busy Years.This proved to be so successful that he came out with periodic updates as follows:
- Toasts and Roasts of III Score and X, 1911.
- Then and Now – Some Reminiscences of an Octogenarian, 1919.
- IV Score and More, 1922.
Other writings
Other booklets and pamphlets by Swallow, all of which are preserved in the archives of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, range in date and content from his 1879 Camp Meetings and the Sabbath to his 1917 A Sermon on ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
and Thanksliving.