Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 26, Number 243, Decatur, Adams County, 13 October 1928 — Page 3

PAGE THREE

The Religious Issue By Dr. Henry van Dyke

-^57 ()le; _ nr, van Dyke is Jfcps one of the best known clergyLand writers in the world. He was Lusted from Princeton Theological ' LLv in 1877 and holds degrees fS Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Union Xe University of Pennsylvania .TSford University. He was or- ! <n.d a Presbyterian clergyman In J nS was Pastor of the United c ngregational church, at Newport from 1879 to 1882 and the Brick L 'b Lian church in 1883, in 1900. S and 1911. He has been professof English literature at Princeton raiwrsity from 1902 to 1923 and was Lted States Minister to the MethLands from 1913 to 1917, when he resigned. He also was American lecturer at the University of Paris. At the present moment there is on foot in these United States a widespread cabal to keep one of the candidates for the presidency from election because he is a member of the Catholic church. The other candidate has handsomely disavowed any personal share in the sentiments or argument 3 which characterize this cabal. This is much to his credit. But unfortunately he can not, or at least he does not, restrain and check the pernicious activity of his supporters, who are convinced that the end of a victory for their party justifies any means which they employ to secure it. Hence, if their candidate should be elected, he would owe his election in part to religious | prejudice and anti-Catholic enmity which cahalists have stirred up and marshalled to the polls. This would | be a misfortune for him, and a calam- | ity for our country as the home and citadel of religious liberty. The mere prospect of such a calamity ought to move the hearts of true Americans and honest Christians with dismay, and awaken their minds to serious thought and earnest action in defense of that real freedom of conscience which is the hardwon crowning glory of America and the dearest jewel of Christianity. In the 17th and 18th centuries the American colonies were not altogether free from sectarian bigotry and intolerance. Quakers and Baptists were made to suffer as enemies of religion. Maryland founded by Catholics, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, founded by Quakers were the colonies where the light of religious tolerance and Christian good will shone most clear. From dhen it spread, with the. libfcfuljon ui the people and the founding of the Republic, until it illumined every State and glows now like a sacred and undying fire on the high altar of the Constitution. Shall it be extinguished by open bigotry, or be dimmed and dishonored by secret hostility, in this year of our Lord 1928? That seems to me far and away the most important question before the country today—a question not to be answered by heated appeals to partisan allegiance—a question not raised, thank God, by either of the honorable candidates for the presidency, but a burning question thrust upon conscience of every American voter by the overt fulmlrations and covert whisperings of those who seek to defeat one of the candidates because he is a Catholic. Never yet has a national election in the United States been determined on such grounds. Secret societies we have had, with masked costumes, and cryptic pass words, and dark ungainly rituals of superstitious fear and hatred, banded to injure and proscribe our fellow-citizens of different race, color or creed. These fungusgrowths have been more detestable than dangerous. They have always tended to dissolve in the bad odor of their own corruption and to disappear under the gloomy shadow of their own misdeeds. But now the danger to our dearly gained liberties takes a new' form, more subtle, more plausible, and therefore more menacing. It comes clad in garments of respectability and using the phrases of antique Piety. "lou must stand by the banner of Pr °testantism in this election," it says. "You must be true to your ai 'h. You must vote against this man because he is a Catholic and herefore your foe and an enemy of the Republic." Who told you that, friend? Who as carried the banner of Protestant!tm into a political contest, the ark p the covenant into battle? My "n’estantUm is obedient to Him who "a . Render unto Caesar the things hat are Caesar’s and to God the things that are Go.d’s." My Protesantism, which is hereditary from the th William of Orange, tells me a conscience is God’s province.” y Americanism, which is a stout ® wtl * of eight native-born generl'ohs, te.ls me that to vote against ,>ecause Bis church-member--8 to b* untrue in act to the cenfaith of the Republic. But some reader may ask, "Why you so emphatic about this? Why Dort y ° u laslßt that it is the most imaat issue in the campaign? OththateoPle not agree with you about Wat" tlley Bay lllat f arm relief, or is L PoWer ownership, or prohibition so mh important - Why do you lay u ch stress on the question of re-

i ligious liberty?" I will answer frankly, without fear, and my answer is In some sort a confession. 1 am not a politician. I am only an unimportant old Presbyterian minister, a stout liberal, and an Independent writer. Being pretty near the end cf this life, I have noth ing to gain or lose in the way of office or emolument, and nothing to dread in the way of partisan obloquy or reproach, of, which 1 have already endured a considerable amount without serious injury to my bodily health or mental peace. Because 1 love my own free church and my own free country, because I value my own selfrespect, I resist, and shall always resist to the very end of life, every attempt to arouse and array religious prejudice and hostility in a political campaign in the United States of America. If you ask why I venture to assert that an anti-Catholic cabal is at work in the present presidential election, I reply that the evidence is too clear to be disregarded except by those who are asleep or voluntarily imitating the possum. The proof comes in many ways, now in the bold vociferations of a Howling Bigot, now in the gentle murmurs of mi.d Congregational ministers who merely suggest that it is not improper to let your acclesiastical prejudices control your vote. Not the great Methodist Church, but four Bishops of that body, speaking with whatever authority may vest their episcopal role, issue a’pronunciamento to urge their people to vote against a Catholic. Devout women not a few, forgetting the faithfulness of the Catholic church in defending the marriage vow and the sanctity of the home, have been led to support the anti-Catholic crusade with more fervor than thoughfulness. Oil top of all this a religious newspaper of liberal reputaion, prints an editorial justifying the expression in a vote of dislike for Catholics, but graciously conceding that "if a Catholic is elected, he should not be debarred from office!" O wondrous IF—thank you for nothing! You are willing that Protestant feelings should be excited against Catholic candidates at the voting booths, but if in spite of this one of these candidates should be elected by a majority of honest, open-minded, God fearing, liberty-loving Americans, you really would not call out the army and navy and police to keep him from taking bis aaal! is this the measure of your liberalism? Is this the full extent of your faith in religious freedom? Then either your mental processes are eccentric, or your memory is bad and your faith in America is weak. Let us remember that the first settlers of America came hither to escape from ecclesiastical tyranny and persecution, some of which called itself Protestant and some of which called itself Catholic, Let us remember those dreadful bloody wars of so-called religion which desolated Europe, and from which men and women fled with their children as from a cruel and devouring fire. Let us remember through what hard experience our forefathers finally won through to their proud conception of real liberty of conscience and fearlessly embodied it in their supreme law. Is all this to be forgotten, sacrificed, or even tampered with anil imperilled to meet the supposed exigencies of a political campaign. Under the Constitution, Jews and Catholics have served with honor in Congress, in the Cabinet, in dip.omacy, and on the Supreme Bench. They have not endangered the liberties of the Republic. They have upheld and defended them. Two Catholics have served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, an office ot the highest dignity and of final power in the interpretation of the law. No one has ever reproached them with unfairness or with disloyalty to the American principle of separation between church and state. By what right, then, does any one say that the election of a Catholic to the presidency would endanger that principle or threaten American freedom? On the contrary, such an event would prove the realit of that freedom by manifesting the firmness of the separation between church and state. I am convinced that most of our citizens, men and women, do not com prehend the fierceness and subtlety with which that freedom is now being attacked by the great cabal. Let me illustrate it by a small, concrete, pernicious proof which I have found floating around in this quiet little village on the sea-coast of Maine. No doubt it has been multiplied exceedingly and its like is circulating in many other rural districts and innocent communities. It is a pamphlet, well printed on expensive paper, bearing the title "America’s Two Unwritten Laws.” The name of the author is modestly withheld, but he signs his production with the initials E. A., (which may possibly mean Evidently Absurd), and he is careful to give an address at which further copies of his pamphlet may be procured for distribution This his production betrays all the ear-marks ot cabalism —it is anonymous. It pretends to be respectable, and it begs support for its propa-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13,1928

Byrd All Set for Trip to South Pole Rk HL J *” /-ar vi

.. imi n-n r i f T lrnTi - Commander Richard E. Byrd talking with other members of Antartic expedition party as he boards the whaler C. A. Laisen, largest ship of its kind in the world, at Los Angeles, where he will set sail this week. Left to right: Lieutenant Commander George Noville, Richard Brophy, business manager; Commander Byrd with his dog, and Charles Iztfgren, personnel officer. Commander Byrd has recovered completely from a recent illness.

ganda. The second “unwritten law" which Evidently Absurd lays down for America is this: “No Catholic Shall be President of the United States!" Who framed this law for a country which expressly declares in its Constitution that no such law shall be made? Who dares to put it into words ■ and proclaim it in a country which stands expressly for religious liberty. and to whose flag millions of people have been drawn by the nobility ot that pledge? Has any man of credit and renown ventured to formulate such a slander upon the honor and good faith of the Republic? No, it is the anonymous work of Evidently Absurd, who puts it forth with a pious air, and asks decent Protestants and honest Americans to obey this law of intolerance, which he calls ’unwritten’ although he himself wrote it. This is nullification with a vengeance! It affects not a mere matter of personal habits and diet, but a national principle of pAace and union. It proclaims a Jehad, a religious war, in the heart of America. And the pity of it is that good people, devout people —• otherwise respectable people, will listen to this preaching of prejudice and enmity, and will repeat it, and will blindly obey it, not knowing what they do. Virtuous and lovely ladies will say, with horror on their faces, “Surely you think a Catholic is an impossible candidate!" A few weeks ago a proud professor at Princeton asked me in raucous tones: "Would you vote for a Catholic as President?" His look of contempt was unmistakable, and I was tempted to answer, “Even if there were no other reason,' beloved brother, it might lead me to vote for 1 a good Catholic just to shake your self-complacement Phariseeism, and maintain America's honest faith in real religious liberty.” Freedom of conscience is the greatest thing at stake in this campaign. Hundreds of thousands of voters fail to realize it; interested in other matters they ignore this vital cause. Both of the presidential candidates in this election are men of integrity and ability. Our choice between them should be made on a conscientious conviction of their respective equipi ment for the difficult task. But if one of them should be excluded from the Presidency by votes cast against him on the ground that he is a Catholic, it would dishonor the pledged ' faith of America and cast away her most precious heritage. It is time to blow a trumpet to awaken the sleepers. The Palladium of the Republic is attacked by secret and open foes. It is in danger, trembling in its marble hall. The spiritual 1 call to arms goes out to every man J and woman. Defend the religious Liberty of America. — — o — • Girl Puts Would-Be Kidnaper To Rout By Scratching His Face 1 . Indianapolis, Oct. 13 —-(U.R)~ Police I today sought a man with a badly scratched face as a result of a kidnaping , report made by 13 year old Jeanette ■ Garrett. ! Jeanette told officers that a man . with a "fuzzy mustache” jumped out of an automobile while 1 was walking on , the sidewalk and tried to put me in the , car.” "I screamed" the girl said, “But he kept trying to get hold of me. Then I reached up and caught all five finger- ‘ nails in his face and he jumped back Into the automobile and got away.” ’ The girl gave a good description of the man, police said. ———o —■ NOTICE I will be out of the city from Oct. 12 to Oct. 22, inclusive. 239t5x Dr. L. E. Somers

SCOUT EXECUTIVE TO GIVE ADDRESS Dr. George’ J. Fisher, Deputy Chief Scout Executive, National Council, Bey Scouts of America, will be the principal speaker of the evening at the Annual dinner meeting of the Anthony Wayne Area Council on October 1(1. This meeting will be held at the Chamber of Commerce at Fort Wavne.

< liamuer OI i oiniiierue ai run vvayue, J .-..t.-.---7 I <■ i J I I ’l. 1 >r. George J I'i I■' ’>• ■tv Chief Scout l->;e<-ut>, ■ !:>■ of *--

The Anthony Wayne Area Council is fortunate to obtain a man of National and international fame in Scouting. C. R. Danielson, Field Executive, makes these comments on Dr. Fisher: “Dr. George J- Fisher is one of the outstanding men of the Scout Movement in America today. He is a forceful, dynamic speaker. During the past five years he has been active head of the Field Department of the National Council and in this position lias, during this time organized the entire na-1 ticn under Council organization. He is a tireless worker, and, in fact gives j his entire time, practically night and day to organizing of the field so that every boy in America will have the opportunity of coming under the influence of the Boy Scout program." Dr. Fisher came into the Boy Scout work in 1919 directly from the position of Secretary of the Physical Department of the International Committee of the Young Mens' Christian Assoliation, which position he filled from 1906 to 1919. While with the Y. M. C. A., lie was recognized as the outstanding exponent of physical education of the nation. Who’s Who in America has the following quotation on Dr. Fisher: M. D. Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery. Master Physical Education, International Y. M. C. A., College, Springfield, Mass. 1908. Secretary International Committee Y. M. C. A. 1906 — 1919. Director Physical Work Bureau —National War Council —Y. M. C. A. National Director of Field Departirient and Deputy Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America since 1919. President National Physical Direco ZZZZZo I I I COAL I Plenty of Good Coal. I need your order. Phone 299. EMERSON BENNETT. O O

• tion Association Y. M. C. A. 1904 1919, Vice-president British National Physical Direction Society. Member of Kiwanis and Aldine Clubs Author and Editor. Reservations for the dinner and meeting are being made here now with E. W. Lankenau. The dinner will begin at 6:15 o'clock. — 0 Fort Wayne Motor Club Opposes Bridge Contract Indianapolis, Oct. 13 —<(J.R>— Secretary Todd Stoops of the Hoosier Motor Club here has announced that the Fort Wayne Motor Club, another American Automobile association organization, has expressed opposition to the state contract for erection of the Ohio river bridge at Evansville. The Hoosier Motor Club has an injunction suit pending in Marion county superior court to halt the state highway commission payments. Under the Kentucky-Indiana contract the bridge will cost $4,000,000 $1,00,000 each to be contributed by Vanderburg county and the State highway department. The $2,000,000 to be expended by Kentucky is to be refunded by Tolls collected over a 15-year period. —— o ■ Get the Habit —Trade at Home. It Pays

THE SECOND TIME IT’S homo, but it isn’t perfect. You know more now than when you first hung up those curtains and moved your furniture in. You have lived with those walls, bookcases, radiators, cups and saucers long enough to know their merits and demerits. The kind you would buy the second time, and the kind you wouldn’t buy. If you and Sarah could start all over again, you’d profit from that experience. Avoid what has proved unwise—study advertisements, home-furnishing pamnhlets—let the potatoes scorch and the lima beans boil dry—just comparing new refrigerators, bathtubs, patterns of delicate china. You’d want to make sure what you bought this time would please you as much tomorrow as today. YET day by day you are making that home-place over. “We do need some new curtains.” “Hadn’t we better get some butter-knives?” The only difference is a gradual instead of a wholesale affording. And by knowing the advertisements you know the future of what you buy. You know bv name, for instance, the curtains that won’t sag or fade. ALT. the wisdom that your windows, your electric washer and ironer, the wind, sun, rain would write out for you slowly about those curtains, season by season—you get in one swift reading of the curtain advertisements. Experience usually deals with the past. With advertisements, it deals with the future! You buy the now and the will-be when you buy advertised wares. READ the advertisements to know what is advertised—what is certain to satisfy you. A daily reading of the advertisements prepares you for happy, safe choices first times as well as second times —every time you buy. Decatur Daily Democrat

CORN HUSKING MEET PLANNED The big farm sporting event of the year, the Indiana State Corn Husking contest, will be held during the week of October 29. The farm selected for the event is that of Frank B. Adney, one mile northeast of Lebanon In Boone county, easily accessible from all parts of the state. The contest is sponsored by the Prairie Farmer and prizes of SIOO, SSO. $25, sls, and $lO will be given to winners in the meet. The ten county contest winners with the best records will compete in the state contest for the championship of Indiana and the privilege of competing in the national contest in Benton county the week following the state contest. At that time the championship of the corn belt will be decided with state winners from Indiana, Illinois, lowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota and the Dakotas competing. Local arrangements for the state contest wi.l be in charge of A. W. Porter, secretary of the Boone county farm bureau. Local organizations of Boone county are co-operating with Prairie Farmer in planning arrangements for the contest, which will be witnessed by 10,000 to 15,000 Hoosiers. Chas. Budd, of Jasper county, won last year’s state contest at Frankfort by husking 23.06 bushels in one hour and twenty minutes. He actually husked 3.2 bushels more, but this was deducted from his total load on account of corn left In field and husks ' left on ears. He husked at the rate ot 38.2 ears per minute. , The world's record is 35.8 bushels made by Elmer Williams of Starke county. 111. This record was made in | the national contest in 1925. i ° TOCSIN NEWS » Franklin, oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Garth Woodward, is ill with scar- ’ let fever. This is the third child in the r home who has had the fever this fall. 1 Mr. and Mrs. George Myers and son, 1 Gene were dinner guests Sunday of ' the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. 3 Sloan Myers of Monmouth. r Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Lindeman and daughters Florence and Betty, Mr. and Mrs. Wm Lindeman and daughters ’ Jacquelyn and Aneita May, of Tocsin, 8 Mr. and Mrs. Dora Myers and son Billy of Echo, and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Lin- ' deman and baby and Miss Ruth Linde9 man, cf Fort Wayne, motored to Auf burn, ISunday morning, where they were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence b Strong. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Werling enter r tallied for dinner, Wednesday. Mrs. Walter Hans, of Jefferson, Ohio, and Mrs. Sarah Frye, of Ossian Mr. and ' Mrs. Merlin Gresly and family visited |

with relatives in Monroeville, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Wasson and Miss Opal Wasson, of Fort Wayne, spent Sunday with relatives in Tocsin. Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey Miller, of Bluffton, were supper guests Thursday evening of .Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Miller. Mrs. Freeman Huey and daughters Margaret and Mary Catherine returned to their home in Fort Recovery, Ohio, Sunday evening, after spending the past week with Mr. and Mrs. Harry Byrd. Harry, oldest son cf Mr. and Mrs. Otto Johnson, I; reported suffering with typhoid fever. Mr. and Mis. Hansel Kreigh entertained for dinner, Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Skyles and family, ot west of Decatur. Mr. and Mrs. (’. E. Potter entertained for dinner. Sunday, Mr. anil Mrs. Alvla Potter and family. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gallimore were guests in the evening. Milton W'ible and Claude Kreigh attended K of P. Grand lodge at Indianapolis, last week. Mr. and Mrs. John Essner entertained for dinner, Thursday, Mesdames Lehr Dawson and children Lorene McCague, Chas. Ellison, Mary Shoe, Well Scott and Mrs. (’. A. Scott and daughter Deloras of Chicago. Mrs. Margaret Garton entertained for dinner, Sunday. Dr. and Mrs. Harry Gai ton and children Betty and Dick and Miss Nina Garton, of Fort Wayne Mr. and Mrs. Haldy Garton and family of Fort Wayne were guests in the afternoon. Mr. ami Mrs. T. M. Hall were very pleasantly surprised Sunday when several relatives gathered at their home with well filled baskets to bid them farewell as they expect to leave soon for Fort Wayne to spend the winter. Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hall and daughter Betty and Mr. and Mrs. Wendall Wasson of Fort Wayne; Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Barger and son Wayne, of near Magley; Mr. and Mrs. Leo Wasson and family, of near Craigville; Mr. and Mrs. Miles Stoneburner and daughter Wanda May, Mr. and Mrs. Paris Jones and family and Mr. and Mrs. Will Plummer and family. Oliver Hall was a guest in the afternoon. Mrs. C. A. Scctt and daughter Deloras returned to their home in Chicago, Sunday afternoon visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Will Scott the past few weeks. Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Sowards entertained a couple of days last week, Mrs. Walter Hans, of Jefferson, Ohio, and Mrs. Sarah Frye, cf Ossian. Mr. and Mrs. Lester Yager and family were guests, Sunday, of the latter’s parents. Mr. ami Mrs. George Millholand, near Bluffton. Mr. and Mrs. Millholland expect to leave soon for California to spend the winter. CHICHESTERS-PILLS W THE DIAMOND BRAND. . .TXA i**dle«! A«k yoar Drur«l«t /\ i rJXA €Jhl-*hea-ter« Diamond/A\ Brwnd Pill* in Red and tioJdkO) boxes, sealed with BlueXV/ Take no other. Hay V J*/ — your IPru<jrlHt- Ask for I L UT CHI .COEM - TERM DIAMOND \ n BRA ND I*l LLN, fur 40 years known as Best, Saf«st, Reliable Bay Now t r SOLD hr DRUCOISTS