Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1917 — REV. ROYCE IN NEWSPAPER SCRAP [ARTICLE]

REV. ROYCE IN NEWSPAPER SCRAP

Former Rensselaer Pastor is a Candidate For Delegate at Large to Convention.

Rev. C. D. Royce, former pastor of the Methodist church of this city and now of Rockville, has caused the editors of the Rockville Tribune and the Vermillion County Democrat to get into a pretty lively scrap over him. Mr. Royce is a candidate at large to the constitutional convention, and it seems as if he has been. trampling on ivne toes of tne Vermillion and Parke cotaty wets and the wet organ, the Democrat, has taken offense at some of the articles championing the cause of Rev. Royce appearing in the Tribune. The following article was taken from the Tribune and should prove of interest to the friends of the pastor in this, city: Moot L. Casey, editor of the Vermillion County Democrat, seems to be worrying himself considerably over the welfare of Parke county, and in•tead of confining himself to the business of his domicile, violates the laws of neutrality and takes it upon himself to guide the destinies of his neighbor in the following editorial:

“ While he is using all the available space in the Parke county papers telling what is needed in the state constitution, why don't preacher Clarence D. Royce tell the people what tire constitution has to do with the regular Lord’s vineyard work for which he is paid a good nahry ? There may be church members who help pay. his salary who tihnk differently on the constitution proposition—men who are willing to acknowledge that the constitution which has served a hundred years (!) has made Indiana the best state in the union and should mot be tampered with by a lot of grafters and sentimental preachers who seek to make politics a side line along with religion. Brother Royce rhould look to a continuation X>f his bread earning opportunities. When he builds a constitution that removes sin and temptation preachers won’t be needed. The forced saintliness will obligate such fellows as Mr. Royce to shed their sack cloth and go to work. Brother Royce can have space in the Democrat to tell the dear people what other evils besides liquor he would forbid >y a clause in the constitution.” Mr. Casey for several months has had a lot to say disrespectfully about the ministers of Clinton, and it would seem from his writings, and many of them are couched in libelous phrases, that not only his mind Lt poisoned against men of the cloth but that his pen is dipped into the bitterest gall. He tis not doing unto his neighbor as he would have his neighbor do unco, ‘him, at least this could be the conclusion drawn from our experiences while associated with the Democrat editor in the past. _ , Rev. C. D. Royce, of the Rockville Methodist church, is one of the first men w announce himself a candidate from Parke and Fountain counties to the constitutional convention. As to his taking up space in the Democrat to explain the things he stands for the Tribune sees no necessit” for it. Mr. Royce is not only telling his constituents in a straightforward manner the things he would have written in the new constitution, but can have and will be given space in this paper to make his position known. Not content with the above slanderous editorial, the Democrat printed in its local items the following: “If the Parke county editors continue to give Clarence D. Royce the free use of the papers in diis zeal to climb to the honor of delegate to the constitutional convention, he will destroy his last forlorn hope for the honor. The preached is a little like the fabled parrot, ’he talks too ed m The Tribune would only point the finger of shame at Mr. Casey, and suggest that if it is has intention to fight ministers of the gospel, that he do it in an ethical way 'and not resort to venomous tactics. He is too good a newspaper man to thus abuse his unusual talent.