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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
JUNE 27, 1942
SIX-A
High Court Decision Focuses
’Attention on Freedom of Religion
The Mass Goes On—in Blitzed London
By ELMER MURPHY
WASHINGTON—While a large
part of the world is concerning
itself with the maintenance of
freedom, the United States Su
preme Court has found occasion
to turn the judical spotlight on
one of the fundamentals of that
fredom—the freedom of religious
worship.
The question arose out of the at
tempt of local authorities to levy
a license tax upon the sale of
certain printed matter. Specific
ally, these license taxes were aim
ed at certain members of the re
ligious group known as Jehovah’s
Witnesses who went from house
to house offering pamphlets and
books for sale. * •
The court, by a 5-4 decision, held
that the license tax was not un
constitutional.
IMPORTANCE OF BRITISH-
RUSSIAN PACT CITED
The agreement between Great
Britain and Russia, in which, it
may be said the United States
concurs, although its approval is
not formally documented, is re
garded in Washington as a diplo
matic act of the highest impor
tance. It solidifies the United Na
tions in singleness of purpose—
the crushing of the aggressor na
tions—and marks another signi
ficant step tovrard the establish
ment of a just and enduring peace.
Attention is directed especially
to Article V of the British-Russian
agreement:
“The high contracting parties,
having regard to the interests of
security of each of them, agree
to work together in close and
friendly collaboration after re
establishment of peace for the or
ganization of security and eco
nomic prosperity in Europe.
The issue was not religious free
dom but whether, under the given
circumstances, the constitutional
right of religious freedom was
impaired. The majority of the
court held that “the proponents
of ideas cannot determine entire
ly for themselves the time and
place and manner for the diffusion
of knowledge or for their evange
lism, any more than the civil au
thorities may hamper or suppress
the public dissemination of facts
and principles by the people.”
To cite an extreme example, a
man who regards himself as a
minister cannot force his way into
a person’s house claiming that he
is only exercising the right of re
ligious freedom protected by the
Constitution.
The minority opinion held that
the license taxes were aimed at
'suppression of evangelizing activi
ties and, as such, were unconstitu
tional. They contended, in other
words that “freedom of press and
religion, explicitly guaranteed by
the Constitution” should be en
titled to freedom from burdensome
taxation.
In brief, the majority held that
the license taxes in question were
proper and constitutional. The
minority held that they were im
proper and curtailed religious free
dom. Justice Murphy, who sided
with the minority, rendered an in
dividual opinion in which he said:
“Under the foregoing discussion
of freedom of speech and
freedom of the press any person
would be exempt from taxation
upon the act of distributing in
formation or opinion of any kind,
whether political, scientific or re
ligious in character, when done
solely in an effort to spread know
ledge and ideas, with no thought
of commercial gain. But there is
another and perhaps more precious
reason why these ordinances can
not constitutionally apply to peti
tioners.
Important as free speech and a
free press are to a free government
and a free citizenry, there is a right
even more dear to many indivi
duals—the right to worship their
Maker according to their needs
and the dictates of their souls and
to carry their message or their
gospel to every living creature.”
It may be observed that Justice
Murphy is a member of the faith
conspicuously subjected to attack
by some members of the religious
group whose right he voted to
uphold. . . .
La Societe 40 and 8, of the American Legion, in Augusta, has tak
en up the nation-wide movement of other 40 and 8 organizations in
rounding up new on used decks of playing cards to be sent to Ameri
can soldiers, sailors and marines. The barrel in which Augustans
are asked to deposit cards or money to purchase cards, is pictured
above between Bert Streeter and Myron Cole, two active members of
Voiture No. 719 in Augsuta. Mr. Cole, a member of the Sacred Heart
Parish, has just been elected commander of the Louis L. Battey Post
of the American Legion.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES, ST. BENEDICT’S, GREENSBORO,
N. C.: Pictured above are the graduates of St. Benedict’s School,
Greensboro. N. C.. with their escorts, as they sang the concluding
chorus of the commencement program. Diplomas were awarded
Thomas G. Berry, Julia F. Bynum, Jane George, Harold Groh, Kath
erine KeHeher. John Maguire, Glenn C. Merritt, John J. Mitchell,
Mary Murphy, Ruby O’Connor, Marie Patton, Ernest Showfety, Fran
cis Vanlandingham and Louise Walker, by the Rev. Hugh Dolan,
pastor of St. Benedict’s Church. The Rev. J. Lennox Federal, rector
of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, delivered the address to the
graduates. Miss Katherine KeHeher was first honor graduate, and a
special award was made Glenn Merritt for being an honor student
throughout the eight years he attended St. Benedict’s. Julia Bynum
and Harold Groh also received award as honor students, and Thomas
Berry and Francis Vanlandingham, violinists, received special *w*pda
for excellence in music.
“They will take into account
the interests of the United Nations
in these objects and they will act
in aeordance with the two prin
ciples of not seeking territorial
aggrandizement for themselves
and of non-interference in the in
ternal affairs of other States.”
To this Foreign Secretary Eden
added: “The problems of peace,
of course, are not for Europe alone
and I hope with sure confidence
that the good work our two coun
tries have accomplished will be
welcomed by the President and
people of the United States and
will enable our three countries to
work together in the years of peace
as now is the hard times of war.”
as now in the hard times of war.”
It is being recalled in Washing
ton that for months before the
conclusion of the agreement be
tween Great Britain and Soviet
Russia there was a very definite
fear that Russia would insist upon
the annexation of the Baltic States
and part of Poland as a considera
tion for her continuance in the
war against Germany. It is note
worthy that the agreement does
not support this fear. As a matter
of fact, it seems to indicate the
opposite.
_ At least one prominent com
mentator on the Capital scene.
Raymond Clapper, has stated flat
ly that, last December, “Stalin in
sisted that Great Britain sign a
treaty with him guaranteeing that
out of the war Russia would get
the three Baltic States part of
Finland, part of Poland, Bukovina
and Bessarabia.” This same com
mentator added that “Britain was
hard-pressed in the Far East”; that
“it was necessary to hold Russia
in the war at all costs”; that “the
British Cabinet was inclined to
agree to Stalin's proposal”; that
“Churchill didn’t like it but was
in the minority and caved re
luctantly.”
Mr. Clapper states that “Presi
dent Roosevelt was flatly oppos
ed.” and he gives our Chief Ex
ecutive credit for scotching the
idea. He says the President
“threw all his Dutch stubbornness
into this struggle,” and that as a
result of the President’s “insis
tence” the project “was dropped.”
As has been observed “to have ac
quiesced in the proposal would
have been to tear up the Atlantic
Charter it was six months old.”
JAMES H. HOTTENROTH,
named number one cadet in this
year’s graduating class at the
United States Military Academy at
West Point, is a product of Catho
lic schools. In being named
number one man in the class of
374 men Cadet Hottenroth attain
ed the same honor that an illus
trious American, Gen. Douglas
MacArthur, attained years ago, in
the class of 1903.
New York Veterans
Honor Memory of
Father Duffy
Representatives of the American
Legion, the Sons of the American
Legion and the Jewish War Vet
erans joined with the Father
Duffy Post of the Catholic War
Veterans in a memorial service for
.the late Father Francis P. Duffy,
chaplain of New York’s “Fighting
Sixty-Ninth” regiment.
The service was held before the
statue of Father Duffy at Broad
way and 47th Street, and the in
vocation and blessing were de
livered by the Rev. John B. Kelly,
chaplain of Father Duffy Post,
C. W. V.
Father Kelly was one of Father
Duffy’s most intimate friends and
on several occasions visited Au
gusta with the famous World War
Mass is celebrated in a bombed church in London. Damaged by bombs in the same fire blitz that gut-
,ted the edifice a year ago last April, the parishoners plan to restore the church. Roofless chapels are>
not an uncommon sight in London. (NC-Wide World photo.)
Collecting Cards for Soldiers
JOHN G. BUTLER CO.
LUMBER & MILL WORK
BUILDING SUPPLIES
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