Newspaper Page Text
Why Did William J. Bryan Refuse to Publish
the Fads About Bible Burning in
the Philippines?
EAR Sir: I read the Jeffer
sonian regularly and find it
interesting and instructive. I
have not endorsed all your ut-
0
terances and methods, but in
some things, I am in sympahty with
you. You are an independent think
er, yourself, and, I assume you will
allow another the same privilege. In
the matter of ability and honesty and
the courage of your convictions, you
stand high, in my opinion, among our
public men, in political life. I hear
tily agree with you, that the aims and
methods of that political-religious in
stitution, known as the Roman Cahto
lic church are fraught with danger to
our free institutions, r think, too,
the point of danger, just now, lies
in the pliancy of nominal protestants
in official place, who, for purchasable
Romanish votes, will imperil the
great American principle of separa
tion of church and state. You have
so bravely ana ably championed this
principle, that I fell impelled to make
a request based upon a statement.
The statement is this: 1 mailed the
Commoner a clipping from Chris
tian Herald, N. Y., telling of a Bible
burning in the Philipines, by direc
tion of a Romish Bishop, accompani
ed with reflections of my own, on the
proceeding. I asked publication and
added “if you will not publish, I send
Stamps for return.’’ The enclosed
from the Commoner shows the com
munication was received and reject
ed. The clipping was not published,
you will see why. The communica
tion ’was not returned. Possibly he
thought I asked return of the clip
ping. What I wanted was return of
the communication. I send you com
munication and clipping. Suspecting
he might not publish the communica
tion I took very conspicuous notes,
and I am confident what I am send
ing herein is almost verbatim lit
eratim what I sent the Commoner.
I asked him to publish the communi
cation. It had not occured to me he
would understand me otherwise. You
may publish communication I sent
him, if you wish. But, whether you
do, or not, please give an epitome of
it, with comments of your own.
Now I rate Mr. Bryan higher than
you do. In many things, I have ad
mired him. But, in this case, it
seems the Commoner is, at least/
pandering to an influence fraught
with peril to our institutions. Os
course, Mr. Bryan is not in The Com
moner office now. But he is owner
and is supposed to be in control. I
send you also and ad intorim report
made to the Southern Presbyterian
General Assembly of 1912. Os
course, you have studied this Romish
question deeply, but it may interest
you to know there are others who see
a peril in it. Truly,
B. O. BAKER.
; Copy.
Dear Commoner: March has
passed and my Commoner for that
month has not come. Please send
it along. I have been subscriber from
its first publication and do not like
to miss an issue. It has done a
great work for high-toned journalism
and clean politics. Has, also, things
of interest to farmers, gardeners and
housekeepers.
I enclose article clipped from Chris
tian Herald, N. Y. It discloses
a matter of serious portent. Lib
erty, civil and religious, is the Ameri
can birthright. Religious toleration
is incorporated in the warp and woof
of our constitutional government.
But this Bible-burning performance
smacks of the rankest intolerance: It
seems to betray the survival of the
spirit that mars the historic record
with the horrors of the “Inquisition 1 *
whose unholy deeds smell rank .to
heaven. It carries a suggestion that
these Bible-burners are restrained
from being burners, only by fear that
it would not be safe, yet; and look
wistfully for the time when it will
be.
THE JEFFERSONIAN
Our great newspapers are making
strenuous endeavors to gather news;
and often, if the news is startling,
they embellish the same under flar
ing headlines. Certainly, this Philli
pine performance is startling enough.
But I have seen no notice of it ex
cept in the Herald and one other pa
per. Can it be that our leading pa
pers are so enamored of purchasable
votes that their tongues are tied, to
the extent of keeping the public in
the dark, on matters so full of ill
omen to the foundation principles of
our government? It is not said they
got the Bibles for their bonfire by
violence. The time is not ripe for
that, yet. But it is the spirit betray
ed by the proceeding, that calls for
strictures from lovers of our insti
tutions. Did the Commoner see an
account of it? Will not our Common
er that has heretofore made a record
as a faithful sentinel on the watch
tower of liberty, sound the alarm,
now?
While on this subject, have you
seen the oath said to oe taken by the
“Knights of Columbus?”
Is it not horrible, if true? Other
religionists are not making war on
their rights, as long as a church con
fines its activities to the proper
sphere of a church, the State should
not interfere. One may be Protest
ant, Romanist, Jew or Infidel, and
be a good citizen. But when any
church transcends the line that sep
arates the eclesiastical and civil juris
dictions, its action becomes political,
and being in sharp antagonism to our
institutions, invites and merits pa
triotic protest. And pliant officials
who, for office or pelf, “crook the
pregnant hinges of the knee, that
thrift may follow fawning,” merit
the rebuke of a liberty-loving people.
This a real peril to our institutions.
In President Cleveland’s administra
tion, a government vessel was dis
patched to escort an official of that
semi-political church from the of
fing into the country. It was widely
believed President Taft, when Gov
ernor of the Philipines, toadied to the
same church. But “Mother Church”
had enough worldly wisdom to see
the handwriting on the wall, that pro
claimer Mr. Taft a “dead duck,” and
no consideration for past servility,
sufficed to insure the solid- support
of the semi-oplitical church; and Mr.
Taft failed to get a second term. Alas,
the issues are so many, that we are
sometimes driven to take a candidate
who does not suit on some issues be
cause he suits on others.
There have been ominous rum
blings of discontent because of what
seems a tendancy, now to truckle to
the insolent demands of that semi
political institution.
But there is some awakening
among those who believe in “equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none.” Near the close of the Flori
da Chautauqua session, we had Ma
sonic Day. One of the speakers,
while disclaiming a wish to inflame
religious animosity, inveighed against
the oath said to be taken by the
Knights of Columbus, and elicited
hearty applause. It is time there
should be an awakening. Give to all
full freedom in religion, but let no
church dominate the government to
the detriment of the others. History
speaks on this point with a distinct
ly warning voice. Jefferson said
“the price of liberty is eternal vigil
ance.”
R. O. BAKER.
The following is the Commoner’s
refusal to publish:
THE COMMONER
Lincoln, Nebraska.
William J. Bryan, Editor and Pro
prietor.
Charles W. Bryan, Associate Edi
tor and Publisher.
Lincoln, Neb., April 4, 1914.
Mr. R. Q. Baker,
DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
Dear Sir: Your favor ot the Ist
instant at hand. We have examined
our subscription list and find that
your name and address are properly
entered. We are sending you under
separate cover another copy of the
March number, and request that you
please let us know if you fail to re
ceive the Commoner regularly so that
we can make further investigation
We thank you for your kind words
in referecne to the Commoner and for
the interest you manifest in sending
the enclosed clipping, but as the
clipping is not available for our
columns, we herewith return it as
requested.
Yours very truly,
The Commoner, A. E. C.
Baptists End Meeting
in Nashville
Pass Resolutions Protesting
Against So-Called ‘’Cath
olic Hierarchy.”
ESOLUTIONS vigorously “pro
testing the efforts of the Ro
man Catholic hierarchy to
gain control of our govern-
r
ment and thereby be in a po
sition to fasten either its faith or its
fallacies upon the conscience of a
free and sovereign people,” and
“deeply deploring the presence of a
papal legate as a representative of
the Vatican at our national capital
for the purpose of influencing gov
ernmental affairs,” were passed
amid applause by the Southern Bap
tist convention at the closing session,
Monday morning, at the Ryman audi
torium.
The resolutions, which -were in
troduced by Rev. J. W. Porter, a
prominent minister of Louisville,
further “protests against the sen
tencing of any person by any judge
to serve in any religious institution,”
and “earnestly protested against the
presence of our national representa
tives in their official capacity at
ecclesiastical functions and the mani
fest disposition on the part of some
of our politicians to show preference
to so-called church dignitaries.”
The resolutions were debated, pro
and con, by delegates from all sec
tions of the South, some questioning
the wisdom of passing such strong
resolutions, but when the final vote
came, not a delegate cast his vote
against it.
Concerning the so-called “sentenc
ing of persons to Catholic institu
tions,” Dr. W. L. Pickard, of Geor
gia, declared that it occurred every
day, and he spoke for the resolution
as “putting the almost three mil
lion white Baptists of the South
squarely on record as favoring the
separation of Church and State.”
Concerning Delinquent Girls.
H. F. Vermillion, a delegate from
Las Cruces, N. M., declared that he
had been informed by local people
that the only institution for the care
of delinquent girls in Tennessee is
the Home of the Good Shepherd, a
Catholic institution of Memphis. He
declared that Catholic judges all
over the United States have been in
the habit of offering to quash indict
ments of delinquent girls only in
case they promise to serve terms of
from one to three years in Catholic
convents and schools, where they are
forcibly detained. He was applauded.
Dr. J. B. Gambrell of Texas, one
DORSEY’S SPEECH PUBLISHED
TO THE PUBLIC:
I have just had printed a limited number of copies of the speech of
SOLICITOR-GENERAL HUGH M. DORSEY, in the Frank trial. It is
printed in beautiful pamphlet form and is accompanied bv an exhaustive
index, an analysis of the speech, and a chronological history of the Frank
case. As long as this limited edition lasts I will send a copy of the pamph
let to any address, postpaid, on receipt of 25 cents. Special rate to news
stands or book-stores.
N. CHRISTOPHULOS,
411 Third Street. MACON, GA.
•* ■**—** l *————■————w—■ I | ■l——— I ■ , .Ml,
When writing to advertisers, please mention The Jeffersonian.
or the most popular members of
convention, met objections that
resolutions were too indefinite witJf
the statement that “it shows tM
general attitude of three mllllaig
Southern citizens.”
“It’s a shot at the ship,” he saidL
“and if the ship keeps coming we U
start a battery to working,” was tM
significant addition.
The resolutions were then
amid hearty applause.
Other matters of minor importanaf
occupied the convention, and the S£fl»
sion closed, sine die, at noon.
Last Session Starts.
The convention was led in prayeflj
by Dr. R. G. Bowers of
after President Burrows had called
the convention to order.
The journal of Saturday’s session
was read by Secretary Oliver
Gregory, and approved.
Dr. Lansing Burrows was asked td
again take the office of convention
statistician, and the committed
recommended a permanent office to
be established by the next con ven
tion.
A unique idea was introduced bjj
J. W. Dickens of Jackson, Tenm,
when he presented a resolution to'
the effect that a committee be ap*
pointed to co-operate with othef
Baptist bodies to maintain Baptist
headquarters and an exhibit at the
Panama-Pacific exposition at Sani
Francisco, to “preach the gospel to
the incoming multitudes at the fair.”
Joshua Levering of
Md., objected, because of the expense
of keeping a large force of men dup
ing the eight months of the exposi
tion, and moved it be referred to
the three secretaries of the three
convention boards.
Other delegates objected because
San Francisco is in the territory of
the Northern Baptist convention,
and friction might be caused.
Plan Joint Exhibit.
Dr. D. B. Ray, foreign secretary
of th© foreign mission board, of
Richmond, explained that the matter
has already been threshed out by
the boards of all American churches,
(Continued on Page Twelve.)
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PAGE THREE
