Newspaper Page Text
PAGE TWELVE
Why Are the Jacksonville, Florida, Papers So
Afraid of the Priests and Foot-Kissers?
Editor the Jeffersonian:
E have no free press in Jack
sonville, so I must appeal to
you for space to answer the
enclosed tirade against the
W
forces and the cause which
set back four bold candidates for ap
proval of the people in the Roman
izing of America. lam ashamed of
the Times-Union and all American
papers so ignorant, so weak-kneed
and so biased of view, to say noth
ing of patriotism and democracy.
The Times-Union and the Metropolis,
two well subsidized daily papers
generously tolerated in their un
patriotism by the people of Florida,
have yards of space to use in post
ing SI,OOO bets as to which one
had or has not the most advertising
or largest circulation ip the city apd
the State. They have no space that
I can depend on at any time to give
the other side of these questions
they spout on editorially, monopoliz
ing the floor and the attention of the
reader. I personally know they
would either not dare or not care to
print what I send herewith in reply
to the enclosed un-American edito
rial. The reason is that newspapers
nowadays are gagged by their ad
vertising interests and fear of boy'
cott; by their political affiliations
and deals and fear of landing some
where else than on the band wagon
of the winner, in politics; and by
their COWARDICE of that which
appears to come “from the dark” as
the Times-Union puts it. If afraid
of things “from the dark,” don’t
worry about good American ballots
—look out for those who seek to
make America something else than
American! The press of Jackson
ville, like that of the country at
large, is being run for money only—
and all principles whatsoever must be
silent in this iron game when money
is up. The Times Unibn moaned the
other day that only in a German
prison camp could a real good, true,
clean newspaper be free to speak its
honest convictions! No wonder this
editor is a misfit in free America!
I contend that the press itself is to
blame and could and should de
clare its independence of the forces
which have destroyed its freedom.
Th re is one news paper here —The
State—which alone is justified in
holding aloof because of its tender
existence—and it is the boldest and
most fearless of all the papers in
Jacksonville.
The Times-Union says: “The ad
mitted purpose of the Guardians of
Liberty is to make war on the Ro
man Catholic church in America.”
Taken by itself, this statement, would
be a willful lie; but we know the
editor had no intention of lying about
it—he is merely rash and ignorant
in the matter. How could he be
otherwise —he is too blind and too
timid to he a Guardian of Liberty,
and no Guardian is going to make
him a present of information that
concerns the private plans of this
new American fraternity. No mem
ber of the order is authorized to di
vulge these plans, which, though pat
riotic, pure, just, humane, merciful,
pious and enlightened, are neverthe
less not public property, for good
and sufficient reasons.
‘To make war” —does the editor
really know what WAR really is?
The writer does, having served
through one war. Why cry “war”
just now? Is it not already too close
for one or two timid editors? But
say: if the attitude of the Guardians
of Liberty constitutes “making
wa r ” then America has never been
at peace—we have been at war with
Rornr and the Church of Rome from
the day we achieved our supposed
ind 'urndenoe from the Mother coun
try. For there is no use to repeat
the proofs we have that Rome and
the Vatican and their Ramifications
have boldly declared their purpose to
“Make America Catholc” —Roman
Catholic of couise —and the case
THE JEFFERSONIAN
against the Roman Catholic clans in
America as invaders of politics with
their clansmanship is too well estab
lished to admit of further argument.
The Times-Union evidently labors
under the delusion that whatever
Rome or the Vatican may try to dic
tate with respect to America and
American politics, must be swallowed
without a word of remonstrance,
much less without a masterful re
buke to the insolent interference
with the will of a fre people.
To summarily cast a vote at the
polls in any American election, ex
cluding from office all who exhibit
a taint of Romanism in their poli
tics, is no act of war—it does how
ever indicate a lack of confidence in
candidates whose allegiance must be’
thereby divided between duty to the
American Republic and the mandates
of «a foreign ecclesiastical power sub
sisting on the religion of pious and
faithful people, while thus abusing
that religion. We deny votes of con
fidence to this or that political party
for much less reason —why should
we be criticised for using the ballot
to keep our public offices unspotted
from Roman clansmanship? To de
ny a man office is not to war upon
him —even if defeated for office his
rights will be sacred under a coun
try capable of thus protecting its in
tegrity, and if any man is so zeal
ous in a mediaeval conception of re
ligion as to forswear his American
independence and birthright that he
may follow the lead of the Vatican
in all things, why, that man is not
fit for office in America, becamse he
is not FREE and would not accept
freedom; but the Times-Union and
all the world knows that such a ser
vile zealot as we have just described
will be safer in America; have a
larger measure of respect for his re
ligious faith, and a greater oppor
tunity in all well doing, than in any
other land or under any other flag on
earth! He will find friends of other
religious faiths; he will find work,
and enlightenment, and charity, and
plenty, and good will—and all these
things his without grudge, so long
as he keeps his clannish dogmas out
of politics and refrains from “trying
to make America Catholic;” but just
here we stop, and so must the papal
clansman—he is unfit to entrust with
office here while in such a frame of
mind and attitude toward American
freedom and institutions. Our one
and our inalineable remedy is the
secret ballot —and we have chosen to
use it, and will use more freely
and with more discrimination in fu
ture!
The battle of ballots, since you
wiH have nothing but “war,” is
on—we are going to clean up Ameri
can politics a bit, and Guardians of
Liberty is to all true Americans a
more beautiful term than Knights of
Columbus even, or Hibernians, or
any other foreign designation, pretty
though these undoubtedly are; if the
latter may be advertised ad libitum,
we insist that we have not been
guilty of blasphmy if it leaks out
that a society known as Guardians
of Liberty, did such good educational
work that four Roman Catholic
clansmen, who this fall aspired to
carry their plan into American poli
tics while we elected them to office,
have been rejected at the polls be
cause we have no confidence in their
ability to leave their dogmas behind
—we can get other officers unspotted
with foreign allegiances whatsoever.
Don’t worry, people—the defeated
will have the benefit of a better rule
With personal safeguards than we
would have had, had the election
gone the other way—that’s why we
did it. No inhibitions were even
implied on friendships or even mar
riages with Catholics by this elec
tion. We merely selected men we
knew were absolutely free from all
family influences partizen to the
Vatican and its aims in America to
absorb this free government and
territory. We shall continue to do
this for a while- —even in Florida —
just watch! If you think that any
of these old American demonstra
tions against all invasion from with
out “DIED THE DEATH,” I can cor
rect you by saying that they merely
cleared up the doubtful atmosphere,
and after America felt secure that
freedom still reigns here, they went
to sleep—and have been awakning
frequently and making themselves
felt, in response to repeated aggres
sion from the Vatican to extend its
domain. If you think that Ameri
cans dare not meet this issue openly
in political campaign, again you are
fooled—Guardians of Liberty will
not perish from fright at being seen
and known, but they do choose to
deliberate in secret, as for instance,
a jury is by law required to do —■
comes not the vote of a jury also
from the dark?
But we are not here to form
new political parties—we merely in
sist that well qualified AMERICANS
be put forward as candidates, as
party alternatives adjust themselves
by issues. The issue which produced
Guardians of Liberty is not partisan,
but patriotic. It is not “war,” nor
intolerance, nor persecution, nor ty
ranny, nor aggression, but PAT
RIOTIC DISCRIMINATION, solely
for the public good and the per
petuation of all for which America
has fought, labored and bled, and
will take care of the rights of all
defeated candidates.
ROBIN HOOD,
Fla. Guardian of Liberty.
“Like the elephant’s trunk which
can, with equal ease uproot the oak
and pick up a pin, the priest could
empty the treasure-chest of kings,
and break in two the lean loaf of
tJie serf.” “The House of Hapsburg”
in Watson’s Magazine for December.
The Roman Catholic Hierarchy
BJMCMmiWiI l< mi mu Ill'll B ||l| II
A book which is the result of years of
By Thos. E. Watson
Contains historical data showing the evolution of the
Papacy, and its adoption of Pagan ceremonies and rites.
It cites Roman Catholic theological authorities, whose
instructions to priests as to questions to be asked women
caused Mr. Watson to be indicted.
Richly illustrated Third Edition
PRICE, SI.OO
The Jeffersonian Publishing Company
Thomsonj - Georgia
I The Story of France I
I® KN TWO VOLUMES : j
REVISED EDITION : I
.By THOS. E WATSON ' I
In the preparation of this work, the auther exhausted
all the known sources of information, and no work on
the subject has superseded his.
IT IS STANDARD, AND WILL REMAIN SO. I
- |
The Jeffersonian Publishing Company |
Thomson, - Georgia
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE
SHERIFF Ob 1 FULTON CO.
Dear Sir: The purpose of this
letter is to call to your attention tho
fact: That in the person of Leo M.
Frank you have in your custody
one of the most daring and resource
ful criminals with whom the courts
of Georgia have ever been called
upon to deal, and that jail deliveries
have not been unknown in Fulton
County, following one of which,
when the absence of the prisoner
was not discovered for more than
24 hours, it was freely told on cue
streets of Atlanta how manv thous
and dollars the escape had cost.
Leo M. Frank would rather gain
freedom by legal procedure and to
that .end has employed the most
eminent attorneys and has drawn in
everybody from poor broken down
ministers to the street girls of the
city: everything has been done that
the most diabolical ingenuity could
suggest.
More than one fair reputation has
been blackened and the end is not
yet, for failing to carry his point in
the courts, I doubt not that just as
determined efforts will be made at
our None-Too-Impregnable Tower.
Mr. Sheriff, the eyes of the people,
not only of Fulton County, but of
Georgia are on you, and they will
require at your hands the body of
this convicted felon.> Look well then
to your wards and warders for they
will not hold you guiltless if you
suffer Leo M. Frank to escape.
Yours truly,
Atlanta, Ga. R. O. YOUNG.
Read Foreign Missions Exposed,
by Thos. E. Watson. Beautifully
printed. Profusely illustrated. Price
30 cents. The Jeffs, Thomson, Ga.