Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-11-09
CORRESPONDENCE
For the Independent.
LETTER TO YOU, MY FRIEND.

LEI lex ~ fUU, MI FRIEND.
The unwilling the Bruno Monu-
ment in the city Of Rome, on June
9th, in honor Of Giordano Bruno,
whom the Inquisition had burned in
1900, and now during the great Ex-
position of France, the Caligny mon
ument, in honor of the hero martyr
of the French Reformation, reveal
inc the great Hugernaut in bold re-
lief in white marble, reminding the
world of the chief of brave and 10y
al legion, tell us truly that the ''world
do move" Rome has kindled her
last faggots in Italy or France TO
consume heretical protestants. To
the horror of Leo XIII, Italy and
France are honoring the martyred
heroes, whom Roman Catholicism
consumed as unworthy to live, be-
cause they were identified with the
Reformation that has blessedly rev.
olutionized the civilized world.
*.* *s*
What shall be done for the Luthe-
rams in Russia !? By the autocrat of
that country they are bound to mac
tive church life. ''Ttey are prevent
ed from any public occasions, such
as missionary festivals or meetings
of any kind in the open air. They
cannot attract any converts to their
faith.n Such as left the Lutheran
church under the pressure of force
and allurements in fair promises,
who now desire to return to their
faith, are threatened with imprison-
ment and the loss of civil rights. !"
With this provocation they are APP
pealing to the Church of the Father
land. Shall this occasion war :? Is
it not an occasion sufficient for the
Evangelical Alliance to speak thro'
the powers of Germany, England and
the United States, to Russian au-
thority, demanding the freedom of
worship of those Lutherans of the
Baltic Provinces 5? Did the Empe-
ror William, in royalty kissing the
Gear, whisper in his ear favoring
their freedom of worship? If not,
why not?
~ Xxx ~
1t is very inspiring to the loyal
citizens of this republic that, suppli-
menting the institution of our public
school system, which provides so am
ply for the common education of the
youth, with higher schools of learn
ing, such as colleges and universities,
not to oppose the work of the public
schools, but to add to and thus per-
feet the system, as the protestant
idea is being worked out throughout
the land. Aiming ever to make more
perfect our educational system, teach
ing the religion in the colleges that
is not narrowly UNCONVENTIONAL but
broadly biblical and Christian, hav-
ing no spirit of antagonism in cold
criticism for the public schools as
Roman Catholicism does but offer
ing even an enrolling association of
the higher and better and more per-
feet in the colleges and universities
with the public and common scho E
This rife educational spirit so COM
mandatory must not, and we think
cannot, be curtailed by the narrow
UNCONVENTIONAL bigotry of Rome.
We have gotten away from medieval
gloom. The sun light of an open BIZ.
BILE revealing individual responsible
ty and independence, will not favor
our return to the letters and impri
soned civil and religious life of the
dark past. Nay, nay We are con-
tinuing our flight from the persecu-
tons of Rome's religious bigotry, to
the businesses of the mountain of re-
ligious light and knowledge and pu-
rity and freedom. God speed US to
security and prevent the generations
to come from being entangled by the
parochial schools of the Roman Cath
olic Church in the meshes of media-
valism. Let protestants then keep
their children in the public schools,
or under distinctly protestant teach
ing influences, and remember that
Rome, like the Pharisees in the days
of Christ, will compass sea and land
to make one proselyte. Her fingers
are toward all points of the compass,
and Jesuitism has patience to wait
century to secure one of your pos
terity.
~ *** ~
The Court of Appeals of the State
of New York decides that drug-stores
must be registered as provided by
statute. A druggist appealed, hold
ing the act unconstitutional. The
affirming Judgment by the Court has
a sentence which every believer in
prohibition should commit to memo
4 n