Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-02-28
"PrOtestants are Freemen, Their Con-
sciences in Their Own, Not in
Their Minister'S Keeping"
The Presbyterian Minister Never
Took any Part or COuntenanced
Church Lotteries.
Mrs. Wilson Assumes All Responsi.
bility for the Recent Presby-
terrain "Prize Drawing"
Rev. Anderson's Reply.

EDITOR TRIBUNE: In the report in this
mornings paper of Father Mayors ser.
mon on lotteries, l find the following:
Sand yet the Presbyterian minister has
the audacity to tell his audience in his
church that he never TOLERATED any yot-
ing or prize-drawing at HIS fairs" (The
small caps are mine.) With respect to this
the Presbyterian minister aforesaid has to
say that he never used any such language.
| That is language which is natural enough
for a priestly aItocrat of the Roman Cath
Ole church to use, but 1t would not grace
the lips of a Protestant pastor, who is the
minister, i. e., the servant, not the lord of
his people. 1t was said in your report of
the recent Catholic fair that Father Mayer
drew three prizes in the lottery there held.
That l suppose was HIS fair. The Presby-
terrain minister holds no fairs and never
held one. And when his people choose to
have one, he does not assume the role of
dictator so as to tolerate" or forbid any
thing whatever. PrOteStants are freemen.
Their cOnscienceS are in their own keep
ing, not in the keeping of their minister.
What the Presbyterian minister did say,
according to his own recollection, was to
the effect that he had never taken any part
of, any lottery scheme in connection with
auy church that he had ever served. And
that was strictly in accordance with the
truth.
But the preacher goes on to say in your
report of his sermon: "But the worst part
of the matter IS that the minister has de-
nounced this as an immoral means of max
ing money, and yet he has had the un-
scrupulousness to pocket the money real
lied from his voting business. Where
does logic remain and where conscience ?"
This is in perfect keeping with the genius
of Roman Catholic fairs-the priests fairs.
AS fairs and lotteries of the priests, gotten
shouldn't the proceeds find their way into
the priests pockets? The father evidently
takes this as a matter of course. He has
been so accustomed to this order Of things
that it seems never to have occurred to
his mind that it was in any wise necessary
was done with the money raised at the fair
in question. Observe he does not say in
this case that che was told' even. but
states it as Of his W personal knowledge
that the minister "had the INSCRIPTIONS
ness to pocket the money realized from
his voting business" Now the minister, in
reply, has this to say, viz: Not one dollar
Va uAAlSo AoAASJ WV ' oSo1l NY hlIAs 1U
all went to pay debts that were contracted
long before he became pastor of the church
and with the contraction OF which he
never in any way had anything to do.
Moreover, as far as the motive of selfish
ness or s%elf-interest (nere suggested) is
concerned, said minister has this further
to say, namely: That he has given and
obligated himself to give to the church
here, OUT of his OWN pocket. more money
than he has received from the church as
salary, or otherwise. Is this a record of
"unscrupulOus" personal and ministerial
greed? Can the Roman Catholic priest at
Bismarck show a better record?
Why should one occupying the position
of a minister Of religion not be ashamed
thus to act the part, both in the pulpit and
IN the public prints, of a s%candalous and
%slanderous ~falsifier of his brethren?
This much in reply to an utterly un-
called for and u~nprOvoked personal attack.
Neither the Catholic church nor its priest
was in any way mentioned in the sermon
in question.
AS to the arguments of the father, in JUS
tifying and uphOlding himself and his
church In their customary practice of lot
teries, there is small need of saying any
thing.
A moral discernment that can see no
moral difference between the act OF the
Apostles in filling the place of Judas, and
any ordinary gambling lottery, is quite be-
You'd the reach of any consideration de-
rived from reason, morals or common sense.
JAMES. NJ. ANDERSON,
Bismarck, Feb. 25.