The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-03-04
SECRET SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
Their Good Works-A Reply to Seth Bottom
ley's Letter on the Subject-He Goes for Hi

Their Good Works-A Reply to Seth Bottom
ley's Letter on the Subject-He Goes for Him
Red Hot.
Editor Representative:
am an ardant admirer Of ''The Rep
resentative" and anticipate Its arrival
with more pleasure than any other news
paper coming to my office and home. And
on account of my interest in its welfare
and the welfare of the political party
which it represents SO nobly, / am con-
strained to offer a criticism upon Our
Forum and more especially upon a certain
letter appearing in the Feb 18th number
fathered by Seth Bottomly." In that let
ter he takes the liberty to abuse in a
wholesale manner the fraternal societies
and the church members. He excluded
none therefore included all; he sets hm-
seif up against the great majority of good
cltlzens OF our state, for most good cltl-
zens are either members of fraternal or
CARNATIONS or church members. He re-
minds me of the eleven jurymeH for he is
TO members of these organizations in pro-
portion to about one to eleven. Why bless
you, II 1t were not for these organizations
we would be a nation Of cut throats; it
would not be safe for any person to 60
upon the streets at night. l never could
quite see the point of such criticism. A
family should first learn to take care Of
each other. Then extend to such mutual
help to neighbor or to two neighbors and
thus by arithmatical progression, until the
whole OF the human family Is brought In
to the ties of friendship under the Faith
erhood of God" He says: If it cost them
anything they would have none of it,
What rubbish! No man can join society
either fraternal or the church without cost
to him. The church erects buildings, sup
ports ministers, sends missionaries to far
off lands. and supports them, POUNDS col
leges, builds and supports hospitals,
POUNDS Bethels, seamans homes. Say
nothing about the abuse of embecilic IT,
raiders; they must spare good time and
spoil good space in valuable newspapers
refuting such abuse, and all these not for
themselves only, for not one of the
churches are built with view of accom-
modating its own membership only, for
not % per cent of the sittings in the
churches are used by its own membership.
Away with such trash 1t is nonsense.
Mr.. Bottomly acknowledged in his letter
that he had a runaway and in this we
are agreed. Like most runaways 1t left
the hobby upon which he was riding
smashed to atoms; not only Bottomly but
Bottomless, headless and soulless, freak
and a monstrosity sprawling in the mud
and mire of his own invention.
Next time, Brother Bottomly, you
should grasp the reins of faith" to which
you refer with sneer, and you may be
steered clear of your scarecrow and find
clear sailing along the highway that our
dIedl 1edCLcI has JTOO, ana DE enabled
to see ahead the tracks of a consistent
Christ over the eternal hills into the celes-
tial city beyond
Again suppose all that was contained in
his letter were facts-which is not SOS
it good policy for us as members Of the
Peoples Party, to slap every person in the
face who does not come up to the stand
ard of our Great Teacher. If SO where
would we all be. Such TRADES are repul-
sive to any one and especially to good citl-
zens. It is a mistake, viewed either from
the standpoint Of right or from the stand
point of party policy; and it does affect US
as party more or less because of it's APP
pearance in our official organ, notwith>
standing the fact that the editor is not re-
sponsible for the sentiment expressed in
1.-The Forum" What we need is voting
members. To get them we must MAIN
tain our standing and prove ourselves to
be reformers,-and this does not consist in
abusing and insulting the members of
churches as such, without exception, nor
any other decent organization such as fra
ternal societies. Rather let us extend a
brotherly hand to all classes, and this
does not bar us from critcisng the indi-
vidual acts of any private citizen or pub
lie servant, nor the leaders of any pOliti-
cal party or party policies.
Now Mr. Editor, 1 criticise this letter,
not for personal satisfaction but to correct
a fault, and to save, if possible, the editor
and the readers of 1.-The Representative"
from further insult. To this end would it
not be good idea to use the waste basket
when any person makes an attempt to
abuse in a wholesale manner any decent
organization. Yours truly
Frank L. Young
Duluth, MINI.