The San Francisco call., 1896-03-09
DR.. YORK'S LECTURE.
A Protest Against Grover Cleveland
as Missionary for the West.

DR.. j. L. York entertained a large audience
at Scottish Hall last evening on the subject of
"Gods and Ghosts of Superstition,' with pre-
lude on President Cleveland as missionary
for the wide and woolly West, upon which he
spoke substantially as follows:
You will all remember that on last Sunday
evening we tiled to make il clear to you that
Romanism was not the only church that is in
politics, seeking to infuse itself into the State
and Government of our country; but that vari-
Gus. branches of the Protestant Christian
church, under the various titles OF the National
Reform Association, or e-Constitution
party, Sabbath Observance Union, the Y. NJ. c..
A., the Christian Endeavor and several other
Protestant societies having the avowed pur-
pose to infuse ecclesiastical influence into the
state, and as shown by the protest OF W. 5.
Linton in Congress recently, in q tabulated
statement showing the large amounts OF money
drawn from our Government by Catholics,
Methodists, Picsbyterians, BsptistS and other
Protestant Sects for the support OF sectarlan
schools IN our country.
Last Sunday night our lecture might be
termed the religious cocoanut as being peeled
by Father Iorke, D. Ross and Others in the A.
y. A. contest now raging in THE CALL, to show
that the Roman Christian church is disloyal
to the principles OF our free Government and
popular education.
And TO emphasize our lecture of last Sunday
on the religious conspiracy of the Protestant
sects 10 pull down Romanism with one hand
and substitute the Pro otestant religion with
the other hand we call your attention, in our
prelude this evening, TO the attitude of Presi-
dent Cleveland, in speech before the Home
Missionary Society OF the Presbyterian Church
of New York, on last Tuesday evening, and re-
corded in the San Francisco CALL of last Thurs
day morning; and we wish that all of our au-
ditors would read that pungent editorial In
THE CALL OF Thursday morning. And the at
titude OF President Cleveland, if 1t proves any
thing, goes TO intensity the significance of our
last Sundays lecture and is in fact, the milk
in the religious cocoanut.
And the fact that President Cleveland
should carry the dignity OF this Nation as its
chief executive into a Presbyterian missionary
meeting, and there, the President of this
secular Government, based upon purely sec
ular constitution, stand up and urge the great
importance OF religious instruction. for the
wide and woollv West, shows that, instead of
administering faithfully upon our Federal con-
stitution, he has joined hands with the Pres
byterian propaganda of Protestant religion in
the West TO uplift the vicious criminal ele-
ment," "badly regulated municipalities" +"
corrupt and unsafe Territories and prevent
the developing of undesirable States.h All of
this religious nonsense about country of
which he knows little, having never thrust his
nose west OF the Missouri River, is only another
scrap OF evidence that the man Cleveland is
afflicted with a softenirtg OF the brain or else
an autocrat and traitor TO the constitution OF
our country. and utterly unfit in heart or head
to reflect the principles OF free and loyal
people.
And the time cannot arrive too soon when
this intemperate, bloeted spawn of q degener-
ate Democracy will be relegated to his native
oblivion, and his memory eXecrated by all save
the goldbugs and monoplies, which have found
in him plant tool with which tooverride the
natural rights OF the poor, weak and defense
less masses OF our people. And, if we mistake
Lincoln verdict, so sweeping as TO be unmis-
taxable against Cleveland and his uprighteous
administration of selfshness and greed.
AS q rule it may not be i'll the best OF taste to
speak so disparagingly of our Chief Magistrate.
But we have no reverence for man who in
cold blood can belittle the West and so degrad e
his nigh office to promote the religious en-
terprise of the Presbyterian church in sending
religious instruction 10 the heathens OF the
West. This man Cleveland is a miscarriage of
civil authority, a burlesque on true Democracy
and most fitting head center for Christian
Apalsm.
And THE CALL most fifty observes "that
President Cleveland is only one of numerous
class whom, as the head of great Nation, he
should have rebuked for sectarianism and
disloyalty, instead of helping 10 fan the flame
of false patriotism and sectarian prejudice in
their. suicidal attempt to spread their Chris
tianisms over the country and into our
schools, and holding up the West as being
dishonest in trying TO defraud capital and as
opposed TO honest money a set OF rascals who
dare TO lit their voice against the lniquity of
bond sharps and goldbug thieves who have
LAID tribute upon the honest toll OF this coun-
try under the pretext OF honest money. Great
God can it be probable that such a monster of
can be of any good use to the Presbyterian
church, claiming as it does TO be the follower
of the meek and lowly man OF Nazareth, who
had not where to lay his devoted head? 8
And day by day we watched the contest
in THE CALL between the Roman and Prot
estant church, for, Disguise it they may,
any one with but half an eye can see the true
significance of this religious war is to down
Rome. But have said before, when
Rome is down Christianity is also down. never
10 rise again. But after the wreck honesty,
goodness and truth will bless the world. And
if we believed that God founded Chris tianity
and made revelation OF his will in the New
Testament, and established his church with
the means TO perpetuate itself, how can we say
consistently that the church of God and the
Bible, if his revealed will should not be SUI
preme in every phase and walk of life, and
we challenge refutation by any honest Chris
tian believer in the New Testment scriptures
and traditions of the Christian church.
How does it seem to say that the eternal God
with his revealed will may come into the
church and sunday-school and family and
prayer meeting, but keep him out of the State
and public schools, and tnat too with no better
reason than that portion of the people hav-
ing rights in the school do not believe in the
Christian God?