The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-18
ANACONDA NEWS.
ON THE OREYFUS TRIAL
Rev. e. g. Cattermole's Sermon.
Lesson From the Verdict.
THE MISTAKE OF A NATION
Why the Infamous and Unjust Verdict
Yves Made Possible Congregation
Listens With Rapt Atten-
~ ton to the Address.

An unusually large congregation gath
cred last night at the Methodist church
to hear Rev. E. G. Cattermoles sermon
on the Dreyfus case. The address was
listened to with the most profound atten-
ton. Mr. Cattermole chose as his text:
with a great sum obtained I this free
dom" Acts xxi. 2s. Said he in part:
s''In speaking upon the subject of the
Dreyfus verdict l would not pretend even
a cursory review of the famous trial just
held. The history of this case you have
read in the press 1t is one of the marvels
Of the age in which We live tnat every
school boy may become acquainted with
that which occurs 10000 miles away before
he finishes his morning meal. But con-
slider 1t the province of the pulpit to take
note of all questions and happenings that
affect the welfare Of humanity. The trial
and condemnation of Dreyfus touches
large classes of people in all nations, and
has lessons for us tonight
II am aware it Is hardly appropriate
at this distance to be rash in our state
mepts regarding the finding of the court
martial, yet If the Geographic reports are
at all reliable, the apparently unanimous
condemnation OF the verdict by the
American press Is well founded. AS we
look at it this travesty upon justice has
plunged the French nation into scandal
more disastrous than anything that has
occurred since Sedan. If this court at
Rennee, which 1t seems has ignored the
most elementary principles of court pro-
cedure, especially in the admission of ev-
idence, is a fair sample of even militahry
law, then unhappy France has not reach
ed yet the contamination of her inquiry.
America is particularly interested in
what transpires in her great sister re-
public. Without doubt the Frenchman
he cit, ilar cfa I'D off, 1ar,t tn
our own. His ideal must be much the
same. But if so he is far from reaching
his ideal as yet.
1--WE must not forget, however. that we
were born a republic, while France Is
passing through an evolution from sew
eral other types of government. Our
forefathers were republicans when they
landed upon American SOIL and as soon as
the 10 colonies were tested their principles
were not found wanting. and they sent
forth the immortal Declaration of indie
pendence. France is still reaching for
ward, holding aloft the beautiful symbol
of human freedom and we shall hope that
In the bright tomorrow she may attain
her high IDEAL But she must never forget
that true liberty is inseparably connected
with righteous law. Respect for that
law and faithful obedience to 1t is at the
very foundation of all true government
THE Frenchman too often is superficial
in his character He Is a lover of pleas
ure, of beauty, or sensuous delight. rather
than a lover of truth and righteous
government He mistakes license for lib
erty and has taken that license as right
to ignore the true principles of liberty
He forgets that the four corner-stones of
a permanent nation are Religion, Learn
ing, Liberty and Law. That liberty which
is not founded upon law, God-given, is no
liberty at all. The Frenchman has not yet
learned the priceless treasure of liberty
He must suffer more before the gem shall
be his. He has not yet found that which
was won at Marathon, at Runnymeade,
at Appomattox-that which cost the pre-
cious lives of thousands, which has been
purchased by the blood of our ances-
try.
THE Frenchman seeks liberty at too low
price. He would have it as the anarch-
list seeks it, without the irksome re-
straints OF the discipline CT law.
Then the biunder of all blunders COM
mitted by friends across the sea Is that
of the days of the revolution, when, fol-
lowing the leadership of some who had
rebelled at a false system of religion, they
called all religion false. and crowded God
out of their thoughts. No nation can sur
vive the passions of men that ignores the
restraints of true belief in the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of man.
A hundred years ago superstitious France
became infidel France, and the sowing
OF Such SEED is resulting In the harveSts
that have followed. am glad that our
fathers looked to the God of nations for
light and wisdom in the founding of our
mighty government. And here lies our
security. Strike God and the decalogue
from our statute books and the lives of
our people and you strike the fatal blow
that destroys a nation. Voltaire and Tom
Paine and Robert Ingersoll fought a false
religion. not the true God for they never
knew Him. So has France. To-day the
Rennes court-martial verdict is a posi-
bility because of that fact.
Let US rejoice anew that we live in a
land where the beautiful goddess of hui
man freedom. founded upon righteous
law, still exists. And let every lover of
his country, every lover of our beautiful
city of Anaconda, seek to put the best.
the purest. the most wholesome laws
upon our statute books, and then put
forth our best endeavors to see them en-
forced. See that laws protect property
and childhood and womanhood, and all in
dividual rights of our humblest fellow
citizen find place among those under
which we live, remembering ever that
perfect obedience to perfect law alone
gives us the priceless boon of nerfect