The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-24
ITO Your Tents, @ Israel. "
charlotte Observer

To the Editor OF The Observer:
The churches of North Carolina are con-
fronted with a new condition: A secular
and partisan paper is hectorng the rel
gicus denominations. On one hand 1t IS
demanding the retirement or college
president and a professor, and threaten
ing havoc if its demands shall not be
Needed On the other hand, 1t is moving
for the public degradation and ruin, and
ultimate retirement OF pastor OF
church In all conscience / submit that
these facts-and that they are facts any
one knows-are without parallel in our
history and that they create situation
| of the gravest concern.
In fhe presence of these facts all other
questions assume minor character We
can settle them later. This must be set
tied now. Grave as the errors OF Messrs
Bassett and Massee are, they are not sui
1cient to cover the high presumption
of A secular paper-or a religious paper,
for that matter that would invade the
churches and dictate to them. Indeed
can conceive of no condition to justify
such a course No minister can afford
to bow before it for moment. See what
it will issue in Contemplate the RAJ
eigh Baptist Tabernacle asking the News
and Observer for permission to call q
pastor and receive his ministry IN peace.
And yet it is precisely this that we have
come to- Or contemplate the Methodist
Conference or the Trinity trustees COVER
ing before the News and Observers
threats to consume them in the flames OF
public fury, and asking it to approve their
actions These institutions have refused
to bend their necks to this yoke, and tor
one / bid them defy all the Pr,
than yield an iota.
No one can object to respectful advice
or respectful criticism. But who in North
Carolina is not witness that the News
and Observer has long ago gone beyond
these bounds? 1t is not respectful. 1t
charges Mr.. Massee with conspiracy to
do evil, and with being an incendiary.
1t charges the Trinity trustees with
being puppets and the slaves to personal
interest 1t is not content with criti-
cism. It bids the church abandon her
shepherd-the under-shepherd assigned her
by the Great Head of the Church. l.
deliberately threatens Trinity College
with ruin and openly lays itself out to
the task. When a religious paper con-
tends for policy, and the responsible
authorities reject it, that paper acquies
ces. Surely not less must be expected
OF a secular paper. But so far from
this is the News and Observers course
Of late, that it has coolly assumed that
neither official boards nor churches have
rights which it must respect. This is
its ambition to play pope over all.
| l raise the question, What has the
News and Observer done for the Baptist
churches of North Carolina that qualities
it to play bishop or father confessor to
them? We have not yet discovered
~, e =
knee to, and as the God Of our fathers
lives. we shall not now We have re-
sisted kings and priests, and we can resist
little tyrant of the tripod. And what
has that paper done for Christian edu-
cation? l remember when the sainted Dur
ham was making his memorable campaign .
| that paper gave him an oppOsisiGp sii4lis
FASTENED his death-but not before he
| had laid bare its character in a never
to-be-forgotten public letter. In all the
| long struggle that paper has maintained
contemptuous opposition to the cause
OF these institutions. To be sure 1t has
| dattered them-and whom has it not fat
| tered ?-but when the day of trial has
come there is no one so blind that he
has counted on that papers support. 1t
| has two weapons. One is fattery, with
this it purchases the vain. The other is
persecution, with this it terrorlzes the
weak. True men have no reason to court
the one or dread the other.
am we'll aware that the News and OBJ
server has succeeded in hectoring the
Democratic party, and this it may Go i
i can. On an issue that has since been
abandoned, it drove some OF the best
men in the commonwealth out OF the
party's councils. l refer to the silver
issue and also to the Bryan issue. IL
stead of being sobered by its RESPONSE
bility and the remembrance OF this blum
der; not content with domineering over
the politicians; it has of late taken TO
Itself the name of 'the Democratic Bible"
IA sacrilege-and now bloated with am
bition it puts forth deliberate and
desperate effort to lord it over Gods
heritage The worlds salvation from
ambition is that it will outgrow itself,
reach too high and collapse. Surely the
sin that destroyed angels will prove too
much for this mortal editor.
1 would keep out of this matter II
could. 1 know that misrepresentation
and contumely shall be visited upon me
for thus speaking. Let 1t come
speak with provocation; and | speak be-
cause our churches are ID danger II
is true that men in their employ nave
made grave blunders. / do not eondone
these. But if these plumbers shall be
suffered to be made the pretext Tor the
invasion of the sacred precincts OF our
churches by paper red-handed with per
sonal and political prosecution, reekiDg
with the smell OF personal ambition to
rule then. men of North Carolina, men Of
the churches. we may well write Ichabod
over the doors of the houses Of the Most
I4;rb for their glory will have departed.
marvel that the people have let it
ccme to this. ! am astonished that the
ministers can keep silent.
| appeal to the sober senses of the poo-
pie. Think on these things. Contemplate
what it means for the churches to sur
render, the churches yet guided by God,
the churches yet commissioned with the
great commission, to save the race, to be
Continued on Page Five.)