Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-03-29

Editor Graphic: Rev. Mr. Cline makes q pitiable attempt in yes terday's Graphic to undo the eX- traordlnary outrage of his Sunday nights yillification Of the Catholic church ,but peryersely, OF through ignorance, does not touch the point at issue. There can be no Objec- tiOn to the discussion of the doc trines of one church by the min- ister of another if he speaks witt! due courtesy and fair intelli- gence. Had the Reverend Mir. Cline chose to lay aside the prin- ciples of his own chnrc., and taken up the history of the Catholic church or treated any of her special doctrines, stand ing upon the high plane of a scholar and Christian, and given his reasons of dissent, nothing would be said. He did not take this open and honorable course, but descended into vulgar per- sonalitles, calling the members of the Catholic church here and every where the children of harlots, de- claring that her priests and Sisters of Charity had underground pass ages of communication, etc. His Scriptural interpretation has long since been rejected by modern Bib- lical research and his stories of priests and nuns are the olden fab relations of the A. P. A. order.
 This is the point at issue: The people of Pine Bluff do not want villifcation in the pulpit. They do not want A. P A. issues. They prefer to see all churches and re- ligious people getting closer to- gether than farther apart.
 His effort to draw over him the mantle of the Ministerial Associa- tion of the city is vain, as l have been assured that It does not ap- prove such attacks. The members of this association, while generally Protestant, have no war to make against the Catholic church. Look ing upon themselves as followers of the Prince of Peace, they pre- fer harmony to discord among all brethren.
 Rev. MT Cline is not a disciple of Christ because he has not the spirit of Christ. In the church of God and in the very pulpit he spends his time villifying the old est Christian church in existence, whose ministers and members are constantly striving to be good Christians and good citizens. His lack of veracity is astonishing. The following instances are sufficient to prove, my statement:
 Rev. MT. Cline states that "for S5 years I have repudiated all Protestant marriages and declared tt
 the public that the only person who can solemnize marriage in the sight of God is a duly-au- thOrized celabite of the church of Rome." This foolish statement shows how reckless about the rules of veracity the reverend gentleman is. A man in Mr. Cline's high rank should not make a positive statement on an important matter unless he actually knows it to be true Never in my life in the pulpit or out ot it, have I made the declaration that Protestant mar riages were to be repudiated. In booklet on the marriage laws of the church which I published and distributed two years ago and which bears the approval of Bishop Fitzgerald, is the following: "The church recognizes the marriages of those outside her fold, provided there is no violation of natural or divine law. The canon laws of the church, such as her marriage laws, do not affect any, except her own members The church recognizes the marriages of Jews and Protestants.
 Another instance of MT. Cline's disregard for truth is shown ill the statement that flor 35 years I have i taught Catholics that it is a sin for