The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-08-31
CLARENCE BARROW AND
his HIGHER. REL|G|0N
Capitalist Papers Widely Circulat-
ed Impression That Great Law
yer Condemned Religion.
What He Really Said is of Highest
Order.-Breathes Spirit of
Human Brotherhood.

Much space was given to Clarence
Darrow's so-called attack on religion
in his address to the Haywood trial.
There may have been other motives
back Of this charge. or We may be
wrong in our estimate of beautiful
oratory. The following excerpt from
Darrow's attack is published-the
reader can form his own opinion:
Respect For all Religion.
Now, gentlemen. like Brother Haw-
ley and Brother Richardson and Sen
ator Borah, I, have profound regard
for religion. Mine may be broader
than Brother Hawley's, or even Mr..
Richardson's. I don't want to say to
these IL men that I think the Chris
tan religion is the only religion that
the world has ever known. I don't
believe it for a moment. l have the
greatest respect for any religion or
any code of ethics that would do any,
thing to help man. whatever that re-
ligion may be. And for the poor
black man who looks into the black
face of wooden idol and prays to
that idol to make him a better man
and a stronger man, I have the pro-
foundest respect. I know that there is
in him, when he addresses his prayers
to his wooden idol, the same holy
sentiment and the same feeling that
there is in the breast OF Christian
when he raises his prayer to the
Christian God. 1t is all one. 1t Is all
piece Of ethics and a higher life, and
no man could have more respect for
1t that 1 have. In the ways Of the
world and In the language of the world
I am not a protested Christian. I do
not pretend to be. I have had my
doubts about things which to other
mems minds seem plain.
The Mystery Of the Future.
1 look out on the great universe
around me at the millions and mill
lions of stars that dot the armament
of heaven In the night time; 1 look
out on all the mysteries Of nature and
the mysteries Of life and I ask myself
the solution of the riddle and I bow
my head in the presence Of the infinite
mystery and say Il don't know" I
cannot tell. But for that man who
understands 1t all and sees in it the
work of a Supreme Being, who prays
to what he honestly believes to be this
higher power, have the profoundest
regard; and any communication with
him, any communion Of that poor,
weak. mortal with that higher power,
which permeates the universe and
which makes him better I have re-
gard for that. If Orchard has that
religion, well and good I am willing
that he should have IT. 4 hope that he
has 1t. I wouldn't deny that conso-
lation and that solace to him, not for
moment.
A Plea for Orchard, the Unfortunate.
l never asked forS human beings
life and hope that I may never ask
for a human life 70 the end Of my
| days. do not ask for his. If the
| time should ever come that somebody
pronounced against linn the decree of
death and nobody else asked to save
his life, my petition will be there to
save it. I don't believe In man tink-
er1ng with the work Of God. I don't
believe in man taking away the life
of his fellow man. don't believe that
l understand. I don't believe that you
and can say in the light of heaven
that If we had been born as he was
born, If our brain had been nodded
as his was nodded, If we had been
surrounded as he has been surround
ed, that we might not have been like
him.