The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-02-22
cardinal GIBBONS
and LOCAL OPTION :.
AN ANSWER ToTHE ARTICLE OF
YESTERDAYS rssuE-cAERIE
NATION ON LOCAL
OPTION.

An article abJ feared in yesterdays
issue OF this paper. signed by G. D.
smith, making a critical review Of the
interview that Cardinal Gibbons gave
to news representative of the Balti-
more Sun and which will be found
In the columns OF that paper on the
issue Of February 18th, as news, not
advertising matter, and republished
3 in the West virginian verbatim as 1t
appeared in that paper. The writer
(smith) tries to make 1t appear as
though Cardinal Gibbons statements
were contorted by the local saloon
men to favor their interest. Now the
management of this paper has the or
iginal copy of the article clipped from
Il the Sun and turned over to him to be
srepublished in the West Virginian.
that the editors OF the Sun can be &C.
cused OF making Cardinal Gibbons say
things In favor OF the liquor interest
/ and published same in the Cardinals
home paper without hearing from his
holiness, Is ridiculous. On the face
OF Smiths statements that the local
saloon men are grossly and unreserv-
.edly mlsrepresenting facts and making
eminent ministers and published f.
nancial stateemnts speak in favor of
the saloon" Every such article pub
slished here can be proven to be au-
thentic which is little more than
!. can be said for the anti's statements.
The very Inconsistency OF the writer
CsmIth) was shown when he says
that the middle OF the sentence apart
from its beginning or conclusion was
taken to misrepresent the Cardinal
and then he in turn does the very
thing by quoting a part of the cardi-
nails -interyiew and leaving the rest
blank and so doing the same thing he
accuses the saloon men of doing.
Now as to who are placing these
articles paid for at regular adverts-
ing rates in the West virginian from
day to day: he says the same are pub
;lfshed and paid for by saloon men.
Now these articles are being placed
in the local papers by H. W.
Lewis, the writer OF this ar
ticle, and he can truthfully say
that he volunteered his SER
vices gratis simply to combat the
fanatical influence that local preach
ers are trying to exert over the intel
1igent voters of this city by their fight
on the legalized saloon interest. The
writer's object was no for any person
al benefit he may accrue in the cam
paign but was from his belief in the
personal liberties Of every American
to read, eat. drink and believe as his
conscience dictates as upheld and laid
down in the Declaration of Independ-
ence of our forefathers against Brit.
fish tyranny. The tyrany of the
church when 1t has been predominant
with the state has ben rued by thou
sands Of generations since the com
mencement OF the Christian era and
probably the greatest fight of Protes.
tantism was to combat that same
state Of affairs in nearly every State
OF Europe when Catholicism and the
State we're arm in arm. the great fight
for personal liberay in Russia is be.
ing fought out on the same basis. Yet
we now have the same state OF affairs
to-day in our own country and times
ministers are combining themselves
together into a political party CThe
Prohibition) and trying to gain foot
hold in American politics. Men who
pay no taxes themselves. whose
church plants pay no taxes are trying
to use the liquor interest as an Issue
not because of the right or wrong Of
the matter but to gain the attention Of
the public for notoriety and influence
that would he used for the advance
ment OF their own personal aims and
ambition. The writer (Smith) should
gather his wits together and wipe the
cow.webs of his musty brains and
when he again attempts to write a
critical article let him use logic and
common sense instead OF satire, In.
suit, and untruth in his answers for
he may yet be allowed enough rope to
hang himself
The following interview with Carrie
Nation is another argument against
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