The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-01
BY ;. cULPEppER.

have reason, great reason, to be displeased with Mfr. Leon McCord. am such strong Baptist that 1t hurts my feelings for one of different faith and order to be usurping Bap- tist privileges and rights.
 When 1t comes to suffering for con- science and freedom of speech and acts. we Baptists, by Divine right. should come first.
 We are now. in the State. about a hundred and sixty thousand strong (not counting the membership of our mother church--the Primitive Baptists) and perhaps the first, in numbers, of all the religious orders.
 We pride ourselves upon having tasted the lash for opinions, and hav- ing the smell of the jail. since the time of Peter and Paul and Deuteronomy and them."f and Mfr. Leon McCord was stepped to the front and became the first victim of religio -politico fanati- cism.
 It's serious matter for the unbap- tized to be rushing in where angels fear to tread"
 Why, we have some very good Bap- lists, prominent. and all that, who are entitled first to suffer for the doctrine ''once delivered to the saints"
 There is one ray of consolation in this serious and important matter-it wasn't a Baptist Church that struck the blow against freedom of opinion.
 Thank the Lord for that!
 No, a Baptist church won't do that
 It seems to me recollect that when Bro. Lynch, who was devout deacon, did some prety tall cussin when his rights (politicaD were assailed and was "churched' for 1t. he put in a plea of confession and avoidance, that ordinary language was inadequate to the occasion. and the church justified him.
 don't know If MT. McCord has ever been washed" but I'm almost persuad- cd that our Baptist convention would have done a praiseworthy thing to ad- wise us to take torches, at midday, and search for man or two like MT. Me- Cord and invite him to come in while we hold the door open to him. (Of course washing" should precede the entrance).
 The man who stands for the right of opinion is a great deal better Bap- tist material than the 'ungodly and sinner" who, donning the uniform of the Anti-Saloon League, goes about nike e roaring lion seekin" to put little something in his pocket.
 I'm for oid-fashioned Baptist con- tention for liberty of conscience.
 Why, next Sunday and the next and the next, every Baptist preacher in Alabama ought to make the "welkin ring" about the intolerance that ex- cludes McCord from the Sunday school.
 They tell me that our once honored Thomas Jefferson got his best ideas of government from little Hardsheu Baptist church. He was. sometimes spoken of as a Democrat. Of late years his standing Is q little 1ubieus
 I feel sure no Hardshell Baft!st church would turn MeCord out of It's Sunday School because he is little pronounced against Sumptuary Laws I am almost Inclined to believe that no old timed Democrat will keep his ecclesiastical repatriation for express ing old timed Democratic Doctrine.
 However, as I'm not of the Party, won't vouch for the Democracy" us there a new kind of "Democracy?")
 But, think know the Baptists. and I fell pretty sure that they are going to raise howl about this matter "thatli astonish the natives"
 If my memory serves me right-"and 1t do," when Kollb protruded his geni- aIity against s'Democracy." a Baptist threw hirnseifs in the breach. like that young fellow at Thermopylae. and Baptist literature covered the State like the waters cover the great deep-"Brethren, don't vote for KeIb!"
 I'm expecting to hear a blast from the same source-"one blast from his horn is worth a thousand men,"