The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-12
rnr SPREAD or INTOLERANCE.


 between the Christian religion. as whole. against its enemies. we should be free to speak out in defense of Christianity and those who believe in and practice it. But when it is a matter of creed or church, or of differ- ent religious beliefs and tenets held by the church people. It is not the part ot a secular newspaper to take sides.
 This is our idea of conducting fair newspaper: to show no partianty or prejudice for or against any relig- ious organization or its beliefs and methods of worship or church govern ment. This, we repeat. is the position we have always adhered to and we ex- pect to continue in the same way. hut nevertheless we think 1t not only the right but the duty of any fearless and fair-minded newspaper to speak out against the intolerance that is being shown. not only in Alabama but in other States on the question of prohi- bition. and especially with regard to the constitutional amendment now be- fore the people.
 Some of our friends who are per hitting their zeal to get the better of their Judgment. and to their sense .H ,lo ,.ft Ia runff to read and study the' history of the Middle Ages, and even ot later times in England Spain and other European countries. They will there read of the blind zeal. the fanaticism and the re- ligious intolerance which consigned thousands and millions of helnless be- ings to the stake or the bloody axe and block of the headsman solely be- cause of their religious belief and faith and their refusal to yield or forsake that faith at the command of those who assumed the right to say Just how God should be worshipped, and to put to death any, who could not or would not yield their own convictiona
 Is it possible that we are to have something like a recrudescence of the bloody era of which we have been speaking7 It Is true that the axe. the guillotine and the fiery stake are not permitted among us. but persecu- ton and intolerance can take other forms than that of putting "heretfs" to death. Only a few days ago tho report went out from Bristol. Va. to the effect that the ministers in some of the churches intend to ex- communicate those members of their churches who dared to vote against prohibition. Is not this a touch of the same spirit that was rampant dur ing the Middle Ages? True. there is no taking of life. but to a conscieu- tious Christian member of a church 1t seems a moral death to be excom- and made to feel that he is no longer worthy of church fellow ship or deserving the name of a wor- shipper of God and a defender of the faithsveAnd have7 we not had cases equally deplorable right tere in Ala bama recently?
 Since the days when our forefathers fled to the New World to escape reli- gious persecution; and since the time when the patriots cemented with their blood the blessing of religious toier- ance there has been no privilege or right that has been moru rigidly ad- hered to and more xsaloLsly guard ed than freedom of conscience and the right to worship God in ones own way. -t
 Prohibition Is not an article of faith in aay of our churches The re- fusaf to vote for prohibition in any of :" its forms Is not a violation of any religious tenet oi of the laws and ordinances of any church. so far as we are aware. nor do we know of any church organiza- tion which makes the voting against prohibition ground for thI excom- munication of member against whom no other charge CT accusation has been or can ba made. It = form
 of religious coercion and discipline that is new to this republic. It is something entlreIv new in this en- frightened age that q minister may or der the male members of his church to
 vote a certain way or be dismissed from the church.
 We regret most sincerely the spirit of intolerance that some ministers of churches in Alabama are exhibiting and that without regard to the creed maintained by such church. We re- gret it. not because of any fear that 1t may weaken the opposition to con stitutional prohibition. or that 1t may inJure the position we believe to be right. and which we are advocating because of that belief Our objection rests on the higher ground that the course pursued by some church people is contrary to the spirit of our insti- tutions, will breed and foster dlssen- slons in the churches. and is bound to do harm to the cause of religion