The Irish standard., 1910-06-04

reliable books had not
heard that it's genuineness had been
doubted. If it is spurious, I trust that
this can be shown, and ] shall Join in
preventing its further publication"
1t seems almost impossible that a
man who lays any claim to fairness
and who could have so readily Sc
cured access to the encyclical itself,
having before him reliable books.
could give such vague references as
authority for a paper which he must
have known would be regarded as
most serious charge against the
church to which so many thousands
of his fellows citizens are adherents.
In following up this matter | am
not inspired by any desire to stir up
'acrimonius discussion" AS stated
to you in my original letter, am a
Catholic and il such paper was ever
published by anyone in authority.
should like to know it frankly; if
such IA paper We're never published,
then 1t is all-important that Mr..
Speer and all others should know
that fact, and in fairness to fellow
citizens of Catholic faith. not only
discontinue the use of the article, but
frankly admit their error.
In conclusion, l wish to say that as
lawyer, cannot recognize MIR.
speer's statement that it is up to the
Catholics ITO show" that the pub
lication was spurious MIR. Spcer uses
it, and think it is up to him to show
that 1t IL genuine. shall greatly
appreciate 1t, therefore. If you will
ask Mr.. Speer to give to me through
you, his reference to the reliable
books" in which the extracts he has
used were published.
Thanking you in advance, l am
yours very truly,
ROBERT BIGGS.
If there were no libel laws, a gen.
tleman, out of love for the sacred
ness Of his own honorable name,
would not lightly lay grave charges
against his neighbor nor would he
Willingly give the color of his approv-
al to slandcrous accusations. Should
he be inveigled into publicly assailing
the integrity of q large number of
respectable citizens. he would con-
slider it duty to his own sense of
honor to rectify publicly the wrong
that he had unwittingly committed.
Silence like unto that OF death Gor
the worm Of remorsc gnaws not
noisiIy) followed the despatch of this
second letter. But on the lofty prin-
ciple that while the lamp holds out
to burn" etc, third attempt was
made to elicit sound from the bi-
valvular stiffness:
April 80, 1910.
Mr.. William S. Woods. Editor.
1850 f. 23rd ST., New York
MY Dear Sir--On the 18th inst.
wrote letter to you in which l asked
you to obtain from Mr. Speer refer
ence to the reliable books from
which he claims to have obtained the
extracts from an alleged cncyclical
the 5th Of February.
am very much surprised not to
have heard from you on the subject
I have always given the Digest credit
for being fair journal and have
! understood that in making digest
| from publications, it's aim was to re-
fleet with perfect fairness the opin-
| ions pro and con on the subject un-
| der discussion; and / feel that in a
matter of so much Importance as tho
one now the subject of correspon.
dcnce in which publication was
made offensive to me and. am sure
to thousands Of your Catholic sub
scribers, some effort should be made
on your part to induce Mr.. Speer tc
do the manly thing and the fail
thing by giving his authority for the
scurrilous letter used by him, or thai
the Digest should at least, In fairness
to the Catholics, see that Mr.. Speel
is called upon to produce either the
alleged encyclical of the reputable
proofs" from which the scurrilous
matter was obtained.
trust. therefore, that you will lei
me hear promptly on the subject.
! Yours very truly,
| ROBERT BIGGS.
And here endeth the lesson. The
matter does not rest; it still seethes
However If all these attempts tt
rescue truth from the roily waters o.
q propaganda, which is not Christ
like because it ISLANDERS the absent
shall have the effect of making jour.
nalism triae more circumspect II