Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-14

in any social environment. A loyal Amer
lean. with American ideas and instincts,
| he discerned no conflict between these
several several attentions; Having spoken to
missionaries of all denominations, with
the broadcast appreciation OF the work of
all the churches, the Roman included, he
perceives no improperly in addressing
| even in Rome the little American body of
believers called Methodists.
'Won Glory for His Countrynfen.~
Our ambassador did not warn him that
| it would be disreputable company for
him to mingle with. The king received
| him Saturday without suspeoeing himself
| OF extraordinary condescension. Possibly
| he told his distinguished caller of having
decorated the American Methodist Bishop
Burt in recognition Of his services to
| Italy. But. be all this as it may, certain
day hour when Mr. Fairbanks was to ap-
! pear among his own co-religionists. he
was plainly warned, with much waste of
polite phrase, of course, that he must
| cancel his promise to speak to his Meth
odst breth. en- of his own country OF the
pope must cancel his engagement with
Mr.. Fairbanks Being his own master, as
all truce Americans are, Mr.. Fairbanks
promptly chose to suffer affection with his
own people rather than to enjoy the coun-
tenance of the Vatican for little season.
| Thus he won glory for his countrymen
and escaped infamy for himself. So much
| for the admitted facts. Now, for the is
| sue presented.
ut is greater than Mr. Fairbanks.
| larger than the Methodist Church. The
Methodist Church can thrive on this kind
of treatment, and Mr.. Fairbanks has the
| open or sec. ct admiration OF his country
| men in larger measure today than ever
| before. But you must know that this
| country is now under the patronage of
the immaculate conception, whatever that
| means.
ut is any mans right. as we'll as priv
| ilege, to decline to receive an unwelcome
| stranger. but it is an act of singular rude
ness to close the door In a mans face aft
er having hidden him to come. To jus
| tify this act better reasons are required
than to have refused audience at first, be-
cause it implies reversal Of attitude
| that suggests newly discovered unworthi-
ness in the stranger.
| "Apologists' Hard Task"
1t is this phase of the matter that
makes the task Of the popes apologists
so difficult and embarrassing. They
could afford to pay well for a satisfying
reason. 1t would not do to say that it
was done because Mr.. Fairbanks is a
Methodist He was that yesterday and
| for many years past 1t would not do
| to charge him with having spoken Of
| fensively Of the church, for theA contrary
is true, as witness his public utterances
| everywhere. But a reason. a reason,
| what cause, why did the holy father
| alone. of all the princes and potentates
| of Asia and Europe. reverse himself and
| offer indignity to an American whom ne
had already declared worthy of honor?
Let him speak for himself, and let
three or four archbishops, including the
one styled papal legate, interpret for
him, observe and listen. All fingers point
one way, all the voices harmonic In one
outburst Of wrathful objurgation The
fingers point to great building in the
heart of Rome. The voices cry in con-
cert something that sounds like PERM
cious heretics, wicked propaganda. vile
slanderers dishonorable proselyters.
bribers of the poor Great care is taken
to protect Mr. Fairbanks. He. poor in
nocent, did not know what he did. Still
more earnest the protest that the Meth
odist Church of America is not arraigned
as a party to the wickedness of that
Methodist association in Rome