Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-05-02
CALLED
HIS CREED
A SIN
JUMPS ON ]. SHARP WILLIAMS
Says His Parody Was Bias.
phGmOuS

Washington, D. c., May SENATOR
John Sharp Williams parody on the
apostles creed attacking Col. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, made during a speech
in the senate last week, called down
on his head rebukes from two cler-
gymen, one the Rev. Ernest Smith,
rector of ST. Thomas church here
and the other the Rev. Henry Irving,
of the First Presbyterian church, of
Summit Hill, Pa.
In a protest made at the service at
his church, the Rev, Smith denounced
Senator Williams utterance as "a
blasphemous travesty of those doc
trines of the church for which in past
centuries thousands and tens of thous-
ands have cheerfully given up their
lives" The Rev. Mr. Smith declared
that the pulpit of the Protestant Epis-
copal church would be untrue to its
traditions should it allow such an ut
terance to go unnoticed.
The Rev. Mr.. Nicholas, in an open
letter to Senator Williams, denounc-
ed the parody in unsparing language
and berated the members of the SEN
ate who listened to the speech with
out protest. He urged the senator tC
get on your knees and ask God 10
blot out the great sin of your lips"
The Obnoxious Parody.
The parody objected to by the cler-
gyman was made by Senator Will
liams during a political debate with
Senator Bristow, of Kansas. He ask
ed the senator if he believed in the
following creed
1 believe in Theodore Roosevelt
maker of noise and strife, and in am
bition, his only creed (my Lord. He
was born of the love of power and
suffered under william H. Taft; was
crucified, dead and buried. He des-
cended into Africa. The third year he
rose again from the jungle, and as
cended into favor and stitch on the
right hand OF his party, whence he
shall come to scourge the licked and
the dead.
81 believe in the holy Outlook, the
big stick, the Ananias club, the for
giveness of political activities, the res
direction of presidential ambitions,
and the third term everlasting. Amen,
Amen, Amen"
The protest made by the Rev. Mr.
Smith follows:
Both as priest of the church and
citizen, and as rector of this parish,
l desire to make formal protest
have been delivered last Thursday on
the floor of the senate by Senator John
Sharp Williams.
! I'm the course of speech on the
political aspirations of candidate for
! the presidency, Senator Williams is
reported to have so parodied that
summary of the Christian faith known
as the Apostles creed, as to mimic and
make into burlesque and travesty
| its solemn statements regarding our
| Heavenly Father, His Only Son our
Lord, and the Holy Ghost, by substi-
tuting in a spirit of mocking scorn a
political opponent, parallel statements
| founded on the life and career of the
said candidate for the presidency.
Called BlasphemOus Travesty.
With political questions as such the
pulpit of the Episcopal church wisely
refuses to have anything to do. But
f, the pulpit of the church would be un-
true to its best traditions if it pass
ed by unnoticed and unrebuked the
utterance, in such an exalted place, OF
language which can only be regarded
by myriads of the speakers fellow
countrymen as a blasphemous traves-
ty of those doctrines of the church
for which in past centuries thous-
ands and tens of thousands have
cheerfully given up their lives, and
: for which they themselves would also
be willing, if need be, to die with the
same joyousness.
| Moreover, the offense seems to
have been the more deliberate and
wanton since this grotesque parody
was not spoken on the spur of the mo-
ment or under the stress of political
excitement, if as reported, it was IN
circulation before they were uttered
in the senate chamber.
81 do, therefore, make my public
protest against this and all similar
wanton dragging of holy things into
| the arena of political activities, and
doing so | further desire to express
my regret, my deep regret, that no
sense of shame, no feeling of fear, no
expression of condemnation seems 70
have been manifested by those who
were present at the time"
LIVES AND PROPERTY
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