The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-08-24
LITERARY DIGEST
TAKEN TO TASK
For Reprinting Slanders on the
Catholic Church From
Walkers Menace.
The Offending N. Y. Publication
Fails to Apologize for its
Copied Insults.
Dignifed Protest From a Reader
in Sioux City Who Publishes
His Objections.

The following letter to the Literary
Digest of New York first appeared In
the True Voice Of Omaha, Neb., from
the pen OF VIM. J.. Steele. Of Sioux
City, la, who objects to the reprint-
ing of slanderous articles from the
Menace. The editor of the Digest, In
a. preface to the copied article, 1e-
clared that because of the great cir
culation OF the Menace "lts utterances
are of interest and Importance to all
observers of religious thought" Mr..
Steele was of IL contrary opinion and
wrote to the editor Of the Digest as
follows:
l am a Catholic. and though 1t may
seem strange to you in the light of
some OF the articles which you print
about the Church. Catholics are Arm
believers in free speech and the lib
erty of the press. They would prefer
tho abuse of these privileges to their
denial.
To lie and to slander are certainly
abuses of FREQ speech. The liars and
slandcrers may have their say: and
then. IT the injured party can afford
1t. {; libel suit is brought. In some
cases membership in the Ananias
Club has been freely bestowed.
1t has not been the policy of your
magazine during the few years l have
followed it to spread slander and
cal,lmny 1t has avoided delicate sub
.iccts deftly. 1t has spread before It's
readers weekly a. fairly just survey of
events ard current opinion.
II does seem to me. however, that
when IT, comes to matters concerning
the Catholic Church your selections
betray an animus in the editorial mind
which is directed toward possible
weaknesses, apparent abuses. any,
thing which would seem to indicate
failure on the part of the Catholic
Church to fulfill her divinely appoint.
cd mission.
You have doubtless a great many
Catholics among your readers. Tho
first copy Of the Literary Digest I
ever saw was on the study table cf q
Catholic priest. We do not expect
you to publish complimentary articles
about us, but We would like you to
be fair.
/ submit that it is distinctly unfair
to quote as you do from an editorial
published in a scurrilous paper which
shall be nameless so far as I am con-
ccrned. 1t is a. sheet whose makeup
and character ought to bar 1t from
the exchange lists OF any respectable
paper. 1 have been assatled by SAM
pie copies of this sheet on several diff.
ferent occasions. In all there was
printed matter which, to say the
least, was indecent. In all there were
articles which, to say the least, were
libelous. In all there were slanders,
lnuendoes slurs, insults directed
against the Catholic Church. In all
there were printed lists Of the most
vile, degraded and nauseating books
that ever disgraced so-called "reli.
gious" controversy.
If, in the interests of truth and
honesty one must repeat the low gos
sip of the tap-room and servants
quarters, one should be careful to
apologize in the same breath for the
infringement Of etiquette committed.
One would hardly attempt to dignity
the source of such material as repre-
sentative Of phase Of religious
thought. 1t is poor excuse to say:
"As report places it's circulation we'll
along toward the million mark, It's
utterances are Of interest and Inn
portance to all observers Of religious
thought, and our readers are entitled
to a specimen of its opinion
have asked two different Protest.
ant ministers and one Protestant lay
man, all of whom are representative
men, all of whom are representative
Of Methodist, Presbyterian and Con-
gregational religious thought, what
they thought Of the paper, which you
dignity by your mention. None 81
them had ever heard of 1t. .sssS
Ever since the days Of Brann's loon.