Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-10-25
shows Bull Moose Ticket to BE
Inspiration of Religious
Fanatics.
Pleads For RebulSe From Fair
Minded Citizens of All
Creeds.
A MANLY PLEA FOR TOLERANCE

The A. p. A. tactics of the local
Progressive party we're given a
death blow by the published card
of DR.. Aquilla Webb, pastor of the
| Warren Memorial Presbyterian
church and President of the Louis
VILE Ministerial Association, and
| this card is commended to the al
tention of the fair-minded people of
| Louisville, regardless of creed or
political affiliation. In this card
DR.. Webb severely condemns the
attempt of the Progressive organiza-
tion, headed by Wood Axton, candi-
date for Mayor, to make religious
| hatred an issue in the campaign,
| and to secure votes for the Progress
sive ticket by seeking to create
animosity and hatred among Louis
vile people because of difference III
religious opinions.
DR.. Webb also calls attention to
the sad experience Louisville has
| had i'm the past when it elected
tickets of A. r. AS, among them
being John Reeder, who is now
AXton's right-hand man. Along with
Reeder are the Junior Order of
| United American Mechanics, which
is strictly an A. p. A. organization,
their motto being opposition to all
persons of foreign birth, this being
mystery to the outside public
when it is known that the original
and only pure Americans are the
Indians, while the local leaders of
the Junior Order bear names like
Markolf, Schneider, Gottschalk.
| Picot, Lochner, Naves and the like,
which are long way off from be-
| ing pure American. At a recent
meeting Axton was the host, fur
nishing pipes and tobacco, and
they are planning nightly to defeat
| the Democratic ticket solely and
simply because some of the nominees
are of Catholic faith. Several of the
| Progressive nominees are on that
ticket simply because of their anti
| Catholic belief and are making
| their campaign with religious
hatred for their sole issue. and the
supposedly fair-minded editor of the
| Herald dares not acknowledge or
| concede that this is the case
George Steffey, the nominee for
Sheriff, is the same who ran on the
A. p A. school ticket in 1910 and
who lately left the employ of the
Louisville Veneer Works. A. II.
/ Remmett, for Auditor, and his en-
| ploye, n. r. Watkins, candidate for
Councilman, and A. j. Bierman.
candidate for Councilman, all three
being A. p A. adherents. S. 5.
Weinstock, candidate for Magistrate
on the Progressive ticket, was so
domineering as challenger in the
polls several years ago in his treat
ment of a priest that the latter lett
without voting. These are only a
few of the pronounced Catholic
haters on the Progressive ticket, and
their methods are referred TO
strongly in the following card of Dr.
Aquilla Webb:
ut would be a great thing, in
deed, to have the true spirit of REL
| ligion in politics; to have all
| office-holders and office-seekers
religious men in the sense OF being
imbued with a Christian spirit and
being God-loving and God-fearing
men, alive alike to their public and
| private obligations. On the other
hand 1t is a most deplcrable thine
to make the religious belief of any
man an issue in politics Nothing
could be more destructive of good
citizenship or good fellowship: moth
ing more contrary to the spirit of
our institutions; nothing more
harmful to religion itself.
''When | decided 10 vote the
Democratic ticket at the November
election | did so because | believed
IL TO be the best ticket; | did not
know, nor did care, as TO the re-
ligious beliefs of those composing
that ticket; | did not reach my de-
termination in order to advance or
oppress any creed. The genuinely
religious people, the sober, sensible
citizens of this community should
resent and rebuke any such effort
as that which is being put forth by
followers OF the Progressive cause.
The churches may be relied upon to
look after questions of doctrine and
creed; the ministers can and will
take care of all such matters from
their pulpits; they have no sort OF
place in political campaigns, and
conceive II TO be a public duty to
resent any effort to inject sucl
things into the selection of public
officers.
"rhe universal experience has
been that efforts TO make ones re-
ligion the test of fitness to hold
office have been followed by de
plorable results; the peace and good
order Of communities have been de
stroyed thereby; good government
on broad. patriotic and tolerant
lines. rendered impossible and re
J ligion brought into disrepute In the
eyes OF many. We have had ex
amples OF this sort In Louisville
we have had tickets elected oil
waves Of intolerance Of that sort
and the character OF government
! which has resulted Is well remem
) bered. Let us sincerely trust tina
there be no repetition.