Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-08-01
Well Known POper Expresses
Strong Sentiments on Butt
Incident.
People Who Believe This Anti
Catholic Fable Are Termed
MOnOmaniacs.
Story Was Fashioned by Some
Pervert Says the Globe
Democrat.
REV. DR.. GLADDEN'S OPINION

In the General Assembly of the
Southern Presbyterian church, held
in Kansas City a short time ago, a
certain DR.. j. A. Smith charged
that IAN edict from the Pope was
found on the body of Major Butt
commanding all Catholics to vote for
candidate other than Woodrow
Wilson in the Presidential election. ."
c. l.. Leppert. of South Omaha,
asking him to either affirm or deny
this statement. in a letter to Mr..
Leppert, dated July /, Mr.. Taft de-
clares that "the statement is false
from beginning to end, and / won
der that church or a minister of a
church, who ought to be careful in
giving currency to statements of any
character without the slightest
foundation, should be responsible
for this" Mr.. Taft points out that
the body or effects of Major Butt
have never been found.
The st. Louis Globe-Democrat OF
July Is, in commenting on this mat
ter. expresses itself in no uncertain
ance of such ridiculous tales as this.
II emphasizes the fact that Mr..
Wilson was not nominated until
almost two months after the Titanic
disaster, and that this in itself
would show the absurdity of the
fable. "But the denial" it adds,
twill do little good. The only people
capable of believing il are mono
maniacs on the subject with which
the statement dealt, and they will
secretly hug it as proof of their
suspicious. II was fashioned by some
pervert who wished to play on the
prejudices of such persons. The only
surprising thing is that a speaker so
reckless as to repeat 1t before rep
resentative assembly was not chal.
lenged by some friend of truth to
produce some evidence to sub
stantiate it. A false sense OF
courtesy should not serve to protect
men who boldly make groundless
charges, even though they wear
clerical garb."
This editorial pronouncement OF
the Globe-Democrat, a leading St.
Louis daily, is most refreshing. II
shows that there is some sense OF
morality and truth remaining In
some of our communities, which
have been flooded with similar and
even more vicious and unprincipled
fabrications for the last three years
The number of "perverts" and
''monomaniacs" in this country II
indeed surprisingly large at the
present time. In the very same
city in which the Globe-Democrat II
located there resides a certain REV
]. Scott, ID. D., traveller, lecturer and
preacher, pastor Plymouth Congre
gationalist church." who has writer
an introduction TO "The Devil IN
Robes or the Sins OF Priests" one oi
the most rotten of the Menace's pub
lications, praising the book and
commencing the illustrations In II al
"true pictures" when as matter
of fact every picture In the volume
reflecting on the church and intend
ing to show the cruelty and lust o.
the priesthood are doctored illustra
tions. some OF them being wei
known pictures OF entirely differen
events. An Indian Rajah, for ex
ample, is passed off as "Fathel
Gonzello Of the Philippine Islands.
his peculiar headgear being left OF
his head and a Roman collar ans
cross added TO his makeup. Th'
Ignorance and morbid superstition o
thousands of American Protestant
and the unscrupoulousnes or lacl
Of knowledge OF many of their cler
gymen is pitiful in the extreme. al
opinion which has been expressed II
their regard by DIR. Washington
GLADDEN.. the well known Protestan
divine. in his article on The Anti
Papal Panic IN the July Is issue o
HarDer's Weekly. q. B.. G. ".