Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-08
To the Editor:

To the Editor:
In the evening edition Of your ee-
teemed paper of Saturday. December
s. there appeared an editorial on
Mexican Democracy and Clerical
| ism" True, it is not from your pen,
tor. Still, by giving it such a prom
| inent place you seem to endorse the
same, although it is neither Chris
tian' nor scientific
The article takes issue with the
protests raised by Catholic clergy and
laity against the inhuman treatment
| by the Mexican rebels. Of their .breth-
believes that they ARE based on a
mieconception as to what are the real
| facts in Mexico and also on a. mis-
reading of what the duty of the United
States would be in case the alleged
facts were real" If the citizens Of
| this country would know the real
facts about the outrages committed
in the name of liberty down in Mex
leo, they would. regardless Of creed
with the exception perhaps of some
bigots) join the protests of the Cath
| olics in this country. But the facts
are so mean and so dirty. that the
paper would not venture to print the
naked truth. would promptly be
thrown out of the mail and the editor
, locked up in Ft. Leavenworth-so at
least DR.. Kelly states in the December
number of Extension. who is at pres
ent down in Texas and Cuba trying
to relieve the most urgent needs Of
the unfortunate refugees. The knights
of Columbus in Texas. the Federation
OF Catholic Societies, The America of
New York, and Dr. Kelly of Exten-
sion have gathered some Of the facts
not only from Catholics and Mexicans,
1yf n frn D,.0t CT -,,tc Il hi &c
of other countries, mostly in the form
of affidavits confirmed by oath. These
| facts represent conditions in Mexico
that only find their parallel in the his
tory of the French revolution and the
times of Nero and Tiberius.
And 'eNen il the facts be true" the
article maintains the United States is
not under moral. much less legal obli-
cations to make either it's positive or
pa assive policy one of agreement or
disa agreement, etc.
Theoretically speaking, it would not
be under any such obligations. But
as matter of fact our government
has not only its passive but also its
positive policy one of agreement with
the constitutionalists. both giving them
its moral and physical support in
is at least morally responsible for the
| crimes committed by Villa and. Car
rama in the fair name of liberty and
it certainly is not demanding too
much from our government to use it's
moral pressure to have these terrible
wrongs riehted and new ones pre-
vented. If the outraged persons
would be Jews instead of Catholics or
Protestant ministers instead of priests,
protestant nurses and teachers in
place of brothers and sisters, there
would be a cry of indignation from
California to Maine that would soon
set our government machine working
full force. and. mobilize not only our
army and navy but the militia all
over.
do not blame the Jews protesting
against the treatment their brethern
received from Russia and trying to
! influence our government in making
Il new treaty with that country; l do
not blame our fellow citizens Of an
other faith for demanding from this
government to protect their missions
! and missionaries in Turkey and China,
If necessary with a couple of battle