The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-12-19
I'LL THE "GUARDlANs" REBukE
THE METHopIsrs?

THE METHoDISTs?
Union of Church and State and Co.
ercion of the Free Press" was the
subject editorial appearing in the
November % issue of The Tidewater
Times of Norfolk, Va. The editorial
is as follows:
with the Rev. James Cannon, Jr.
superintendent of the Anti-saloon
League Of Virginia, presiding over the
annual Virginia Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church, South, on
Monday evening, November 16, 1914,
at Portsmouth, the following recon-
mendations' of the committee on TEN.
perance were adopted by the confer
ence:
"(6) Recommendation that only
men who are free from all alliance
with the liquor traffic be elected as
members of the General Assembly.
"N) That all legislators be called
upon to support the Constitutional
Amendment which will give to the
different states the right to vote on
the subject Of statewide prohibition.
"Q) Commentator of the work of
the Anti-saloon League of Virginia in
the victory for statewide prohibition
"(2) Warning against the press of
the state which opposed the prohibit
tion clause, and stating that just as
they had been enemies of the cause
In the past, SO they would continue in
the future.
"This paper was opposed to the
cause of the prohibitionists in the late
campaign, absolutely and unequivocal-
ly, and We honestly believe yet that
Virginia will gain nothing morally nor
financially by the enactment of the
law, but once that law is placed upon
our statute books no paper in the
state will stand any stronger for it's
enforcement than The Tidewater
Times.
1--WE consider the action of the
Methodist Conference as an unjust
and entirely uncalled for indictment
of the free and honest newspapers of
Virginia that took issue with the Anti
Saloon League during the campaign
for statewide prohibition, and the
charge or Recommendation that they
would continue in the future to op.
hn n1o
is indeed surprising when we realize
that it comes from ministers of the
gospel those leaders of Christian
Observation-Disclosures that should be
always free from suspicion or wrong
doing on the part Of others, much less
branding large number of newspa-
pers as violators of the law and par
ties in crime against the state. Thou
shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbour
us this not coercion Of a free press?
Is it not a warning also to the press,
honestly opposing statewide prohibit.
ton during the past campaign, that if
it SO continues it might expect boy
colt from the prohibitionists of Vir.
ginia, especially those Influenced by
the Recommendation of the Meth
odist Conference?
I'VE have heard a great deal about
an organization known as the Guar.
dams of Liberty and we have devoted
few editorials not in sympathy with
this self-styled patriotic order.
Why? Because we have never been
able to convince ourselves that this
order is sincere in it's proclaimed ten
cts.
I'm order to substantiate our stand
against the Guardians we now chal-
lenge them to stay by their guns and
prove themselves.
1--WE understand that the main rrin-
ciples of this organization are to safe
guard the free institutions of the
country and state, to guard from harm
and destruction the Constitution and
the free press and to forever keep
separate church and state, or the
mingling of the church into the poll.
tics of the state.
1--WE respectfully call the attention