The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-02-28
FUTILE EFFORTS OF 1.-THE
PATRIOTS"

Last week an nti-Catholic lee
turer delivered a number of dis
connected harangues in st. Paul
under the auspices of the so-called
Guardians of Liberty. The old
bugaboo Of Papal politics was
made to do yeoman service in an
attempt to scare his hearers into
the belief that Catholics are less
loyal to American institutions
than the self-appointed guardians
of our national liberties. The lee
turer is splendid type of the kind
of patriot which this country does
not need: He declared publicly
that he had not voted at presi-
dental election for fifteen years.
The lectures were given in the
Central Swedish Baptist Church
near Smelling and University Az
enues, and at the Woodman Hall
on Payne Avenue. At the former
place the lecturer was introduced
by J. A. Rundquist of the firm of
0. III. & j. A. Rundquist, Contrac-
tors and Builders, $50 N. Smelling
Avenue. At the latter, this duty
was performed by Mr.. Beach.
At neither place did the lecturer
depart in the least from the we'll
beaten path Of misrepresentation
and SANDER mapped out for such
bigots by those who employ them.
He showed himself to be an adept
at misrepresenting and vilifying
the Catholic Church, her doctrines
and practices That he was gen
erously applauded by some Of his
hearers only proves that they were
as ignorant Of the facts of history
and Of religion as he showed him
self to be. With one or two excep-
tons, no business or professional
man Of any weight in the COM
munity attended these lectures
and, therefore, as an appeal to the
better class, they were fiat failures.
The few intelligent non-Catholics
who went to hear him through
curiosity were utterly disguised
with his coarse language, his vile
insinuations, his absurd state
ments, his illogical deductions, and
his barefaced disregard for truth.
To a thoughtful listener his lee
lures carried their own refutation.
An attempt was made to secure
the Junior Pioneer Hall for a
similar series. AS a matter of
fact it was rented to F. A. Web
ster, 481 Laurel Avenue, on the
understanding that it was to be
used for a course of lectures on
education. AS soon as the Board
of Directors were made aware of
the real nature of the proposed
lectures, they cancelled the con-
tract and returned Mr.. Webster s
check. They also passed a resolu-
ton refusing the use of the hall
at any time in future for any SINH
lar purpose.
It is to be regretted that Maple
Camp of Woodmen, which owns
the hall on Payne Avenue did not
take such an enlightened stand
when the matter was called to the
attention of its clerk, Mr., Nelson.
When Mr.. Nelson was called upon
he said that nothing could be
done in the matter, as the contract
had been signed and the money
received, and they could not risk
legal proceedings. When urged
to take some action Mr.. Nelson
said that he did not want Cath
olics to dictate to them about the
renting of their hall. The lectures
were advertised on the front page
of "The East Side STAR whose
editor is, professedly, an advocate
of clean politics but, evidently, not
of clean religion.
This is the second time in the
course of a few weeks that halls
belonging to the Woodmen have
been rented to anti-Catholic lee
turers. We are reliably informed
that a large proportion of the
Woodmen is Catholic. IF that be
true, it is time for them to wake
up and at least take sufficient in
terest in the affairs of the organi-
zation to see that their halls are
not rented to ignorant and I'M
principled lecturers whose sole
stock-in- trade is the vilifcation of
the Catholic religion. Under the
circumstances, we believe that the
Catholic Woodmen should make
a united and vigorous protest
against the use Of their halls for
such purposes, and if no heed be
paid to it. they should resign in
a body. Catholics owe it to them
selves not to tolerate in any or
carnations of which they are
members anything that will cast
opprobrium upon the fair name of
the Church by disappearing her
teaching and institutions.
It would be well, also, for the
owners of public halls, as well as
for societies who rent their meet