The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-02-07
by WALTER wYRIcK.


Milwaukee, Wis, Jan. 24-Efforts Of
the Catholic hierarchy in Wisconsin 20
use their religious authority 20 ruin the
business Of a journalist stand rebuked
today by the decision Of Circuit Judge
( Lawrence llalsey who has just handed
down n decision under which Archbishop
Sebastian G.. Messmer, and four Of his
hcnchmen bishops in Wisconsin will bo
hailed before n court commissioner 60 an
swer the Si0O,O00 damage suit Of Michael
Kruszka, editor Of the Daily RuryeT
POiSli.
When the Kurger Polsli boldly dared
to tell the Polish Catholics Of Milwaukee
Of the actions Of the archbishop and his
associates in their administration Of the
affairs Of the church against the inter.
ests of the Polish people IL invited the
hatred and the retaliation of the power
ful prelates of the "Holy" Roman
Catholic church in Wisconsin.
And needless TO say the archbishop
and his bishops were not slow in using
their power. Afraid If the attacks Of
the largest Polish daily newspaper in
America, they at once set about 20 nc.
complish its ruin. Afraid Of the light,
as are always men who work in the dark,
the archbishop and his henchmen at once
got busy.
Shortly after the Kuryer POlSki had
been warned that Il must cease its at.
tacks upon the anti.Polish papal authori.
ties OF suffer their displeasure, there was
issued 10 the Catholic churches in the
archdiocese Of Milwaukee a pastoral let
ter warning all good Catholics that they
must not read the Ruryer, that they
must not work for il or distribute il and
that they must not advertise in il. This
pastoral letter was read in all the
churches by the. priests.
Now everybody knows what a power
the priests Of the Catholic church exer.
else over their parshioners. The imme-
hiate result Of the pastoral letter wU
that the KUryer lost hundreds and hun
dreds Of its subscribers, that il lost
thousands and thousands of dollars
worth Of advertising business.
The newspaper thus felt the heavy
hand Of the Catholic church authorities
because it had dared 10 openly eriticise
their oppression Of the Polish Catholics.
What was the recoursei
Michael Kruszka, editor and proprietor
Of the KHryer, determined upon a bold
case. He went into a court Of law and
sued Archbishop Messmer, and Bishops
James Schweback, Frederick Els, Joseph
Fox and August Schinner, for 100000
for conspiracy to ruin his business.
And to this suit the Catholic prelates
made the most astounding reply.
"we are above the law" they boldly
declared. "We are carrying out the
precepts of our religion when wo place
your paper under the ban. II it hurts
your business 50 much the worse for
your business. We don't care about
that. We are interested in doing what
our religion tells Us we must do. f"
This, boiled down, is the gist Of their
defense.
They simply announce that they are
not subject TO the laws that govern the
people in the state Of Wisconsin. They
were going TO DO what they thought their
religion gave them the night 10 do and
if any laws were violated then let the
laws be violated.
"Throw the case out Of court" was
the appeal Patrick II. Martin, one of
the smooth lawyers retained by the arch.
bishop to defend the Catholics, made to
Judge Halsey when the case first came
up last July.
However, instead of throwing the case
out of court on the theory that Cath
olic church officials are not amenable
to the law, Judge Halsey requires that