Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-07-11
DIR. Cummings Issues Challenge
to Any Bigot i'm This
Country.
Hot Sizzling Letter to Baptist
Minister Who Published
Old Fake.
CALLS JUNIORS and GUARDIANS

The Menace, Peril and other A. p.
A. sheets, including the Mountain
Advocate, published at Barbourville,
KY, have repeatedly reprinted the
stale old canard about Presidents
Lincoln, Garfield and Mckinley be-
ing assassinated by Catholics, and
have steadfastly refused to believe
the convincing proofs published in
the Catholic press from time to
time that their stories were false.
Every little old two-by-four Junior
Order and Guardian of Liberty
speaker has shrieked out the same
old rehashed lie from time to time
until they have worked into frenzy
their following of dupes and ig-
noramuses, many of whom will never
know any better (not being able to
read), while others don't want to
know any better, being content to
travel through life with a continual
grudge against their Catholic fellow
citizen, always being active in some
dark-lantern society seeking to cre-
ate trouble through religious preju-
dice.
The Baptist press, as a rule and
especially throughout the South, has
been ever ready to take a fling at
anything Catholic. and this weak
ness was responsible for the awful
jolt given Rev. Ben Bogard, Bap-
tist preacher and editor of the Bap-
tist Commoner, published at Staska,
Texas, by DR.. Charles NJ. Cummings,
of Williamsport, Pa, who has rem
Cd IN
couple of years by his challenges to
the Menace and Peril type of bigots
to prove their published calumnies.
The Bogard above referred to had
been harping on the old story of the
three Presidents being killed by
Catholics, aud had written to the
Menace stating that the Cummings
expose of this fake was false
hood. The following is DR.. Cum
mings' answer, and which has
driven Bogard in his hole for awhile
at least:
Williamsport. Pa, June %, 1914.
Ben Bogard, Editor Baptist Com
moner, Staska, Texas-Dear Ben:
Many thanks for your compliments
in the Menace of June 20, 1914.
Benny, you have another guess COM
ing. / did not even know Menace
Calumnies Refuted" would win the
distinguished approval of the
Bishop and censor, whose names do
such great honor to my pamphlet.
until saw the first copy. No doubt
! have the learned, able, aggressive,
good Father Noll to thank for Sc
curing their distinguished considera-
tion. Nobody but pip-headed de-
generate like yourself would object
to their granting such an honor II
they so desired Dear Benny, II is
never my plan to engage in bicker-
ing back and forth with such ignor-
ant bigots as you. There is a much
more effective and decisive plan to
settle our dispute. Two and two
make four; no other number. Either
you are a liar or | am. That is a
self-evident fact. You say that the
Catholics murdered the Presidents,
/ say you lie; that they were muir
dered by non-Catholics. From what
you say you must have Menace
Calumnies Refuted." Did you see
therein that my challenge was open
to any bigot In America? That
means you, Ben. Fearing you
might not relish the conditions
named in those challenges. I will
offer you a special, mild one. will
agree to meet you and go to the
leading bonding company of Balti-
more, there to negotiate two surety
bonds one to the other, each in the
sum OF $4,000. This bond to pro-
vide, first: That II prove to the
satisfaction of a majority of three
reputable judges, to be equitably
selected by us, that Lincoln, Garfield
and Mckinley were all murdered by
non-Catholics, | am to get $25, 900;
II | fail, you get II. Second provis-
ion: You shall publish In the Bap-
tist Commoner any denunciation the
victor may word Third provision:
That one defeated shall exile him
self to the Isle of st. Helena, there
TO remain until death.
Now, my dear little bigot, l am
sending you this letter by registered
mail today, and one TO the Menace,
also by registered mail. ask you
both TO square your consciences just
once by publishing II.
Finally. dear little Ben, don't
know what you are. You may be a
minister; God pity the ministry II
you are. You may be a crow. you
have enough black about you for
that with apologies TO the crow).
I believe you TO be an ordinary.
scoundrelly. lying bigot; one OF the
rodent, .Pope-eating variety. Cher
ishing the faint hope that may
get a chance to officially crush this
lie. | am. yours.
Chas. j. Cummings, M. ID.