Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1915-02-25
Judges Grace, Elliott and
Philpot Among Those Who
Memrialize Senatr.
MEASURE VICIOUS
AND UN-AMERICAN
So Judge Grace Characterizes Convent
Inspection Bill in Personal Letter.
Pine Bluffs Experience Of AZ
Years Satisfies Citizens.

M. Philpot and ten other prominent
-Catholics-members OF different
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS addressed
a memorial to Senator r. c. White OF
Jefferson county, urging him TO OPP
pose the passage Of the Posey con-
vent inspection BILL which is expect
ed to be brought up in the senate to-
day. The measure has already pass
ed the house.
In addition to subscribing to the
memorial to Senator White, Circuit
Judge Grace addressed personal
letter to the senator, expressing the
conviction that public sentiment lin
this county does not endorse such a
vicious, un-American measure and
expressing the hope that Mr.. White
will not be found. in the ranks of its
supporters"
NOn.CathOIics Resent.
The Communications to Mr.. White
were forwarded yesterday afternoon
by Judge e. j.. kerWin, and read as
follows:
Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
February 2S, 1915.
Hon. r. c. White,
Little Rock, Ark.
Dear Senator Wnlte.-
This communication Is addressed
to you with the hope that you VIII
not be unmindful OF the people Of the
county which you have the honor to
represent. We want to congratulate
YOU upon your efforts thus far, xc-
decency and good government, that
you have successfully made. We feel,
however, that we should be derelict
in our duty as good citizens, If we
did not call your attention to the IN
Justice that house bill PA by Pos2y
ct al. of Grant and other counties,
seeks to do to those among our clt:'
zenship who, of right, affiliate with
the Catholic church. To endeaVor.
without specific charge, and that
backed by evidence in any court OF
Justice, III our land, to blacken the
good name of women who are de-
voting their lives to the work OF Goa
as they see it, is wrong tnat Will
live forever in the legislative history
of our state.
We have lived here in this COM
munity all of our lives, with the late
lamented and beloved Father j. M.
Lucey, who was, in our midst, the
leader OF the Catholics Of this COM
munity for forty-two years, and was
also leader of all that was sooc
and noble; we know that, in all that
number of years, no one would have
even intimated that he and the Sis
tiers of Charity, who conduct the con-
vent here, would be even remotely
guilty of anything that prompted the
Introduction of the convent inspec-
ton bill in this legislature. The con-
vent here, and you know 1t as wen
as we do, is open to the public at ah
times. Children OF Protestant ana
Catholic parentage attend there, Dotil
as day scholars and boarders. No one
in ali this community believes any
thing about these good women except
that which is noble, self-sacrificlnS
and good. The young lady graduates
of the convent here, who claim this
institution as their alma mater and
whose parents are protestant as We'll
as Catholic, are living monuments or
the nobility of character and good
ness of the Sisters OF Charity. in this
community.
LEGISLATION of the species deslgnat-
ed the Posey kind is dangerous and
far reaching. When the precedent is
once set where and when Will II
stop? 1t is entirely wrong from
every standpoint to pass such law
because there is 40 demand occasion
or necessary for it. There is Jaw
sufficient en- the statute books OF Ar
kansas to reach everything that thls
bill pre-suppos3s exists.
1t would be just as sensible Tor an
officer to walk up to a man on the
street, who had done nothing to Vlo-
late aay law, arrest him, search nm,
ana then lock him up in jail, as 1t
would be to pass this bill; the man
would quite naturally resist and say
that he had done nothing, and the
officer could honestly say in reply. i
know YOU have done nothing. but you
are liable to do something tomorrow
or the next day. Now this measure
does not accuse any of the institu-
tons of any wrong doing, but simply
siyes the right to the curious 10
search at unwarranted hours and see
If they can find out any wrong dong
We have never heard man Or Wom-
an living in this community, or IN Az
kansas of any creed whatsoever, even
intimate that the AnnunclatioI
Academy at this place was anylhins
hut what it should be. And while
this is true OF the only Catholic insti'
tutlun VIC have in this city and coun
ty, we have every reason to believe
that it is true of every Catholic inn,s
ton in Arkansas wherever maintain
ed, because we have never heard o.
seen anything to the contrary. Twt
wears ago this same measure was IN
troducei and the authors admitted
that there was no wrong that they
could point to and it was promptly
defeated in the senate.
We hope that your honesty OF puF
pose viii sbs guided Nv the lishts. Q
reason, I fairness and justics in tni'