The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-17

That letter came from Washington.
Is America free, when one who earns her
living in the employment of the government OF
her country, dare not openly give of her time and
services to protect that government from the
Vaccinations of foreign potentate?
While such letters as this can be and are
written, is America free?
Are worse things done in darkest Russia?
We who have gone into the trenches for this
fight to preserve the freedom of the press know
what manner of foe we face. And these things
are here set forth that others may know.
The Free Press Defense League needs
100000 soldiers of the common good who, stand
ing shoulder to shoulder with united force against
the foe, shall make sure that now and forever
there shall be an end to the menace of Rome.
What is this shadow that overhangs the
land? What is this threat that stills the lips OF
patriots? What is this terror that makes defend
ers of the free press fear to have that press pub
Ilish their names?
Ask men who have felt the force of the boy
colt!
Call from the grave the ghost of William
Black, who died at Marshall Texas, but the other
Iday,-died at the hands of assassns wearing the
badge of eternal Rome"
If you require still further evidence, ask
Crowley what the hand of Rome did to him in
non Catholic Iowa!
.omnipotent," through Romish mobs can do and
has done in New Jersey
1t is to perpetuate her power IN politics, her
power to exploit the masses of her people, her
power to punish those who dare oppose her thaC
Rome is now rallying her forces 1t is for this
that mass meetings are being held. 1t is for TINS
that resolutions are being adopted. 1t is Tor TINS
that the tremendous pressure of lSO0OOOO OF
people influenced by the Roman hierarchy is be-
-, 1ofo
for this that Rome makes her last and strongest
stand against American Liberty.
3 And it is against this that the Free Press De
fense League has set its face. Not only is 1t de-
termined to end now and for all time, the terror
izing of the public press by the agents OF Rome,
but it has also undertaken through Its various
functions to accomplish these further things:
To regain for the American people the right
of free, full and public religious discussion. 10
this end the Free Press Defense League proposes
to level the weight of 100000 freemen against
the practice now followed with impunity by Rome
of raising mobs to commit all manner of outrages
against speakers who dare to tell the truth about
the Romish hierarchy.
To make possible the safe dissemination OF
truth through the press, the platform or any
other means whatsoever. For this purpose, the
League is determined to make it forever lmpos-
sible for Romish assasSinS to murder the cham
pions of religious liberty whose lives are daily en-
Idangered by their devotion to thelcommon good.
To make it impossible for Rome to control
our public schools or to reach out her sinister
hand to abridge the rights of other churches.
And with this mission in mind the League will
establish its legislative department, in order
that neither in the nation nor in any state shall
the hand of Jesuit write into law or constitution
that which shall rob citizen of his rights
1t was with this stupendous task in view that
j. l. Sheppard of Ft. Scott, volunteered his serv-
ices as organizer of the Free Press Defense
League. 1t was in the full knowledge that every
citizen should do his whole duty that Mr.. Shep-
pard first gave up legal fee that would have
amounted to $25,000 and then projected this nsr