The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1915-05-22

[1VERY indication points 20 the prospect
lIEl Of The Menace and its editors going 90
vi trial on Flag Day-June l4-at Joplin
E2 An application has been made for a con.
tinuanee Of the case. This application has been
made necessary by the amount Of time taken by
the court in ruling upon the preliminary mo-
tions.
Il is impossible TO predict what the ruling
OF the court will be on the motion for continu-
anee 20 the January term, but the court has
thus far overruled each and every motion made
by the attorneys Of The Free Press Defense
League in behalf Of the defendants, Wilbur +.
Phelps, Rev. Theodore c. Walker, Marvin
Brown and B. NJ Phelps. II the motion for a
continuance is overruled, the case must come
10 trial on the date for which il is now set, June
Il.
From time 10 time, The Free Press Defense
IPague has furnished Menace readers indis-
putable evidence Of two facts:
First that Rome is responsible for the in
dictment of The Menace and the men who,
through The Menace, have waged long and Wig.
orods warfare for American institutions.
Z Second, that the destruction of The Menace,
through the conviction Of its editors, is but the
first step in Rome's plan TO destroy the liberty
OF the press in America-to make IL forever inn
possible for an American newspaper or mag
Azine TO criticize or expose any act Of the Ro-
IMAM hierarchy.
The Free Press Defense League now finds
, that all its pains in proving the case against
1he hierarchy is in vain. For the hierarchy not
only admits both charges to be true, but actu-
ally boasts of them.
The Tablet is a Romanist newspaper pub
lished in Brooklyn, N Y. It publishes at the
head Of its editorial page the fact that il is
issued with the appreciation of the RE-. Rev.
Charles f. Mcdonnell, d. D., bishop of Brook
lyn" and il is known to be the mouthpiece Of
Cardinal Farley.
Couched in the abusive language usual to
Romanst publications in commenting upon
non-Romanist papers, is an article in the issue
Of May 8, dealing with the indictment against
The Menace. That article admits only too
plainly the purpose of the hierarchy-that Of
destroying the free press. Here is an extract:
''The case win be tried in Joplin in June II hs
oorerAmsHt WHs this case Uhioh ueTy hkey, forty
similar publications In this country Uhose main isot
10 sdHder clergy and SSierhoods, UiH probably be
indicted also. Already they are planning ways and
Of getting immense funds TO fight the trial The
cry for subs their regular wai-eontnues but
10 has been added the cry for contributions TO defend
free speech.'' They are in a bad way. The MENACE
itself the handwriting the wall and is already
Starting the publication Of another bigoted sheet THI
LIBERTY BELL with which 10 rake in the shekels IL the
government decides that the first nuisance maintained by
them is too offensive"
The Liberty Bell, by the way, is not an anti
Romanist publication, but a publication de-
voted to patriotism and woman suffragel This
fact is we'll known to everyone who knows any
thing at all concerning The Liberty Bell, and is
important as throwing light upon what the Ro-
man hierarchy considers "bigoted." Patriot
ism, in the minds of the hierarchy, has always
spelled "bigotry," and is the real reason for
the prosecution Of The Menace.
In this matter, Rome knows whereof it
. speaks. You can count upon it, Mr.. Patriot,
you can count upon it, lover of liberty, that if
The Menace is convicted, if Phelps and Brown
and Walker 60 to the penitentiary for the
preaching of patriotism, indictments will be
brought Immediately against at least forty
other publications And it is generally ac-
cepted fact that this number includes not only
anti Romanist papers, but Protestant, Masonic
and purely patriotic publications! The hand
Of Rome is exposed as II reaches forth to snuf
the light of the patriotic pressl
II Rome succeeds it viii be q crime in
America TO preach loyalty to the American gov
ernment and American institutions, where that
loyalty conflicts with the interest Of Rome!