The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-06-19
NON-CATHoLICS REPUDIATE
BIGOTRY.

Last week the town of Farm
ington, about twenty miles from
st. Paul, was visited by one r. B.
Jordan of Minneapolis, editor Of
a sheet that apes the Menace and
a self-constituted herald of free
speech, so-called, who was billed
to give a series of eight lectures
against Catholicism. He met with
a very chilly reception from the
citizens of that thriving town. On
the opening night the audience
consisted of about twenty persons
and the number did not increase
at the subsequent lectures. His
advertised lecture for women
only" brought out one lone
woman who, after waiting about
forty minutes, left after receiving
her money back. Only ten men
went to hear his TRADE against the
Knights Of Columbus which SO
discouraged him that he likewise
refunded their money. He found
it impossible to secure a hall for
these lectures and the proprietors
Of the lumber yards refused to
rent him lumber for seating ac-
commodations in the tent which
he brought with him.
Jordan no longer claims to have
studied for the priesthood. In
fact, he declares that he never was
even Catholic: IL he persists i'll
telling the truth about himself, his
drawing power as an exponent OF
ti-Catholic bigotry will soon
reach the vanishing point and
then he will be discarded for
some one who is not afraid to
bolster up a losing cause with
calumnies and lies manufactured
out of whole cloth for the delecta-
ton of the dupes who pay their
money to hear crafty demagogues
|denounce the alleged iniquities of
Rome.
The bigots will find it convent
ent hereafter to give Pennington
a wide berth. It's citizens are not
easily taken in by the class of
itinerant peddlers of anti-Catholic
lies to which Jordan belongs. The
mont Catholics have determined
that they will discourage in every
possible way any attempt that
may be made to foment sectarian
strife. The spirit of the commu-
nifty is shown by the action Of the
Methodist minister who did all in
his power last week to remove
whatever false impressions may
have been made by Jordan's ut
terances. The non-Catholic bust
ness men of the town issued the
following Protest and Petition
which shows their attitude to-
wards this campaign Of bigotry
eve, the undersigned citizens
Of Pennington, Minnesota, believ-
ing it to be to the best interest
of our community to discourage
the raising Of religious controver-
cies, especially by strangers who
have no interests here, and who
further their cause for pecuniary
reasons, respectfully ask that our
good people ignore them and re.
frain from attending gatherings
OF this nature.
"This community is enjoying a
spirit of harmony and we desire
to keep it so. We sincerely ask
your cooperation. :"
All honor to the non-Catholics
of Pennington for their noble
stand OH behalf of religious toler-
alton and for the unanimity with
which they have cooperated with
their Catholic feIlow-citizens in
guarding the community against
the invasion of bigoted lecturers
whose sole purpose is to enrich
themselves by slandering the
Catholic Church and setting citi-
zens against citizens on religious
grounds. We commend the action
of the non-Catholic business men
of Pennington to other commune
ties which may be threatened with
a similar attack on the sacred
rights of class Of loyal American
citizens.