The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1915-12-16


socialists would have cause of complaint.
Does this prosecution come from those
sources? No! Who ever said that there
was an improper word in all OF these fiji
teen or twenty books, until this defendant
starts a series of chapters against the
Roman Catholic Hierarchy? After this
offense--it was offensive to the Roman
Catholic Hierarchy-comes the prosecu-
ton.
Are we to have any one system
in this country exempt from discussion?
Are we to have some Monarchical Church,
or State, that says to me or you, the King
can do no wrong? Can you imagine such
thing in a democratic or republican gov
eminent? 1t came out here from juror
that he was a Baptist preacher, a
member of the same denomination to which
have belonged since l was about Il years
old, and in the presence Of the court and
jury, said that he did not think he could
give me fair trial, because I attacked his
church's system of doing Foreign Mission
work. Yes sir, but did he ever think of
prosecuting me for it? Never. Why? Be-
cause the Baptist Church stands in the po-
sition of saying, l will debate with you; I
have nothing to hide, and when you come
to attack the Baptist Church, the Baptists
will be there to defend it. The Methodist
Church has the same system OF mis-
slonS, with colleges and hospitals, kin
dergartens farm experiment stations, and
SO on, as we'll as universities. The de-
PENDANT attacked them also; did he get a
prosecution from the Methodist Church?
Not bit of it, The Methodist Church is
able to take care of itself: it gives
you an open field and fair fight; it does
not run to the court house to prosecute
you. The same thing is true of the Pres
byterian Church; tell all you know about
it; tell it all; they have nothing to hide.
But when you strike the Roman Catho-
lie Church, it is a different thing: you get
a prosecution on your hands before you
can say Jack Robinson.
Mr.. Miller: There is not anything in
this prosecution to suggest that the Roman
Catholic Church has anything to do with
this prosecution, and I say it is improper
to carry that impression to the jury. Your
honor distinctly ruled it out.
Mr.. Watson: May it please the Court,
what l am arguing is from the evidence
which the Government put in, and say
that it is matter of legitimate inference,
that in all this mass of literature which the
defendant has produced, and which The
Jeffersonian Publishing Company has pub
lished, it is fair and legitimate inference
that inasmuch as the only three magazines
that they say are illegal, and the only copy
Of the weekly paper that they say is illegal,
are these, those that reflect ON the Roman
(2TnOuC CDufCn. linen, IL the HOman
Catholic Church did not bring this prose-
cution, plant this question right between
your eyes; why are you so anxious to
protect the Roman Catholic Church, in-
stead of the Baptist, or Methodist, or
Presbyterian?
Mr.. Miller: I desire to answer, he has
asked a direct question. Counsel is not
here to protect the Roman Church or the
church to which this defendant belongs.
This indictment was here when this coun-
sci came into office, and had the defend
ant made the attack on the church to
which he belongs, the Methodist Church
or the Baptist Church, or the Presbyterian
Church, in language so vile as that
Mr. Watson: 1 object. That Is another
speech, he has had his speech.
The Court: 1 think counsel has made
his proposition plain to you.
Mr. Watson: Everybody has right to
draw differences, and I was drawing in
ferences from the nature OF the articles
themselves.
Now, if this had been series of attacks
on the Methodist Church, and they simply