The Harrison times., 1915-02-20
An Open Letter to Preachers.
IBy I. j, Estes, Alamo Beach, Tcxas.I

lAltllllliti VIII AlC NsllVlCl vi NIlIlSl
for more than forty years, hence feel
not only at liberty, but that it is my
duty to write this letter for the ben
rit Of the Church, the cause of pure
Christianity and of humanity, and
especially for the benefit of some of
our leading preachers, to-wit: W, f.
Lcmmons, a, W, Young, W. T. Led
low and others, most of whom am
sure are honest in their opposition to
the great soul inspiring, uplifting,
just, humanitarian and paramont
cause OF Socialism,
| was raised in Marion county. Ark,
lived in Boone county, Ark, about %
years, and came to Lubbock county,
Texas, and from there to Calhoun
county, Texas, My life is an open
record and those who know me do not
doubt my honesty, fairness or sin
Gerry. Brethren, ! do not doubt your
sincerity, but | do doubt your fairness.
| doubt not your intelligence, but
your prejudice, popular beliefs and
surrounding environments have you
blinded so You will not give the
real principles and objects of So
cialism fair and impartial investi-
cation. Hou take the unwarrantcd or
private opinions Of few Socialists
and call it Socialism, You take the
rantings and false charges of unscru-
pulouS enemies Of Socialism and credit
it as the truth-SuCh things as against
religion, free love, anarchy, destroy
ing the homes, dividing up, aud many
other such foolish aud absurd things,
and with these things all balled up
with your prejudice, you make cob
house, set q man of straw on it and
thcn proceed to dcmolish it,
Blindness oycrshddowS your intel
ligcncc aud you are like a drowning
man, madly fighting at his rcscucrS
and trying TO pull them under with
him instead of letting them carry him
to shore and safety, My dear broth.
ers, you don't seem to realize the plain
and awful fact that you are drowning
aud rapidly sinking under the mad
rushing waves of crime, corruption
and misery OF the present unjust, rob
bing and cnslavng system while YOU
are blindly fighting your best friends,
brothers and sisters, and those who
are unsclishly and without reward
lighting for you and yours and trying
their best to rescue YOU from your aw.
ful and almost hopeless condition.
say, my brothers, what do YOU ret
for hghting Socialism and Justice?
How are you benefited? What do
you gain; a little notoricty, | sup.
pose, What have the Socialists douc,
or what do they, as people, propose
doing that would unjustly hurt YOU or
anybody else? They have produced
none OF the bad conditions we now
hayc, proposed none, and are doing all
they can to better aud remove them,
The olo parties have produced them
and yor are endorsing and upholding
them, Every item and principle in
the Socialist platform stands for ius.
ticc, fairness, humanity aud better
conditions, and oppose nothing but
robbery, slavery and injustice,
The Socialist party is the peoples
party, The only party that opposes
war and standing armies and nayics
with their awful crimes murder mis.
cry, destruction and enormous TN.
necessary expenses that is earnestly
and manf0liy lighting graft, bribery,
greed, robbery, slavery, dcbauChcry,
prostitution, oppression, adultCrOtiou,
and more especially the causes that
produce them the private and unjust
control of the means Of labor aud pro,
ductiUu OF mn idle, proligato and use.
less class living IN luxury and cN.
4 . ,Upl1 1tl ,s., 4
from labor that oilers real solution
for the problem Of intempcraucclaud
dcbaUchcfy that offers every man,
woman aud child justice, freedom and
a fair opportunity TO live, have and
enjoy to marry, have decent homes,
aud raise healthy happy, wcll.fcd,
wcll'clpthcd, properly trained, cdu.
Gated and intelligent childrcu the only
party that stands for the godcnlulc
and against the rule OF gold for the
rule OF the whole people, by the whole
people, for the whole people, without
tarors OF special privileges to anyi
the only political party whose aims
and principles are In harmony with
the Bible, with Tie teachings and prac,
ticc OF Christ the apostles aud early
Christians, Yet you bludly fight Il,
Why do FOu do ~ Don't yuu know
Seu are losing the rcspec, OF many uI
your brethren aud sisters IN the church
to a great cXtrut} Ot the poor Of
whom Christ said' "As yc did It INTO
them, you did II unto me-" or "As you
did II not unto thcm, yG did 1t not unto
me- That you are driving the poor
and the workers away from the
churches aud closing the doors against
them That you are fostering and up,
holding nNnmun, greed, robbery, IN
justice, slavery prostitution, udnltpras
ton, fraud, corruption, aud long
train Of abuses In lighting Socialism
aud upholdmg the present system
that has produced aud defends these
THINGS Can't you see It's freezing
true, genuine Christianity ont of the
churchcst that It Is almos, mipasslblc
t. practice and live mp 20 the golden
rule ana real Christianity under the
present corrupt and unjust system,
thal Is continually growing wurau, a.
wealth Tor the idle md poverty for
the workers Increases Haven't you
set learned how wealth IA produced
and how the few have come Into pos,
session OF II without working of pro,
ducng themselves DO you believe
this Il 4 u just aud rlghti No, know
you don't you can't You know 1t Ia.
wrong yet yOu support H.
! can give more than 100 good and