The menace., 1915-03-13
A Misunderstanding

The editor Of The World Today pro.
poses that n committee composed OF
twenty Protestant leaders and twenty
prominent lay and clerical pspists meet
In May on the shores Of some beautiful
lake and by exhaustive discussion at
tempt to abate the raging controversy %
grievOus 20 the pope's loyal subjects.
The sincerity Of the proposition is at
tested by the Offer Of The World Today
20 pay the expenses Of such a conference
u L could he brought about. Alas that
such scholarly representatives Of the
Protestant press should have such a linn
tied conception Of what this opposition
10 popery means.
The question is too big 10 he settled
BY committees Of twenty, or sven OF
twenty hundred. Suppose such com
mittees had met in May, 1856, at Lake
Mohonk TO discuss and settle the ques.
tions relating to chattel slavery. Had
they then and there moothed every
wrinkle out Of the antislavery agitation
do you suppose that the millions OF III,
north and south would have accepted
their eonclusionsf
Moreover, this controversy is biggel
than the gross membership Of the Prot
estant and Roman Catholic churches IL
America. On one side is the entir'
papal system embracing an Italian pope
cosmopolitan clergy, and world
membership. On the other side are no
only those American Protestants who ar
American enough TO really protes
against the political sggressions o.
Rome, but are millions Of Americans o.
other religious and irreligious affiliations
The truly American Jew is as vital!
interested and active in this movemen
as the truly American Protestant. j
is certainly apparent that no Protestan
committee could represent millions o.
patriotic Hebrews in such a conference
How long viii IL take these superhciA
bservers to realize that this anti.papa
movement is essentially and funda
mentally politieali -.
There is only one committee blt
enough and otherwise competent to cor
slider and pass upon the points at issu
between the agents Of popery and n
champions Of Americanism. That CON
mittee is the committee Of the Who'll
American people a. actively represente
by every American voter. II this is
!. government, Of, by, and for the Peopl'
as we hope IL is and ever shall be, II
. for the whole people TO read and discu'
the evidence submitted by each sid
and render their verdict at the polls Jul
as they do on proposed national r
forms. tariff reviions, and other nj
, tional issues of a political nature.
The Protestant editor who entertain
E the idea that popery presents nothiu
, but a religious question TO the people
= the United States, is blindly playing q
: part this nations enemies would ha'
J him play, and creating confusion tn
+ postpones a decisive and intelligent on
. come
let US say again that this fght is B
J, tween the loyal citizens Of the Unit
G States and the international papal ~
7 TEN. II is our care 10 maintain .
! divorce decreed long ago by Ameriei
2 statesmen between church and state.
: is Just as natural that all genuine Pr
$ estants should be on the American 81
y Of this controversy as that all papis
;, should be on the side Of Rome; but III
= fact does not narrow this great nation
/ defense down TO the proportions Of
!, sectarian squabble.
=, Il is high time for leaders Of Prot
J. tant thought 70 grasp that fundameni
n fact, and treat the subject from the 0
y angle from which its merits and p'
a poses can be illuminated.
=. =