The menace., 1915-03-13
A Hitch in the Program

which declares itself 10 be "The
Oldest Catholic paper in the wesi,"
prints with evident approval, in its
issue Of Feb. 5, what PurPOrts 10
be the plan Of some high oncial for
the crippling Of THE MKxAoE and
annoyance Of ia supporters Says
the @. and W. o:
"He Il 81 the opinion that sufhsisas
laws prohibiting the eirculation q sucA
literature erist, and AL that IL needed
u . proper enforocment Of thess lnrs
This could Be done BY prominent Cath
olics throughout the United States In.
stituting suits for defamatiou Of char.
aeter stainsi those local dealers Who
handle The MEsAcn In each locality.
In his opinion . strong argument could
be brought forward 10 sustain the con.
tention that the good name Of every In
dividuAl Catholic IL destroyed by THr
MESAcH and such lihs publications. A
number of suits Of this hind instituted
simultaneously by prominent Catholics
would szcite public attention and arouse
public sympathy. This much, a. least,
would be accomplished, that dealers
everywhere would be afraid 10 handle
this disreputable paper.
"Catholic lawyers who value their
own reputation and love their church
might accomplish wonders by instituting
an action Of this kind."
A trial Of the plan suggested by
the "oldest Catholic paper in the
west" was recently made by the
papists Of Falls City, Neb. The
intended victim in the Falls City
case was the Rev. F. B. Williams,
minister Of the local Baptist
church.
The Falls City Knights Of Co
lumbus were sufficiently aggrieved
at a heretical minister who identi-
fed himself with every move for
civic improvement and helped put
the town in the "dry" column; but
when they discovered that the Rev.
Williams read THE MENACE, be-
lieved in freedom Of conscience,
and favored the election Of public
officials pledged 10 the defense Of
the public schools, their indignR'
ton reached the point where it wa
determined TO apply the remedy
suggested by the Columbian and
Western Catholic.
A charge was trumped mp
against Rev. Williams involving al
legged SANDER against a little Grip.
pied girl so young that the suit
had to be brought in the name oi
. friend. The following from IN,
Falls City Journal, Of Feb. 10, re.
veals the whole plot as plainly as il
could be stated BY local editor in
tent on keeping down strife ever
at the cost Of suppressing essential
details. Says the Journal:
"After a three days scrap in cour
the lawyers turned the case Of Marx "
? Williams over to the jury saturdA.
afternoon and that body Of representa-
tive citizens deliberated over the svi
denee and the law as laid down by III
court until 2 p. m, when they cam
. into court with a verdict in favor Of th
4 defendant, thereby declaring that Ii
Rev. Williams was not guilty Of slsnder
ing the plaintiff, Miss Bessie Marx,
maiden of such tender years, that sh
had TO sue by her next friend. Th
plaintiff started out with q certai
4 amount of sympathy for her as she
cripple and young and merely an In
experienced school girl As the css
! developed il appeared that the youn
lady's reputation was not the prineipS
issue but was q matter Of secondar
consideration, at least that is what u
attorneys for the defendant elaine,
They put il up to the jury that III
suit was a form Of punishment that va
. attempted against Rev. Williams, n
y pastor Of the Baptist church, because
had been active in stirring up feelin
D In this community against Catholics B
spreading THE MENACE, q paper, d
voted 10 the circulation Of statement
= wholly derogatory 70 the Catholic ehurc
4 and having no other purpose than
bring that church into contempt. II
| quite probable that from the testimor
" the witnesses and the arguments ,
the lawyers that the Jury understood u
purpose Of the suit and the young lad
as denied any damages whatever. N
Jury reported 10 have stood IL 10 l FRO
the start In favor Of the defendant.
"Those who heard the testimony o
satisfied that there was nothing in
that in the least compromised Fr. Hot
man. And that the whole affair th
arose out Of the neighborhOod gOss
concerning the young lady was part
ularly unfortunate for all parties who
names were involved In the same a.
rought nothing but trouble in
train. To Rev. Williams, Il brought
law suit with a claim Of q, 900 for daI
ages to Miss Mans reputation. A ID
suit Of this kind IL expensive and
source Of much annoyanee even when
terminates In the defeat Of the Ella
for damages. Miss Marx is now knoV
TO all the county a. the plaintiff in
SANDER suit that failed. All the trout
Of her friends and the expense Of Ia
yers and detectives went for nothil
which is certainly not very eonsolir
The purpose Of the law suit failed ey
n TIE religious aspect and the divisi