The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1916-09-09


@ millions A letter instinct
S with the spirit Of liberal de-
mocracy and that larger, nobler and
freer life for which democracy
stands. Here we have a free man
speaking for free institutions.
Portland, Ore, Aug. 81, 1915.
TIE Free Press Defense League,
Dear sirs;
have carefully read the tsrt Of the
Mndbengh Resolution Oh. J. Res. 2e4),
and " elected shau vois for fAs msas'
Urs Ssd SuPporf fAs so1s N every poo
Hbls COY.
Your great hght IN favor Of the free.
dom Of the press, freedom Of speech, and
freedom Of assembly will always have
my sympathy and support.
You may cay for me that I was edu.
Gated In the psbltc schools and regard
the same A. the scored instttuttoA Of a
free repSblic. There can be no hberfy
Uhsre altferdcy aAd t0AOroAoe tHodpdc.
itato the electorate.
IL seems 10 me almost safhsakable
that private peA0l iAstituitoAs eould BE-
tolerated In this enlightened republie At
this late day. IL goes without saying
that I am opposed 20 0PproPnssttAo GOV
erAment money 10 suoh penal ,Astuu-
tioAs, or 10 secforida schools.
So long a. private penal institutions
are permitted 10 exist and incarcerste
American citizens, they shoald az least
Be regularly iaspecfed by q 0ndAd jury.
This letter is for publication,
Very sincerely,
A. w. LATTERTT.
This straightforward and states
man-like utterance voices the spirit
and sentiment Of the fathers of de-
mocracy who threw down the
gauntlet before the thrones and
hierarchies Of the Old World.
True there is nothing in the let
Ter that Washington, Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe, Lincoln, Grant
or Garfield would not have unhesi-
tatingly subscribed TO, for the mas
Ter builders and preservers Of this
republic believed in jealousy guard
ing all those gredt constitutional
guarantees and safeguards Of liberal
democracy that found roics IN the
Declaration Of Independence and
our FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
as we'll as the measures adopted 70
render permanent those distinguish
ing glories that differentiate this
republic from all Old World gov
ernments where monarchial princi-
pies whether represented by kings,
czars, kaisers or popes, prevail.
Roman Boycott and Censorship
It is. indeed, a startling illustra-
tion of the extent TO which the Old
World monarchial theory Of the pa
pacy has progressed in this country
during recent years, that the
pledges above given should not find
ready voice from all statesmen rho
profess loyalty TO our fundamental
democracy. but since the Roman
Catholic hierarchy has undertaken
10 make America dominantly Ro-
man Catholic by methods historical
ly approved by the papacy, viz,
the boycott, the equally odious CEN
sorship Of the press by organized
secret oath-bound societies acting in
unison for the advancement Of the
pspal theory and welding the club
Of the Catholic vote, and by at
tempted censorship or suppression
Of freedom OF speech and public as
sembly, by means Of intimidation,
rioting, mobocracy, murderous as
sault, and even murder, we have be-
held the humilisting spectacle Of
statesmen speaking with bated
breath, or remaining tongue-tied in
the presence Of rehsio-politioal
guestions that strike at tie rery
Ttals Of free Institutions, for fear
Of antagonizing the Roman Catholic
political machine whose threat Of
. solid vote has been so constantly
kept before the politicians, and
whose brutal boycott has been con-
tinuslly in evidence.
II was perhaps necessary that this
resctionary Old World despotic in
iuence should become so sinister
and gisnt-like in its evil proportions
IN order that sleeping America