The Washington times., 1916-02-20
DENOUNCES
!. ANTESALOON CHARGE
Father DonneGy Calls Andrew
Wilson'S Accusation Libel
sus and Insulting.
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effect to the chairman Of the commit
tee and TO the alleged author OF the
statement.
ION Tuesday morning the objection
able statement was repeated before the
committee.
''on Wednesday my letter to the pa
ptrs was published. and on, THURSDAY
morning I received a letter from the
author of the statement IN which ne
expressed a desire to expunge the Of
Tending remark from the record.
Insisted On Full Denial.
"As the writer still held to the origis
nal statement that an entrance to this
church had been locked within recent
times. l tnsGted that such was not the
fact and that l must have a denial.
our representative was instructed
to present evidence to show that the
alleged fact was utterly untrue. That
evidence was laid before the Senate
committee on Thursday l sent an
other letter to the author that day.
and finally. yesterday afternoon, I re-
ceived a letter from the author OF the
trouble. That portion OF the letter re-
ferring to the gate follows:
Your very kind and gracious letter
OF yesterday was received this morning
Il am now satisfied that the gate TO
which you refer and to which the sur
veyor made his Measurement as report
| ed to the special committee of the SEN
ate. March 2. 1915, was locked at that
time and doubtless had been for a tong
time prior thereto. The surveyor re-,
ported this to be the nearest to the sa-
loon entrance. It now turns out that
the persons who made measurements
for us deemed the North Capitol street
gate the nearest to Mr.. Aliens saloon.
tho surveyor. and II was reported TO me
that the gate was locked, Il nav
ing been reported TO me that
measurements had been made by
the shortest course of travel through
re gate to the church. I had in mind
that this was the gate through >hicn
measurement was made.
Concluded Gate Was Locked.
"one man, IL seems. made measure
ments through the gate on North
Capitol street. through the nearest en-
trance. which II was in fact: another
man comes along and discovers a
gate unused for n quarter OF a CEN
fury. and says to himself. This is
the nearest entrance and Is locked
and concluded that the gate was lock-
| ed in the mean time.
These are the facts. and now what
are we to say about them. First. the
so-called fact is an instance OF err
roneous reasoning; secondly, IL such
| an entrance had been opened and
locked II is an unjust and uncharit-
able aspersion on the authorities of
| this church TO say IL was done to
evade the law. when many reasons
| were at hand to explain the closing,
| and lastly. even under the impossible
| supposition that the church authori-
ties had so acted. why should we and
the whole neighborhood be attacked
and accused7'
st .AloyAius. Church and North
Capitol street were not seeking to be
appointed to office. and II II not con-
sidered very glorious or honorable In
| combatant to turn aside from his
adversary and, pounce upon a by
stander.
Charge Was False.
Therefore, my dear friends, the
charge was false; the charge was
libelous in fact and In Inference.
Whatever may have. been the intention
of its author. and finally the assertion
was an impertinence and a gratuitous
insult.
THE offending statement has been
Withdrawn, but no word OF regret or
apology has been contained in all the
| correspondence.
this sad incident? A lesson OF charity.
prejudice.
i've have found out this week w.
We never knew before-the shortest u,S@
| lance from our church TO a saloon.
Now l wish that we and all men
were not only 400 feet, but 100 miles
from all alcoholic drink. The evils of
,hnaemperanee are immense, are horrible,
| greater. Consider the wars and riots
| that have come from national prejudice
and religious prejudice. Eliminate
source OF great harm.
Catholics Wouldn't Act So.
Tell me. would we Catholics make
an accusation against another church
such as was made against us? I am
sure we would not. We Catholics do
not print insults about our countrymen;
we Catholics do not issue foul papers
| from the press and mail them In a
secret. cowardly fashion to our neigh
why are we treated that way? why
were we not asked about this gate? One
question. one letter, would have saved
not asked the letter was not sent. We
4 were pillared before the world as abet-
! tors In evading the law.
| How. ridiculous 70 think that We
/ could close a gate here and II not be
noticed! IL our church had two or three
dozen entrances into II or two or three
| hundred, then closed gate might. not
be noticed, but when 5000 people come
II any gate was closed, 5000 people
would want to know the reason why
1