The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1916-12-02

TENS OF rulc tnat are so ulamctrlCal-
" opposed. each to the other that they
cannot exist together anymore than
could the absolutism Of a car and
his bureaucracy or the despotism Of
n sultan exist IN the midst Of lib
cral democracy. The papal system.
and the democratic system which
recognizes the people az the supreme
source and sovereign power in gov
ernmcnt, are in as deadly opposi-
tion as is absolute monarchy and
free democracy. and indeed, the pa
pal system is nothing IL not mon
archlal. The democratic system
rests on. and is bulwarked BY GER
tain principles and provisions which
check, hamper, and challenge the
papacy at every step. These pro-
visions briefly are: (n freedom OF
thought and speech, including free
dom Of religious discussion. (2)
freedom Of assembly, (3) freedom
Of press. (H absolute divorce be-
tween church and state, or equal
opportunities dnd freedom for all
Churrh.s or faiths, and special priv
ilegcs 10 none. and no state or pub
l'c fG,cntlsm or appropriations for
sectarian institutions, (5) as q nee
essary protection for a government
based on popular sovereignty. as ,
promoter 10 intellectual hospitality
and destroyer Of bigotry, sectar-
ianism, and religious prejudice, the
non-sectarian public school system.
These are distinguishing glories
Of our liberal democracy and against
ersry one Of these LaSic principles
and rial safeguards Of liberal de-
mocmcy political ROmdRism IN
Amsrica today is wdrying because
erery one is ia direct opposition 10
the pdpai system Of government as
eHuHoidted and upheld By erery
pope.
Furthermore, while >profeSsing
loyalty and patriotism, Rome.
through her secret organizations.
her federated societies, and her
faithful sons. has during recent
years, steadily and with increasing
boldneSS, been warning in govern
ment and out, against freedom Of
religious discussion, freedom OF
press, the principle Of divorce Of
church and state, and against our
public free school system. Every
count in this indictment We stand
ready to establish by irrefutable,
present-day facts.
This is the vital issue at stake.
Our claim is either true or it is
false. II true. no citizen worthy Of
this free republic can remain indif-
ferent and be quit Of moral guilt.
IL false. it is the bOunden duty as
well as privilege Of Rome to come
out in the open, and to demand
full, free, and impartial investiga-
tion, and to meet thejssuc as honest
men meet all similar issues-by
frank. full, and free discussion Of
every point. That is the democrat
ic method. That is the method that
is welcomed by all people, societies.
or organizations conscious Of the
truth Of their claims or denials. but
that is the last thing Rome desires
because she knows that every count
in our indictment is true. Hence.
she resorts to censorship, to boycott,
and 10 villihcation and slander OF
all representatives OF free democ-
racy, substituting a campaign Of
billingsgate and abuse for one Of
calm reason, and full, fair, and free
discussion.
Furthermore, when Rome appeals
to the Protestant public through
her "chloroform committee" she
does not adopt the only method By
which these fundamental issues can
be discussed and intelligently
judged, but abe employs special lee
turen who select their own topics