The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1916-11-23
THE JEFFERSON1AN
PAGE FIVE

Gus delays On NOV. 26, Of the same year. On
Dec. l, the case resulted in misrial, due to fail
ure of agreement of the jury. Ten of the jury
were for acquitted and two for conviction.
This trial served to bring out several facts very
clearly which the prosecutors were trying to avoid
or conceal 1t showed that the prosecution was
not at the instance of the postofice department,
as the papist press trying to make it appear,
but was forced by papist influence in opposition
to Postmaster General HitchCock's protest The
defendant was not permitted to show his motive
In publishing the Objectionable matter but it
was shown that the Latin passage could not do
much violence TO the average reader from the fact
that 1t was in a medieval form Of the language
unfamiliar to even the average Latin student.
The official mouthpiece of the American Fede-
ration Of Catholic Societies is on record as boast
ing That this society secured governmental action
and be it remembered the A F. of C. S. is the
strong-arm Of the Roman hierarchy
Now the re-trial of the mistrial is set for a.
definite date; and the whole farce is to be le-
enacted with whatever additions Watsons enc
mics have invented and may be able to inject into
the proceedings. This brings us to the main
proposition which these papist prosecutors are
urging against the defendant. He is accused OF
an otfense against the moral welfare of the public
because he has reprinted matter which Roman
Catholic publishers have printed before him. and
which passes from their presses through the mails
with impunity.
Roman Catholic publishers and book dealers
may, and DO send these volumes through the
mails containing within their covers all that Mr.
watson reprinted, and much more of the same
nature Why have these publishers not been
arrested for doing unanimously what the defend
ant has done in very limited way?
If the matter is obscene why is it that a great
religious so-caled church not only causes it to
be printed and circulated, but has recognized the
authors as among her most authoritative teachers
OF moral theology and the passages printed we're
merely the questions priests were instructed to
PROFOUND to innocent penitents in the confess
giOnal?
1t is very clear that to charge anyone with
oDscenlty because of quoting such matter is to
ADMIT obscenlty on the part of its authors and on
the part of the alleged church and it's teachers
VINO approve it. Mr. Watson motive in printing
1t was to warn the public against the unspeaka BILE
queries IN the Roman Catholic confessional: and
Romes motive in causing the prosecution of Mr.
Watson is to destroy it's opponent or drive him
into silence.
therefore, the real issue to be determined at
this trial is whether author who criticses and
exposes the immoral literature and practices Of
the so-calied Roman Catholic church is to he
siienced, or whether the papal system NAV pub
Hsh the same matter without the possibility of
occasional criticism by anyone 1t is to decide
whether a man is immoral because he exposes in,.
morality as warning to the public. 1t is to de-
cIde whether the American press is to remain
Tree Or to be barred from criticism of naDiSt NO
cullaIltleS and practices 1t is to decide whether
the modern ROmiSh InquisitiOn can use an Aneri.
can court to destroy those whom it condemns