The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1916-04-29

sdmc hatred OF full-0rbed freedom,
which marked the Council Of Con-
stance, Of the sO-Called infallible
church in the year l4l5, Is seen
in America in the birth-town
Of the poet Of freedom, BIOS
soming and bearing the same
Dead Sea fruit Of intolerance, re-
ligious bigotry and hatred Of free
dom Of thought ana speech, as was
in evidence in the elder day and a.
has ever been in evidence when the
Church Of Rome has dared TO show
her undying opposition to liberty
Of speech and press.
Is Haverhill sorry7
We are told that Hayerhill is sor-
ry. Certain il is that the Protestant
ministry has taken a firm and truly
democratic stand in favor of remoy-
ing, as far as may be, the stain from
the fair name Of the city Rome has
SO disgraced. But IL is equally
true that the executive authorities Of
Haverhill have failed to take the only
step that can eXonerate the city and
measurably lift the stigma which
Rome has placed upon her. So far
the city officers hare failed 10 in-
rite the lecturer 10 return under
safe conduct or adequate protection
On the disgrace Of Hayerhill, the
Boston Transcript follows its fpC
editorial quoted in THE MENACE
last week, by the publication Of the
following timely utterance.
"Havcrhill is sorry," we are told. fol
the disgrace that IL put upon the Com
monwealth in its riot Of Sunday. II
ought TO be sorry, and none the less y
because the man whom il rioted against
and probably would have lynched IL 4
had got its hands upon him, does moi
stand TO his guns. As the matter rest
now, the mob has won against FREE
speech, which could hardly be vindicateC
unless the original plan for the meetinI
at the Hayerhill CITY Hall were carrie,
out. 10 il little hard 10 believe tha
the principle Of free speech has come 4
that pass in Massachusetts-es especially Il
the near neighborhood Of the birthplAc
Of the man who said, "I will not equivo
cate. will not excuse, | will not retTea
single inch, and viii be heard. " Tn
suppression Of Leyden's = appearance wa
as much q manifestation Of lAwlessness a
, the mobbing Of Garrison in the streets o
Boston on Oct. 81, 1888, and deserves IN
same rebuke that American history ha
put upon that outrage.
Protestant Ministers Speak
The entire body of the Protestan
: clergy Of Haverhill, thirteen i
| number, appeared before Mayo
Bartlett and Commissioner Hoy
D on April Z, to protest against tn
outrage, the inefiiciency of the pc
: lice and the equally disgracefr
Z failure of the department Of justiC
to ferret out, arrest and punish III
|, ring leaders Of the mob.
9 The Rev. Nicholas Van der p,
acted as spokesman for the mini
terial body. In the course of h
address he thus voiced the sent
ments Of the united Protestant mil
> istry of Haverhill:
"I speak in behalf and by the authO
!, iIstion Of the entire Protestant clergy
! the city Of Haverhill.
o "we deplore, and we feel indigna
4 about the lawlessness which overran III
, city last Monday night. Our city h
been disgraced before the country, a
only the people Of this city can reno
q the disgrace which is ours today.
i "We are not bigots. We have the hig
e est charity for all who worship God
their own way and according TO the di
tates Of their own conscience.
i "But we are also American either
], and we are the accredited Representative
II Of the morals and religious interests
!. this city. We hold inviolable the gre
principles of freedom of speech and fr,
= dom Of the press, subject 10 the laws
4 libel and incendiarism, after the IA
which have been established by all {
people, and which only the people c
abrogate.
HI ga mob has overrun our city. Church
have been broken into and desecrated
that mob. The homes Of unofending a
innocent citizens have been stoned.
some cases lives have been threaten
and placed in jeopardy. We cannot Z,
set 50 long as the mob is permitted TO
victorious, and its leaders glowing N
fact that they have trampled under tn
feet the most sacred rights Of all Q
people. We viii not forget until I
principle Of free speech has been
| pressively vindicated BY the law.abidi
element Of this community itself.
/ The attitude Of the mayor, thou
> not surprising in viev Of his form