The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-04-08
AcAlN.wE PROTEST.

this issue to our protest against his
going as the Mayor of Cordele to de-
liver an address in Macon on Me-
mortal Day to a crowd Of boiling
Young hot bIoods who deem it their
duty to stage an anti-Catholic demon
stration lust at the time Bishop Kelley
is to deliver the Memorial address for
! the veterans. Mayor Jones, reply
simply manifests fairly full grown
example of that same bigotry which
he says prevails in the camp of the
old Bishop.
1t is not the misguided" ladies' of
Macon U. D. c. or the interests of the
Roman Catholics that both
ers. Mrs. Walter Grace and the la
dies and the veterans of Camp Smith
are taking care of the affair splendid
ly. And the Catholics are beginning
to fling back that awful anathema
"bigotry" at those who accuse them.
Who are the bigots? Let us see:
Webster's definition is: "Obstinately
and blindly attached to some creed,
opinion, practice, or ritual UNREA-
SONABLY devoted to O system or
party and illiberal towards others
opinions. Prejudiced intolerant, mar
row minded" You say that just fits
the Catholics. May be so, but how
about you?
Does it ever occur to the average
person that Tom Watson is busy man.
ufacturing the material that it takes
to sell his publications, and that he
cares nothing of the effect? You who
are devotees, did you swear at the
Catholics so hard before Watson put
you up to it? You could not make the
average man believe Watson is sin
cere. that he believes himself what
he is putting out.
The Catholic churcn is decadent
order. 1t is millions of souls less
powerful than it used to be. In free
America it is less powerful than when
Bishop Kelley wore the gray fighting
for the Lost Cause. So they abide
the civil laws, why not let them alone?
Watson is putting you up to a dan
gerous practice. The very warp and
wool of this liberty loving nation
came. Of a guarantee that one might
worship according to dictates of his
own conscience. The love of liberty
is dethroning the monarchS of Eu
rope today. Republican forms Of gov
eminent styled after the American
government will take their places
Freedom of thought, speech worship
and the right Of a people to rule them
selves,-all principles which we en-
JOY now-are sweeping imperial gov
! ernments from the face of the earth
Shall we continue to let Watson's
line Of publicity make bigots of us
while he fills his treasury and grin7
with the chuckle of a demon having
fangs of fire? What does he care about
religious liberty or worship according
| to dictates of ones own conscience!
| If Mayor Jones knew how much to
this dangerous propagander he will
contribute in leading the nti-Catholic
| demonstration in Macon when Bishop
Kelley speaks for the veterans, do you
suppose he would enjoy the notoriety ?
And let them go on. and on, with 9th
| err demonstrations. Soon such a thing
as religious liberty will have faded
from out our lives. What a fright
full price we are paying for Watson's
! selling material!
But let us apologize for so much of
| this. After all, let us hope it will new
err prove so serious. Back here in the
free atmosphere of pretty, proud
city the veterans. sons Of veterans,
women and children, will all be hon
oring the dead heroes of the sixties
at the same hour that Mayor Jones
goes away to help the Guardians of
Liberty in Macon dishonor them. No,
it is not wrong for old veterans to hold
: memorial exercises in Macon or any
where else in the wide, wide world
! but it is wrong to mar their exercises
with a public demonstration against