The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-01-19
A SoWER OF DIscoRD

kissed, peace loving, home inviting,
glorious land of perpetual flowers and
Isong birds.
We had hoped that the apostles of
hate and religious discord, these I'M
American, un-Christian spellbinders,
these political graft-promoting pros
titutes to prejudice had had their day
and had shaken the sand of Florida
from their shoes, but such, it ap-
lpears, is not the case. The wild cats
of hell will again storm the woods.
Billy Parker. an Orangeman, Ga Sc
cret society of the north of Ireland)
an alien filed with old-world preju-
dice, a man destitute of spirituality
of any deep religious feeling, but who
Ihates Catholicism because he was
raised in ignorance and nurtured on
prejudice to hate it's teachings and
Isystem of worship, has purchased the
bankrupt Free Press of Jacksonville
land will devote its columns to a prop
uganda of his old-world, un-American,
lanti-Christian doctrines among the
lpeople of Florida.
The News has always held to the
| opinion that the average man can
make more kinds of "damphooI' of
himself on the subject of religion
than on any other subject which he is
called upon to deal, though his opin-
ion never included those who believe
in, and strive to shape their lives by,
the simple gospel model of love
taught by the Master.
The editor is not a Catholic, per-
haps because of his early training,
nevertheless he must recognize the
fact that some of the worlds most de-
voutly consistent and influential ex-
ponents of the teachings of the lowly
Nazarine were adherents of that
faith; that among it's communicates
have been many of the worlds great
est savants in literature, science and
art; that even in this day and time
the Roman Catholic church leads in
consistency of opposition any of the
protestant churches our American
system of easy divorce and other in
dividual and national sins which are
destroying the very foundations of
our family and social life.
Only last week there came to us
an unusual feeling of spiritual uplift
on hearing a beautiful rendition of
the hymn, Lead Kindly Light, Amid
the Encircling Gloom, Lead Thou Me
On" a hymn written by Roman
Catholic cardinal, and which has been
incorporated into the hymnology of
every protestant church where gran
deur of theme and inspirational mel
ody has place.
1t is said that three per cent. of the
population of Florida is catholic. Is
lit possible that there is any serious
danger of this catholic tail wagging
our protestant dog? And would it
mot be good thing for the dog if
some of him were to be wagged
little out of his present condition of
spiritual dormancy? His utter disre-
gard of all religion?
We know comparatively few Cath
olics in Florida. but of those whom
it has been our privilege to become
acquainted, certain it is that in per-
sonal living and citizenship they
measure up in all outward particu-
lars with the best men wa haze
known among the laity of other
Christian churches We can never
come to regard them as a menace no
matter how much Billy Parker and
the men of his ilk seek to denounce
and defame them.
But most abhorrent of all to US is
the fact that this Billy Parker-this
| tiy-by-night teacher of old world dis
cords spreading doctrines inimicai
to the constitution of the United
States and the state of Florida, which
guarantee freedom in religion, that
| freedom which permits every citizen
to worship God, the Father of US all,
according to the dictates of his own
individual conscience so long as in so
doing he does not transgress the laws
of the land.
The News expected in this simply
to place itself on record as regretting
that these same constitutions permit
Billy to SOW religious discord accord,
ing to the dictates of his own damna-
BILE thirst for notoriety and graft
Palatka News.
An Englishman, writing to his
brother in Tampa. says that the Unit