The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-18


fesses that it is willing to make use
| Of it. 1t is willing to do without
| the help Of any man of any creed
| who DOES NOT" Leader, April 81
1915.
Who is so blind as not TO see that
| he makes religion a secondary mat
ter just Ike all Socialist leaders do?
Speech of Mr.. Townley at Grand
| Forks, last year, viz:
Socialist. Socialist! Well well, do
| you know that am supposed 10 be a
! Socialist. an agitator an !. w. w, an
| atheist? Now for the purpose
| for argument / am going to assume
| that these lovely names arc right,
If the eminently highly respected
| Christian Republicans and Democrats
like SOrley. Bacon, and Sand
! strom, and the rest, il they are so
| blind and dunn and dull l say If
| eminently highly respected Christian
| gentlemen D." so far neglect the
management of the state. to protect
| the hundreds of thousands OF men,
| women, and children, against the rob-
berry and now as a last resort, Social
| lists, agitatOrs, and atheists have to do
it d" "."-Leader, April IL. 1917.
Yes, he was using a figure of
| speech, but the purpose was to
EVADE answering the question. No
Christian man or woman or child will
make such concession without stat
| ing their position in respect to the
church or religious matters. ONLY
the atheist and infidel win dismiss
such a subject in such a manner. 1t
is the natural course Of the atheist
and infidel to side-step the issue in
such a manner.
Let me state here that it is the
duty Of every Christian man and
woman to be receptive at all times
to extend glad hand of welcome to
any atheist or inhdel who changes his
belief provided that his acts in at
tending Christian gatherings are con-
sistent with his professed change Of
heart.
The last statement was made to
cause a query in the mind of the
reader, as How does he know that
Mr.. Townley has not made a change
of heart?
We have some later and more ex-
plicit record on the subject. An
editorial, subject, The Consumption
Law page Z, viz:
80 The people have accepted
with little or no protest a selective
draft law that is faulty and unfair in
many respects. For instance
why, exempt ministers Of religion and
students of divinity? II ministers are
exempted, why not lawyers or farm
boys? These faults and unfair
determinations are not the worst
features. Its worst feature is its
recognition Of the principle that
mans conscientious scrUples about
killing his fellow man is a valid
objection to army services, and
WHILE RECOGNIZING THIS
PRINCIPLE. LIMITING IT'S AP-
PLICATION TO MEMBERS OF THE
CHURCHES THAT OPPOSE WAR
AS A PART OF THEIR CREED
(Leader emphasis) that is utterly in
defensible. II scFuples about taking
life are valid reasons for exemptions
for military service then every man
who has honest convictions OF that
kind should be exempted no matter
what church he belongs to or political
party. The people have general
~ accepted the CONSUMPTION law in
spite of those indefensible provisions"
Leader, Aug. 8, 1917.
Collateral question. IF the law is
unfair, faulty. and indefensible" is
this an encouragement or a discour-
agement to registerinE?)
Why is it "indefensible" because 1t
exempts ministers Of religion?
There is but one possible answer,
and that is, because he doesn't want
the people to hear Christian religion
preached to them, and because he
doesn't want the children and family
to have the council of religious train
ing. Who desires such conditions?
The infideI and atheist, ONLY.
The statement. If ministers are
exempted why not farm boys?" is a
sneaking, sly, appeal from NO 9TH
Err source than atheism and infidelt-
ty.
Nowhere in all history is there an
instance where a man of authority
who had NO RESPECT FOR HIS
GOD. who scrupled to be dishonest
with the people. | do not believe
that Mr.. ToWnley will prove the ex-
ception, therefore / assert that until
he proves himself a different man by
example to what his records show.
NO Christian nan or woman should
compromise their honor by following
him
III scruples about taking life are
valid reasons for exemptions for
military services then every man who
has honest convictions OF that kind
should be exempted no matter what
church he belongs to or political
party"
Here is the sop" to Socialist. It
also shows that Mr.. Townley still
holds to the Socialist doctrine, for
they and THEY ONLY constitute the
political party" which scruples about
defending their country.
Yours for the preservation OF all
that's refining. sacred and advance
ing IN the Christian religion for the