The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-26
FORMAL REPLY BY
PASTORS UNION TO
DR.. M. NEWF|ELD
DiscIaim Responsibility for
Bringing Jewish Voters
Into Movie Question
NOTHING IN LETTER
IMPLYING A THREAT
Claim Motive Prompting Pastors Was
Good and Was Intended for Well
fare of Each of Religious
Bodies Concerned


The Birmingham Pastors union.
through DR.. P. B. Wells. chairman
publicity committee, yesterday made
formal reply to the letter of DR.. Nor
ris Newfield regarding Jewish partici-
patton in the approaching referendum
on Sunday moving pictures in Birming-
ham.
The pastors had suggested that Jew
ish voters not participate on the
ground that a specific Christian in
stitution" was involved.
DR.. Newfeld replied to this commu-
nication reads as follows:
Birmingham, Ala, April %. 1918.
ITO Rabbi Morris Newtield. Temple
Emanuel, Birmingham. Ala.
my Dear Sir: Your letter of the
goth inst, sent by special delivery to
me as chairman of the publicity com
mittee, has received the careful con-
sideration of the members of the Pas
tors union of this city.
THE courtesy and straightforward
ness of your letter are appreciated We
desire to assure you again that we
were entirely sincere in the friendly
sentiments to which we gave express
sion, that we have the most kindly
feeling for our Jewish friends, and a
sincere interest in their welfare. At
the same time, however, we differ
with you in your statement that we
permitted (ourl enthusiasm to get the
better of (our) judicious and mature
Judgment We regret that you are
compelled to disagree as to the wisdom
and justice of (our) advice In reply,
we respectfully ask you to note the
following:
81. The communication which we ad-
dressed to the Jews of this city, many
of whom are our personal friends. was
of the nature of private commute
cation, and not prepared with view
to publication. We did not publish the
letter which we sent to the Jews of
this city, neither did we publish the
letter which you sent in reply.
NOT RESPONSIBLE
az. The members of the Pastors
union did not in any wise seek to
bring the Jews into this question. They
were in no way responsible for the fact
that in the first line up in this con-
test the names of many influential
Jews were paraded as having entered
into this fight. When the Jews, through
the public press and through sigma
lures, were made prominent in this
campaign, we did not then seek the
public print After the question had
been raised by the other side, and art
er the Jews had been prominently
brought in by the other side, our reply
was not a public assault upon the
Jews, but a private letter addressed
to them individually. We believe that
if our appeal had not been given to the
press, and If you had not published
your reply--if the matter had been
allowed to stand as it was, friendly
suggestion of one religious faith to
another, a suggestion as to the most
helpful attitude of the one towards an
institution fundamental to the Chris
tian faith of the other-the cordial re-
lations Of the adherents to these two
faiths would have been better, ana
their cooperation for future good far
greater.
.3, We did not directly, nor Indirect
Nv. question the right of any Jew to
vote. There was nothing in our pri-
yate appeal which could be rightfuliy
construed as threat nor was any
suggestion made calculated to abridge
any rights or privileges of the Jews OF
Birmingham. The letter from the mem
bers of the Pastors union contained
only one suggestions friendly appeal
and that suggestion touched neither
rights nor privileges, but merely
question of community policy touch
ing an institution FUNDAMENTAL TO the
~ Ia
"The communication from the Pas
tors union made no request for Jews
TO vote for or against it merely sug-
gested the wisdom of neutral posi-
ton on their part in this particular
issue. in order to vitalize the joint po-
sition of both parties upon all ques-
lions where religion does not specif-
ically enter.
MOTIVE WAS GOOD
ID We wish it to be clearly under
stood that the motive prompting the
members of the Pastors union was
good. and was intended for the well
fare OF each of the religious bodies
concerned. Our cordial RELATIONSHIP the
past bear testimony to the high es-
TEEN in which we hold our jewish
friends. Rabbi Newfield has been In
the Christian pulpits of this city He
and other Jews have been accorded
all fraternal courtesies. The members
of the Pastors union have never in
terfered in public or in private with
the right or privilege of any Jew IN
this city to exercise every function OF
a citizen. They have been invited to
come into every movement of the city
touching things for civic, social ana
commercial betterment.
1--WE challenge any man to show
where any Christian minister of Bir-
mingham has at any time attacked any
right or custom of the Jewish faith.
We not only accord him the right to
vote as he may see best; we have ac-
corded him, freely and without preju-
dice. welcome into the entire civic,
social and commercial life of the city.
IS In your letter you state: i was in
deed grieved, very much against my will,
~ come to the conclusion that your let
ter contains a yelled threat that unless
the citizens who profess the Jewish faith
abstain from voting in this election. no
matter which way we might vote. the fact
of our participation, you say, viii I'M
doubtedly create an undesirable and
most unfortunate friction between some
of the oest Christians and some of the
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