The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-06-29

the total population of the country.
That so small a percentage should
supply over a quarter Of our fighting
forces is somewhat of puzzle; but
1t is also said that this small percent
age of the population holds eighty per
cent of the Offices; that is not the
work of religion" but of ecclesiastic-
ism whose unholy ambition it is to
have huge and greedy hands reaching
unchallenged into every public treas
ury on earth-municipal or national
If ecclesiasticism has the right to
spread its deadly propaganda broad
cast, fairness demands that those OPP
posed have the same, especially when
they urge all to study the Bible for
themselves, while Romish ecclesiastics
are thrown into spasms of terror at
the prospect of general study of that
book, Especially the Protestant
Biblel.
Ecclesiasticism in the form of the
Roman hierarchy, collects huge sums
OF money on various pretexts, from
antis as we'll as pros. These sums
are never audited by anybody and the
ecclessiastlcs are accountable to no
body for the use to which they are put,
Great blocks of real estate in every
quarter of the United States are held
by them untaxed, even when income
producing, bought with money sup
piled by their faithful followers and
tolerant heretics" but neither the
faithful nor the unfaithful can call
for an accounting.
Romish ecclesiasticism has indus.
trial institutions all over the land
where, under the disguise of religion
and charity" children toll for mere
board and clothes, the results of their
labor flowing into the bottomless cof.
fers of ecclesiasticism. To these ana
many other things those who stanc
opposed to ecclesiasticism in a demo
cratic country object and Justly
These activities are not "religion"-
are they?
Two things ecclesiasticism mus
have or die. Political power ant
money. Religion" lives and thrive!
where these are not. Its home is il
the hearts of those "who deal iustl,
and love mercy"
Sometime religion" which is love
) truth, justice, economic equilibrium
between man and man and all race
Of men, will cover the earth "as tn,
waters cover the sea-" but this cal
never be as long as in the minds O
its dupes, and those who object to i
as well, ecclesiasticism can disguise it
self as religion"
The worst sufferers, economically
: mentally and spiritually, from eccle
siasticism, are its followers in whom
> is bred fear of the future, fear o
! self-trust and a bitterness agains
II those of a different belief which lead
them to assassinate the reputation
the livelihood and not infreuuently d
| physical violence to those who fight fo
democracy against ecclesiasticism. In
spired by the Roman hierarchy, thi
sort OF work is going on ceaselessly i
this democratic country. For the SAX
OF its strenuous lay supporters most O
all, ecclesiasticism must and shall b
DESTROYED, root and branch that are
ligion" may live. E. F. B.
In the foregoing letter t.
d? the Editor of the Oregol
!, Journal" Portland, Oregon
Il Eleanor Florence Baldwin hit
. upon vital truth for, after a
|. is said about political Romanisn
e the whole burden falls bac
d upon the shoulders of ecclesias
7 ticism. We're it not for thes
:. ecclesiastics craving power fo
h the church, and through tn
e church for themselves, ther
), would be no political menace t
+ American institutions from tn
!, Roman Catholic church. Wer
d it not for the papal system an
: s it's peculiar organism depender
Z upon the political prestige G
: : the church, there would be n
d Roman issue and Roman Cath
: olics would stand side by sid
8 with their separated brethren
q The ecclesiasticism that bind
y them to allegiance to Rome
the mark that makes them di
l. ferent from all the rest an
g makes good Catholics" a dal
n gerous element in politics.
!, This letter was written to til
4 Journal Immediately after mir
G. priests and a layman attacke,
r through the Portland press, tt
q Portland Patriotic League whic
y had endorsed certain candidate
L CONTINUED on Page 2, Column
. y~>-~J>~~~~~>~>~~~~~~s~~