New-York tribune., 1919-10-16
Free Synagogue
UphOlds DR.. Wise
On 'Garyism' Issue
Church Council Votes Vim
dication and Sustains Him
i'll Free Expression of His
Views From the Pulpit

Nindication for DR.. Stephen S. Wise
III having preached in sermon at the
Free Synagogue in Carnegie Hall that
"Garyism is the most prolific breeder
OF revolutionary and Bolshevist senti-
ments in the land" was voted last
night by the synagogue's executive
council.
Confronted with Dr.. Wisc's offer to
resign as chief rabbi because he said
members of his congregation had
threatened to withdraw on account of
his attack on Judge Ebert H. Gary's
attitude in the steel strike, the coun-
Gil adopted resolution unanimously
approving Of "free speech in the
pulpit"
Sixteen prominent officials of the
church, headed by Oscar S. Straus
chairman Of the council, met ut the
Free Synagogue House, So West
Sixty eighth Street, to consider DR.
Wlse's offer to resign. After an hours
discussion resolution to sustain him
IN "a free expression of religious, So
clal or political views" was proposed
by Mr.. Straus, seconded by Dr. Lee K
Frankel, and promptly adopted.
The position was taken that utter
ances from the pulpit did not bind the
congregation.
Hundreds of persons had written to
the synagogue defending Dr.. Wise s
position. One OF the seven members
OF the congregation who had threat
encd to withdraw wrote that he had
recons idered, and added: "With Roose-
welt, l say l would rather be with d
man strongly wrong than with man
weakly right
Frederick L. Guggenheimer, the ex-
ecutlve secretary, said that letters had
como from employers, lawyers, union
men, rabbis and non-Jewish preachers
demanding that free speech in the pull
pit be sustained.
The resolutions adopted read
LAS result Of q recent address de
llvered by Or. Wise on q phase of the
existent social and industrial unrest
there arose considerable comment botl
IN the public press and among the
members Of the congregation with re
spect thereto.
$50 far as the Free Synagogue is con
cerned, the only question which was o.
can be raised by reason of DR.. Wise:
recent utterances and the commen
arising therefrom is as to the righ
of the rabbi of the congregation tt
express from its pulpit freely the
u uCI as ne sees IL upon all mOIal
ethical and spiritual questions
"The executive council Of the Ere,
Synagogue, believing that it speaks 70
practically the entire membership o
the congregation, afiirms and approve
not only the right but the duty of it
rabbi to speak the truth as he sees i
upon any question, whether it be rc
ligious, spiritual, social or political
and it reafiirms and rcstates the princi
pie upon which the Free Synagogue
was founded in the words Of it's orig
inal constitution, to wit:
Believing that the power of tn
synagogue for good depends in par
upon the inherent right of the pulpi
to freedom of thought and speech, tn
founders of the Free Synagogue re
solved that it's pulpit shall be free t
preach on behalf Of truth and right
eousness in the spirit and after tn
pattern Of the prophets Of Israel
"ln reiterating the principles o
which the Free Synagogue was found
ed, the executive council does not at
tempt to express the views of the mem
bcrship as to the timeliness of his ad
dress or as to the merits Of its con
tent"
Besides Mr.. Straus and Dr. Krenke
the members of the council presen
we're Edward Davis, Samuel Samue
Charles E. Bloch, Frederick l.. Guggen
heimer, Walter S. Heilborn. II.
Kaufman, Joseph NJ. Levine, G. Levo'
Morris May, d. X. Moses, Bcnjami
Schloss, Israel N. Thurman, Edmon
Uhry and NJ. L. Wormser.