The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-03-28
IMPRISONMENT Of
BIBLE STUDENTS
SmaCkS of Religious PerSe.
CutiOn

President of The International Bible
Students Association, Secretary
/ Van Amburgh, and Mcssrs. Mac
milan, Robinson, Martin, Wood
worth, DeCecca and Fisher, and fl
nally, in defiance of all principles
of Righteousness, landed them i'm a
Federal Penitentiary at Atlanta,
were sincere in wanting their
preaching of truth stopped only dur
ing the war, these interests should,
now that the big war is over, seek
for their release They are calling
for the release of others. Why do
they not recommend that the Presi-
dent release these eight Bible Stu
dents as we'll
These men did nothing more than
continue during wer time the same
religious teachings they had taught
for thirty years previously 1t was
on account of these religious teach
ings that they were made the target
of SANDER from the public platform,
abuse and villification from the in
Vulnerable papers representing GER
tain interests, and finally were pros
ecuted and convicted on technical
grounds, unjustly we firmly believe.
The book which was the basis of
their persecution, The Finished
Mystery, was merely an explanation
of part of the Bible-Revelatio
and Ezekiel. 1t was not book
against war or against the govern
ment. 1t simply continued the Bible
teachings which for several decades
the Bible Students had held as their
doctrines. 1t was a book that had
been promised for thirty years, as
the seventh of Pastor Russell's
Studies in the Scriptures; and much
of it had been written years before
some of it nearly forty years be
fore. The paragraphs on which the
prosecution was based were eXpla-
nations of certain verses in Revela-
ton and Ezekiel.
This book handled various sub
jects without gloves, showing that
certain Bible Prophecies were being
fulfilled today. 1t showed that God
highly disapproves of the acts of
certain classes of influential and
powerful men; and its plain speak
ing angered these classes and caused
them to seek the destruction of the
book and the doing away with its
publishers.
1t would seem incredible in this
supposedly enlightened day and age
that religious intolerance should
again covertly use the strong arm
of the government as its cats paw.
But good many sensi-
bic people are beginning to
get their eyes opened to
certain things. The prosecutions
that center around the book, The
Finished Mystery, began in Canada,
where certain preachers, stung by
it's straight-from- shoulder ex-
positions of Scripture, announced
that they would complain about it
to the Canadian Government. An
order was soon issued by the censor
Later the prosecutions began in the
United States, which eliminated in
the prosecution of the Bible Stu
dents now in prison at Atlanta.
When certain interests want an
individual silenced, they go about
it in devious ways. There are few
of us anywhere in any line of work
who have not quite unconsciously
broken some law or statute. The
emissaries started off by the inter
ests dig up anything of this sort
they can find and suddenly the
doomed individual finds himself fac
ing legal action for something be
perhaps never dreamed of. 1t was
thus with these Bible Students
They were carrying on their regular
religious work without thought of
interfering with the war, when sud-
denly they found themselves facaing
prosecution for alleged intent to
hinder the war, etc.
When the full details are pub
ished of the way certain interests
worked things to land these Christ
ian gentlemen in jail practically for
life, the American people will be
astounded. Meanwhile the LIBERTY
loving people should see that this
outrage upon righteousness and JUS
tice is corrected.
Shall the Bible Students Stay In
Jail2
If you want freedom to remain a
reality in America, write letters of
protest about these Christians inn