The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-05
SPEAKER GILLETT CENSURES BLIND ARMY CHAP!- AIN Interferes With His Pray CTS Uttered ill Favor of
 League Covenant, DIR. GOLDEN HAD SEEN
 HORRORS OF WAR But is Forbidden by Speak CT to Pray for the Promo
 tion of Peace.


 eyes of Speaker Gtlett of the Ma tional Houso of Representatives 1t Is an offehse for tho old. blind chaplain To pray that a League of Nations may be formed to prevent future terrible disasters" of similar character. So, to typify the opposition of certain of tho Republican party leaders to the League covenant, the Speaker reprI- manded the chaplain, a Republican and a Union soldier, who lost his eye sight In battle during the Civil War. Despite service for 16 years under Speakers Cannon and Clark, Rev. Henry \. Couden never had his pray CTS interfered with, but, when moved by the carnage attendant upon the World war, this old soldier implored the Almighty, and sald=
 ''We bless Thee, Our Father in Heaven, for the wise. the true, the noble men who have witnessed the terrible disasters a World War has lefr in it's wake, who arc striving to form a League of Nations to prevent its recurrence In tho future. Let those who object to a League of Ma tions visit Arlington. our national cemeteries and those in France where our American dead lies in abundance. Let them witness the wounded and 
 gone; ponder these unsightly scenes before they lift their voices against those who would prevent such scenes"
 Representative J. Thomas Hefin of Alabama arose to the defense of Dr. Couden on hearing of the episode and held that the prayer was exactly in lins--with the teachings of Christ, who preached the doctrine of peace on earth and good will toward men"
 There is consolation to the blind chaplain in the fact that One more powerful than the Speaker of this House has said. Blessed are the peacemakers. for they shall be called the children of God, said MT. lief Hn-
 ''In response to my charge that the chaplain has been forbidden to pray in this body for the success of the forces fighting to prevent war and promote peace" said Mir. Hefin, "'ths Speaker is quoted as saying, I did speak to him about it because did not want any controversial mat ters injected into prayers. Gentle men. we taul about the liberty of the citizen and tho freedom of the press, What we need now Is an untram- Ineied chaplain and the freedom of prayer"
 MT. Hehin then quoted from the naval bin of 1916. for which Speaker Gillett voted, and which provided that "the President Is authorized and requested to invite. at an appropriate time, not later than the close of the war in Europe, all the great govern ments of the world 10 send repressn- tattves to a conference which shall bo charged with the duty of formulating A plan for q court of arbitration or other tribunal to which disputed questions between nations shall be referred for adjudication and peace ful settlement. and to consider the question of disarmament and submit their recommendation to their respec- tive governments for approval"
 'sThe chaplain of this House has been praying in line with that vote of Speaker Giiletrs ever since 19is.' said Mir. Hehin, and the other day, after the President had done what the provision that Speaker Gillett voted for requested him to do, and had returned with the covenant 10 submit to his government for approY- al, and the chaplain, happy over the outlook, prayed for its success, why he is censurcd and humiliated for a prayer out of harmony with the changed attitude of the Speaker"
 In scrutiniZing the opponents of the League of Nations Mir, Hefin found among them ''eyery German agent and every citizen of our country who was in sympathy with Germany" as well as Newspapers friendly to Ger many during the war and which were denied the use of the mails because of reasonable articles" Added to these the Congressman saw ''the nunition and gun makers of the Tinted States who were selling bill lions of dollars worth of their pro- ducts to our government and Allies who. he said, were aiding the propa- aanda because If the League of Ma lions is defeat ed war will be, as al ways heretofore, the only arbiter foI the settlement of international dis putes. and that every country on the globe will begin at once to arm and eouip itself for existence on a wal basis,
 ---an anyone blame the blind chap lain. who personally knows the hor- TOTS of war, for praying for the sue cess of the forces that are striVina to promote peace in the world?" hc asked,
 Engineers Sidney LGcley of the eDlaware Division and Charles Watts