Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-04-04
GREEN, The Dry Cleaner and Halter
Shall We Penalize Sincerity?

Article 1 of the Amendments to the
Federal Constitution guarantees to
us free worship, free press and free
speech.
Our continental sires struggled
against almost insuperable odds TO
establish these principles, and many
of us still believe that they did wisely
During the war these basic guar
antees of American liberty were either
greatly abridged or actually removed;
and nowhere is this fact more slgnaily
illustrated than in the treatment ac-
corded the eight leaders Of The Inter
national Bible Students Assn (per-
hans more easily recognized by the
name of their founder and leader, the
late Pastor Chas. 7. Russell), seven
of whom were given sentences OF
twenty wears each, and the other OF
ten wears in the u. S. penitentiary at
Atlanta, Ga, for alleged violation OF
the Espionage Act.
The official record Of their nearly
three weeks trial in Brooklyn, n. y
last summer, fails utterly to show any
intent on the part of the defendants
to obstruct the prosecution OF the
war Indeed it leaves much room Tor
doubt in the layman's mind whether
there was even a technical violation
of the oddly named Espionage Law
the chief objection on the part OF the
governments attorneys centenng IN
two or three passages in the "Finished
Mystery" a commentary on certain
bible prophecies and symbols.
Many of those who are most tam1-
liar with the circumstances leading
M to the Indictment and conviction
of these men, believe firmly that the
whole matter was a well-laid piece OF
religious persecution, under cover OF
war necessity, and considerable color
is lent to this view by the fact that
one of the two passages most strong
" objected to was d quotation from
prominent New York divine, who
freely circulated the same statement
during several months Of the war ana
who was never called to public ac-
count therefor. Is that sufficient
ground for putting them in prison
for twenty years, OF for twenty days
The severity of the sentence was
extreme-as extreme as the law al
lowed them to make. On this point
the New York Post of June p, 1918
said, Judge H. B. Howe of the y. 5.
District Court in Brooklyn, sentenced
the religious persons before him to
twenty years in prison. 1t was ne
cessary, he said, to make an example
of those who SINCERITY taught tins
religion. which, like that of the Men
nonites and the Quakers and many
other sects, forbid the taking up OF
arms. They were guilty, plainly, of
having urged men to follow what they
considered the teachings of the Lore,
and to apply literally the command
ment "Thou shalt not kill" So the
iurv could do nothing less than find
them guilty Of having violated the
statutes Of the country, whatever may
be the correctness or incorrectness OF
their attitude toward the moral and
religious law.
We trust that teachers Of religion
everywhere will take notice Of this
Judges opinion that teaching any re-
Hgion. save that which is Absolutely
in accord with statute laws, is a grave
crime which is intensified if, being a
minister of the gospel, you should
happen to be sincere.
There is no doubt that Judge Howe
made his sentence severe enough;
they are about double those imposed
by the Kaiser upon the socialists who
have tried to upset his wicked regime
and three times longer than many
sentences of would-be regicides. lr
other words if they had been insincere
they would have received a lighter
sentence, or none at all.
Eight Christian men have theil
liberties taken away that was admit
edly unconstitutional; but let all that
pass, the war is over. Set the Bible
Students Free, and Take Away th'
Penalty Against Sincerity.
Write prominent officials; sign the
petition now. adV IL