New-York tribune., 1919-10-13
Announces in Sermon That
Several Members Have
Left Congregation Because
of Sermon OH ''Caryism'>
Says He Recants Nothing
Adds That He Recognizes
Abuses Which Obtain in
Ranks of Organized Labor

Free Synagogue, which numbers some
of the wealthest Jews in New York
among it's supporters. This was his
reply to exceptions taken by several
members of the congregation to his at
tack the previous Sunday on the atti~
tude of Ebert II. Gary and the United
States Steel Corporation toward the
steel strikers
DR.. Wise announced that seven mem
bers of the congregation already had
withdrawn, while letters received in
dicated still more were on the verge
of abandoning their membership. Hc
then declared he not only had nothing
to recant, but wished to emphasize his
view Of "Garyism." With tina. he Of
fered his resignation. saying he pre-
ferred to have no synagogue rachn r
than to lose his sclf-respect.
Speaking of plans to erect an edihce
for the Free Synagogue, DR.. Wise said
he had never had an agreement limit
ing his absolute freedom to utter what
his conscience dictated, and that he did
not wish any man who has contributed
or intends to contribute to be able to
say later: "If l had known Or. Wise's
economic views I would not have given
a penny"
Can Do Without Synagogue
"Putting it another way continued
DR. Wise. IL stood ready to do without
the support of men who could aud can
Go much for the building of the Free
Synagogue, but I felt that I would. if
l must, do without q synagogue, with
out this meeting place or any other,
but, that ] could not do without my
sclt-respect.
81 cry out against Garyism and all
that it means, namely, the denial to
the workers of their right to organize
and to deal collectively with their en-
ployers.
But let no one imagine" he con
tinued, chat am blind to the abuses
within the ranks of organized labor
know not a little, but much, about
the blackmail and corruption and
thicvery which are responsible for
Some Of the almost inevitable i'll will
held against labor organizations by
employers of labor. | know these
things and ] abhor them. / dcplore
lied labor as do, the rank abuses and
i corruption which have come to be FIRE
! Qucntly associated with the methods OF
i organized labor make it the more diff
| ficult for one to defend organized labor
and to insist upon its indispensable
place in our democratic industrial sys-
| tenn.
As Long AS They Are Outlawed
III venture to predict that there will
be no bctterment of conditions with re-
spect to labor organization and leader
ship. and that the same practices and
abuses that have for decades disfgured
1 it will continue to obtain as long as it
, is outlawed or semi-outlawed; as long
as it fails to have its normal and legit-
innate place within our industrial
I scheme. y, N,
"The one course to pursue is not to
attempt to outlaw and crush them. bur
to regularize them, to give them legal
4 sanction, to place upon them legal re-
sponsibilty, whe they they will or not y
DR.. Wise turned. upon those vino OBJ
;ected to what he had said with refer
encc to the steel strike
"Why," he demanded, "are some of
you so disturbed about my attack on
Judge Gary? l know the REASON, rs
we'll as some of you. 1t is because h.
IS TO some Of you Il symbol; because
he is fighting your battle. the battle
which YOU would fight tomorrow if YOU
da red; the battle which you believe he
will win for YOU without Your help;
because you imagine that if Garyisnl
can win unionism will be doomed ana
AL woskingmcn's organizations b,
smothered."
Roferrlng to assertions made BY some
OF his critics that his utterances hur,
the name of jews. DR.. Wise declared
that if truth had that effect Jews must
be content to bear it. lie said;
"Were / persuaded that, right OF
wrong, true or false, my word would
permanently and irrcmediably hurt my
people. I would not be silent, but
would instantly take myself out of the
Jewish pulpit.
II am ready to-day to make the test
l offer my congregation the privilege of
passing upon the question whether
ought to remain as their leader and
continue to be free to sr-ak as | have
spoken. | shall not be offended by any
action my people choose to take If i
seem best in their sight that Withdraw
from the ministry. as God is my wit
ness, and as believe that God will be
judge between me and them that assai
me, ! will withdraw with nothing bu.
friendship and good will and affection
for every member Of my congregation
whether | continue to serve it, or the
time of my withdrawal has come"
DR.. Wise then revealed that he hat
conferred with members Of the syna
gogue executive committee before he
delivered his sermon last Sunday at
lacking Mr. Gary and the steel cor
poration.
None Denied His Right
Although some had been hurt indus
trally, he said none had denied him
the right to speak as he felt he must
He was impelled by two conside rat ions
Mr.. Gary's refusal to confer with repre-
scntatives of the steel workers and the
Senate hearing, which he declared wa:
farcical
"The Senate commttce,' he said
dealt with Judge Gary as if he were
some sacrosanct person whose views
touching public import might not be
inquired into. 1t merely served to give
Judge Gary further opportunity tc
show the immeasurable arrogance O.
the position he had takcn.'
Dr.. Wise said he had received al
least one letter characterizing him as
Bolshevik, which, he said. was absure
in view of the fact that he opposed
Bolshevism as he had opposed Czarism
Continuing, he said:
That am not Bolshevik is a.
we'll known as is the fact that Judge
Gary is not a secret agent of the
American Federation of Labor. Tha,
! am not a Bolshevik is clear to every
one. including those who are prepared