The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1923-09-21


Nolan r. Best, editor of the Con-
tirrent. The occasion for the regret
is two-fold: First Mr.. Best has been
my warm personal friend for more than
20years. Second he and the Continent
have been outstanding supporters OF
the Anti Saloon League. Yet, ii Mr..
Best does not allow either personal
friendship or his advocacy of the
League to prevent him from injuring
the cause and wronging his friend, l
can not allow things to stand in the
way Of telling the truth even though it
may hurt Mr.. Best.
This is not the first time that Mr..
Best has gone wrong respecting Anti
Saloon League affairs. He was for a
short time a member of the National
Executive Committee Of the League
and the most disturbing and discord-
ant force ever in that body. Men UNI
surpassed in ability to harmonic with
other strong personalities found him
impossible at times i'll matter and man
ner. He has insisted since that the
League finally came to his viewpoint.
1t probably did on some matters when
1t could get there without wrecking
everything already gained, but Mr..
Best was as unreasonable and impa-
tient then as he has been in dealing with
the New York State Superintendent.
Mr.. Best's own utterances betray
their unfairness and untruthfulness by
every standard of reasonable interpre-
tation.
Only Editor of Religious Paper Who
Joined Wet Press
He is, the only editor of leading
religious paper in America so far as
/ have, been able to find out land a
hostile press would gladly have helped
me, on, this) who, has joined Tammany,
the liquor interests. wet New York
City press, some discharged, disered-
tied League employees and Raymond
B. Fosdick. Rockefeller representative,
In demanding that the Anti-Saloon
League Superintendent of New York
be eliminated.
Further, solely because Mr.. Best has
compelled me to do so, / shall let in
the. light thoroughly. When criticized
BY Presbyterians over the country for
his original hostile editorial utterance,
he wrote letters, which could escape
the charge of falsehood only by pet
tifogging teehnicaiity. He stated that
In an interview with him | had said
things that justified the misleading not
to say false statements in his original
editorial. In that interview it was ap-
parent, and later proved by his edi-
torial, that Mr.. Best had determined
what he would say regardless of what
! might adduce. 1t was further ap-
parent that he. had been coached by
the opposition, proof of which Mr.
Best established in writing, in mo-
ment of heat.
Joined Effort to Discredit Represen-
tatives of the Churches
At this interview Mr. Best borrowed
the district attorney discharged en-
ploye7 Raymond B. Fosdick attacks
upon the State Board of Directors OF
the Anti-Saloon League OF New York
in general and personally assailed DR..
Burrell the state president, one OF the
outstanding pastors OF America, who
has. given of his time and interest to
the prohibition cause for ~ years.
The Rev. William c. Spicer, about 20
years pastor OF the First Presbyterian
church OF Gloversville, New York, in
fuential member of the Presbytery OF
Albany, and on the League Board
when j came to the state, Mr.. Best
characterized as unworthy of consid-
Grafton in such relation and lacking in
representative value and character. |
was charged with a lack of intelli-
gcnee because | had not gotten rid OF
this faithful de facto representative OF
.hc conscience, character and ability OF
tho Presbyterian church upstate,
which church, through some technical
ity OF Presbyterian law, is prevented
from clceting through its Synod off
cial representatives on the Anti-Saloon
League Board, the only denomination
SO hampercd.
Mr.. Best did admit that Rev. Fl. II.
Barstow of the Board, who built and
for years conducted leading Presby-
terian church in Rochester and who
now is one of the strong pastors OF
Auburn, is q representative Presby-
terrain minister.
Regardless of the fact that the
Board Of Directors of the Anti-Saloon