The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-17
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

BY LUDWELL DENNY
II UNIVERSITY, Va, Aug. 17.-For
" Two weeks the Institute of Pub
lie Affairs at Jefferson's University
has been trying to ignore the cam
paign religious controversy but now
it has burst all over the place.
A Protestant preacher started the
fireworks suddenly in a dull forum
on commercialization of the press,
and things have been popping ever
since.
Every intelligent person knows
that religion already is a campaign
factor perhaps the principal fac
tor, in the discussion of the people
throughout the country" said the
Rev. Albert G. Dieffenbach, editor
of the Boston Christian Register, to
the accompaniment of cheers and
Kisses.
"The Catholic Church never in all
its history has relented by a sylla~
bic its absolute claims to primacy
over the State. 1t has been said
that Governor Smith has dismissed
the religious question by his reply
to Charles G. Marshall in the At
lantic Monthly Of May, 1927. But
why do not editors tell their readers
that Governor Smiths reply has no
force, so far as the church is con-
cerned, since he is a mere layman
with no standing whatever except
as an obedient child of all the doc
trines Of the church.
"TTNHE bill of rights says what any
Il decent man believes, that the
Roman Catholic and every other be-
lever shall have full rights in the
conduct of worship.
But it is because many Amer
leans believe the Roman Catholic
system would prohibit the free exer-
else of religion by other faiths than
its own, according to the avowed
Catholic doctrine, that they have
made up their minds to take no
chances, not so much with Mr..
Smith as with the hierarchy of
which he is a member.
when the Catholic church pleads
for religious liberty it means liberty
for itself to maintain its dogma of
religious authority, not only in the
church but in the State.
"As for that Protestant influence
called fundamentalism, 1 am Just as
lntrepidly opposed to it as anyone.
But 1 can see the curse both of
Protestant fundamentalism and the
curse of the potential Roman Cath
Ole rule in this country. The most
terrible thing that has happened in
this country" (Cheers).
Nd ED In the face Dr. John H. La
IN tame, Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity, ridiculed this fear of the.
Catholic church and this opposition
to Smith. He attacked what he
called the Protestant parsons at
tempted domination Of the country.
"The Jesuits in their pallniest
days never had a flrIner grip on
the Government of any country
than the leaders of Protestant
churches have had in this country
during the last eight years. cloud
shouts of approvalO
your own Virginia delegates to :
the Houston convention were afraid
to vote for Smith because of fear Of
that element.
"Vice President Marshall said
when the prohibition amendment
was passed in the Senate, not
twenty Senators We're in favor Of
it, but they were afraid Of the po-
litical parsons.
"You know what happened to the
Jesuits (abroad as a result of their
activities political: Well, the po-
litical parsons in this country also
are riding for a fall, for .Anert-
cans are not going to submit very
long to ecclesiastical domination.
ION one side are the fundamen-
talists, the Ku-Klux Khan and the
political parsons, carrying with
them a great many good, sincere
Christian people, and on the other
side are the forces Of liberalism. If
the political parsons carry the South
against Smith it will mean the tri-
umph of political bigotry, hypocrisy
and cant, and the intellectual and
spiritual development of the South
will be set back many years." pro
longed applauseO
TOHN S. BRYAN, editor Chicago
y Journal and Richmond News
Leader:
"In France, after the government
got through with the Catholic
church it ate out of the govern
ment's hand. In italy, Mussolini
told the Catholic church where to
get off, and it got of. The Catholic
church practically is an impotenb
thing in America
with 100000 people in this
country who belong to no church
at all, what can 100000 Catholics
do? But what can happen to this
country is that fear-the deadliesb
thing on caribbean get hold of it.
I expect to vote for Smith primarily
to show that I am big enough to
beat anything that comes down the
street.
I'm regard to Smiths election a
man who is bound by the United
States Constitution and the laws Of
this country we have nothing to
fear from him"
DR.. T. H. Reed, University Of
Michigan: mo responsible Repub-
lican, much less Mr.. Hoover. can be
blamed for the unwisdom and intol-
erance Of other persons who seek to
project the religious issue into this
campaign"
DR.. A. r. Hatton, Northwestern
University: Il have never voted for
or AGAINST q man hecause be Mas q