The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-28
a Stalwart Parson

Dr. John H Dietrich is not only unquestonahly
the leader Of progressive theological opinion IN our
country He also is safe and courageous social critic
one Of his most recent sermons deals with the ques-
ton: Should Radicals Be Suppressed" This might
with urouriety be reprinted and distributed by the
thousands by the American Civil Liberties Union
DR.. Dietrich makes II clear that there would be
no social progress without the radicals to promote
and prod. He shows. further, how attempts at sup
preston in the past have failed utterly; indeed have
produced the opposite results.
The French Bourbons brought on the French revo-
luton. Metternch helped along the revolutions Of
1880 and 1870 Bismarck promoted the growth Of the
German Socialists British severity made Ireland a
free state Austrian repression in Italy produced
Cavour and united Italy. CARBON in Russia brought
Lenin and Communism Our alien and sedition laws
helped to elect Jefferson.
Dr. Dietrich forcefuIly answers the typical con-
ssrvatve sheer to the effect that anybody does not
ike the prevailing institutions and practices OF the
United States then let him get out:
Abraham Lincoln answered this argument in
single sentence when he said This country and its
institutions belong to those who inhabit it.. This
means that the country belongs to the minority as
well as the majority, to the heterodox as well
the orthodox.
There is no right by which one citizen or group
Of citizens can Danish other citizens from privilege
or favor. This country does not belong to Hamilton
Fish it does not belong to the Republican party it
does not belong to the Methodsts it does not belong
to the Wall Street crowd.
1T belongs to US ALTO the najoritysto keep it.
self majority if it can. to the minority to convert
itself if possible into majority And the majority
has no right to prevent the minority from this eff
fort
THE poorest citizen as we'll as the richest the So
calist as well as the capitalist, the Communist as
we'll as the individuast-an are equal in their COM
mon ownership of this country which they inhabt
If even the least Of these is by suppression denied
his heritage then America is longer what it was
intended to be-"
Even more relevant and devastating is his sug
geson that the patriots turn their attention to the
real abuses which actually threaten America:
There are some things in this country that rightly
may make patriot nervous All over the country you
can hear men expressing the belief that if man
steals $40 he will go to jail but if he steals million
dollars he won't
"Al over this country you can hear people saying
that if man has money enough or pull enough he
can get away with murder All over this country you
can hear politicians spoken Of in the lowest terms.
eve have revelations of the terrorism of police
in strike areas Of mob violence and ynchings and
gang warfare we have the oil scandals and the pro-
hibton dilemma, the power problem, and the inter
national question mark.
Eyes there are things to make a patriot nervous.
myself am nervous patriot, but it is the patriots who
make me nervous-the proponents of the big navy,
the Jew oatters and Catholic haters and Negro mob
bers the Communist hunters and the politicians and
all who wrap the folds of the Stars and Stripes about
the grisly ugliness of their prejudice and greed"