The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-04

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 ecutor got wind of the entertain. ment project, and the whole thing landed in the courts. Questioned by the reporters as to the reason for her impulse and the common sense suggestion having been made that the divorce court was easier of access and less danger ous to her than @ first-degree murder rap, the wife gave ex- precision to Q thought which for classic humor equals the estimate given of the Bayonne hatchet-gal and her boy friend by the Hudson County jail preacher.
 "Divorce?" she wept indigna1ts ly, T couldn't divorce George be- cause I didn't want to hurt his feelings!"
 Not So NOnsensicaI
 There is an ancient bit of dog. gerel absurdity which goes:-
 Susan poisoned her grand.
 mothers tea,
 Grandmother died in agon.ee.
 Susan's mother was greatly
 vexed
 And said to Susan, My dear!
 what next?"
 It seemed to me that such norl- sense could only come from e jok- ing rhymster until shortly after the Leopold-Loeb killing, Q gang ster from Chicago described the crime to me as "just Q boyiSh prank" The gangster was mur- dered two years ago and wor1- dered when I read of his taking off if he would consider being blasted in two by Q sawed-oR shotgun in the hands of an enemy as either hoyish or prankish. But in view of what clergymen of the day are screaming through the public prints about those with whom they disagree, I have come to the conclusion that there Is no limit to the nonsensicality of their statements.
 More Nonsense
 On Saturday last Q professor Of Q fresh-water theological seminary in Missouri for the education of Q gathering of fellow Lutherans at Ocean Qrove-also in New Jersey, got out his ministerial tomahawk and went after Father Coughlin.
 Don't tell me this chameleon cleric does not use his position and influence for the benefit of his creed and It's system. We have evidence that he does and that he represents an unh0ly combination which admittedly would have the Canons of the church shape the political life of the nation."
 Bosh to be sure, but there are those credulous enough to take 1t for the truth. By the "unholy com bination which admittedly would have the canons CD of the church shape the political life of the Tla- tion", Rev. Dr. Maier must refer to Father Coughlin and the Rev. Gerald "Share-the- Wealth" Smith photographed, arm in arm at the Townsend convention. do not think that Father Coughlin, how- ever, would admit that he is try. ing to shape the political life of the nation according to canons CD of his church. It is the Rev. Ger. aid who promises to do the shaping, not only of the political life of the nation, but also of the bodily proportions of Congressman Lemke. And with an axe.
 Still Nonsense
 Up in New Bedford, Mass, Father Coughlin sanctified Sun" day night by declaring that with the help of God, he would be "in' strumental in taking Communist from tho chair once occupied by Washington" Without using names the Catholic clergyman whom pr. Maier, the Lutheran minister, calls among other things-"a chameleon cleric", puts President Roosevelt into the Com munist Party which, with all due regard to his office as c priest, Is just 50 much tripe. Mir. Roose- welt Is Q Communist to Father Coughlin: Father Coughlin is c red, roaring Socialist to MT. Roosevelt's enemies; Rev. "det- the-Axe" Smith Is 6 pal of Tath- CT Coughlin's and 6 prospective head-lopper of Father Coughlin'S other pal, Candidate Lemke; pr. Maier says Father Coughlin Is Q "clerical demagogue" who if sue. cessful will run the nation as an adjunct to Vatican City; and to the Rev. Heindel, chaplain of Hudson County jail, Gladys Mac- Knight and Donald Wightman are only Q pair of "impulsive" kids.
 Quite Different
 While all this sort of tongue thrashing and stupid expression of absurdities by clergymen is going on, up in Lackawanna, N. r., ninety-five year old Monsignor Nelson Baker, "the priest of the poor" has gone to his long reward. For sixty-flve years, a veritable lifetime, Father Baker devoted his days and nights to the poor, the orphaned, the derelict, and the sick. He took an abandoned orphanage and despite discourage ment, disillusionments, and lack of money, built 1t into something before which the callous world has stood for years In admiring,