Great Things Are Happening
By C. S. LONGACRE
For many years we have believed that the time would come in this country when the preaching of the third angel's message would be prohibited; and that books, papers, pamphlets, and tracts proclaiming the message for this day would be condemned and destroyed. We based our predictions upon God's Word, which so clearly delineates the means employed and the measures resorted to by the enemy of truth during the final conflict. See Rev. 13:11-18. That our interpretation of God's prophetic utterances in this matter are well founded has been made very evident recently in the happenings both in Congress and in our State legislatures. Four attempts have been made so far this year to muzzle the press, and to put all literature which casts any reflection on the Catholic religion under government ban by denying it transportation through the mails. Three bills which were introduced into Congress by Catholic Congressmen aimed to make the Postmaster-General an absolute censor of the press, and commanded him to bar all literature from the United States mails which cast any reflection upon religion. One of these would bar from the mails any publication that was even represented as casting any reflection upon any form of religion. Although resolutions were introduced into several legislatures indorsing these three bills before Congress, and tens of thousands of petitions were sent to Congressmen by Catholic organizations in behalf of the bills, they failed to pass. On the day before these three bills died in Congress, Hon. F. J. Ryan, a Catholic representative of the Illinois Legislature, introduced a more drastic bill into that legislature than any of those which were introduced into Congress. His bill went so far as to prohibit the manufacture, the sale, the exhibition, or the giving away of any “defamatory book, pamphlet, paper,” etc., “presenting or representing anything of a defamatory nature tending to blacken the memory of the dead, or to impeach the honesty, integrity, virtue, or reputation of any living person, class, or body of persons, or of any sect, creed, or nationality not existing in violation of the constitution or laws, thereby tending to expose him or them to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, or financial injury.” Not only would the Ryan bill prevent the manufacture, sale, exhibition, or the free distribution of any of the articles above mentioned, but it would prohibit any one from bringing such articles into the State of Illinois from other States; it would prohibit any person from depositing or “causing to be deposited in any post office within the State of Illinois, or place in charge of any express company, or person connected therewith, or of any common carrier or other person,” any of the “defamatory articles or things mentioned in the preceding sections, or any circular, handbill, card, advertisement, book, pamphlet, or notice of any kind.” It would also subject any person to a prison sentence of six months in the county jail or a fine of one thousand dollars for each offense, “if any person shall knowingly or willfully receive the same with intent to carry or convey, or shall carry or convey same by express or in any other manner.” It also similarly penalizes any person who “shall give oral information stating where, how, or of whom such defamatory articles or things can be purchased or otherwise obtained in any manner;” and it also exacts the same penalty if any person attempts to convey these prohibited articles or things, not only “by mail or express, but in any other manner.” The fine for violating any of the above-mentioned prohibitions, as already stated, is six months’ confinement in the county jail or one thousand dollars’ fine for each offense—“one half of said fine to be paid to the informer upon whose evidence the person offending shall be convicted.” Mr. Ryan evidently copied this bill from some of the Roman decretals which were in full force in the days of medievalism, and which prohibited the people from writing, printing, scattering or receiving any books, papers, or pamphlets of a defamatory character, or which cast any reflection upon the Catholic Church or the Catholic religion. He would like to Romanize America, and change American jurisprudence to Roman ecclesiastical jurisprudence, and put all people under Roman jurisdiction as well. Of course, there is no possible chance of this bill becoming a law at present. The Catholics are too few in number to enact such laws. But it shows what they would do if they were in power. As long as Protestantism is opposed to Rome’s propositions we have little to fear on issues upon which they are at variance; but when they join issues and work for a common end, then woe to the little flock which stands in the way of this combined power. What we have to fear is the union and cooperation of the beast and his image when they get to working in conjunction in behalf of institutions they hold in common. Protestant organizations which will not hesitate to employ Rome’s methods in dealing with Rome, will not hesitate to join Rome on issues upon which they are agreed when operating against a common foe. The time will come when legislation of this character will be enacted by both apostate Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, and every principle of our republican form of government will be repudiated so far as its immunities and guaranties apply to individual liberty or the rights of the minority in religious matters. Let us make the most of our Constitutional guaranties and privileges while we have an opportunity to enlighten the people and give the world the third angel’s message in all its phases and in all its significance. Let us save all we can before our voices are stifled and our presses muzzled. Everything is tending toward the day of doom and the final culmination of all things. If we are faithful, we shall realize the consummation of the Christian’s hope. C. S. LONGACRE.