Bob Shuler's Free Lance, Volume 2, Number 3, February 1918 Page: 59

                                
BOB SHULER'S FREE LANCE

59

the days, thank God, that are dead and will never be
resurrected in christian civilization, the doing away
forever with the false and damaging idea that the
office of Bishop lifts men above their toiling fellows
in the ditches of Methodism, fighting her battles,
the banishing of any such notion as now obtains with
some, that the Bishops must dominate every Board
and office in our church, the building up of a mighty
democratic brotherhood, in the name of the humble
Christ, whose evangelistic fires shall burn, while a
perfect confidence is had in each other from mission
preacher to Bishop. These are the things I desire
to talk about through these columns for a few
months.
And, lest 1 be misunderstood by some, I wish to
say that I would rather have my heart cut from my
bosom by a Prussian devil than to bring one jot
or tittle of distress or evil result to the Methodist
Church. The church of my fathers means every-
thing to me. She brought me from the mountains
of Virginia, twenty-four miles from the railroad,
where my father began preaching when I was nine
years old, gave me such an education as I have,
reached out her arms and received me into her
ministry and has with every passing year dealt more
bountifully and generously with me than I have
dreamed of or expected. I would be an ingrate,
should there enter into my heart .one thought of
bringing harm to her. It is because I love her,
because I have given my life from childhood to her
and intend to lay every remaining year upon her
altars; because I see the necessity of some reforms
in our government that her progress may not be
hindered or retarded, that I am writing and speak-
ing. I have counted the cost and know full well
what my position may bring to me by way of pun-
ishment. I have already been assured by friends
of the fact that some Bishops, considering me dan-
gerous, can not afford to befriend me in the future,
but such I gladly accept and the penalty of my
position I court, if only I can serve my church and
the Kingdom.
(Continued in March Number )
WACO SHOWS SIGNS ALREADY.
A Waco paper brings the rather interesting an-
nouncement that the police force of that prosperous
little city has been reduced by fifteen, a saving of
over $15,000 per y;ar to the tax payers in salary, to
say nothing of the court costs saved by such an
action. In the face of this, Waco has more people
than ever in her history  An army camp has been
located nearby and thousands of soldiers are on her
streets. Rent houses and rooms are scarcely to be
had at any price. It looks as though such a con-
gested condition would call for more police pro-

tection. But no, the saloons are closed and crime
has all but departed. Of course Issa Friedlander
is still there but he is as good as dead for his hell-
holes are departed and the old slimy gang is no
more. Thus Waco, too long already in the clutches
of drunkenness and debauch, has taken her place
among the clean cities of the land. Others are fol-
lowing Look out for Houston and San Antonio !
Deceuey is becoming popular. Sobriety is now the
fashion. A vagabond city is as nearly out-lawed to-
day as is a vagabond individual.
ROMAN CATHOLIC BRAND OF PROHIBITION.
I have claimed for many years that Roman Cath-
oheism was a simon-pure political despotism. It has
been recently proven in Austin, Texas, in a most
interesting manner When the Roman Catholics of
Austin learned that I was to take a public part
in the local option election recently held in that
city, they  waited  on prohibition  headquarters,
through a Mr O'Brien of their faith, and informed
the prohibition leaders that if I were permitted to
speak, the Catholics would boycott the pro cam-
paign and vote anti in the election.
This may be a revelation to some, but not to those
who know the Catholic Church. It is the only
church in the civilized world whose members are
not permitted to think and vote as individuals. -No
other church in Austin would have dared undertake
to control the individual convictions of its constitu-
ency But the Roman Church served notice that
the forces of sobriety need expect no Catholic votes
if Bob Shuler were permitted to speak in Austin.
Why all this determined stand on the part of the
Pope's little gang in Austin? Why, I have exposed
through the Free Lance the Pope's relation to the
present war and they dared not deny the exposures.
I had shown from the records that the Pope was
just as guilty as the Kaiser in flooding the very face
of the world with human blood. And now his fol-
lowers in Austin are willing to repay me, although
they pose as American citizens, by refusing to vote
the saloons away from our aviation camp located
there.
But there is this hopeful fact remaining. The or-
ganized boycott of prohibition by the Catholics
meant little if anything, since they are almost to
a man anti-prohibitionists. In fact the large part of
the Catholics of Austin are either Mexicans or sa-
loon keepers and the forces of righteousness have
received but scant assistance from either bunch
thus far. At this writing I have no idea which way
the local option election in Austin will go, but I
know one thing The Catholic vote going to the sa-
loons will not determine the matter That vote has
always, with a very few exceptions, gone to the sa-
loons.