Newspaper Page Text
THE DAY BOOK
N. D. COCHRAN
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.
500 SO. PEORIA ST. CHICAGO, IVU.
7V,7nJ.n,. Editorial, Veim S53
lelepnonep circulation, Monroe 3828
SUBSCRIPTION By Carrier in Chicago,
30 centi a Month. Br Mall. United
Statei and Canada. JS.OO a Year.
Entered as second-dan matter April
21. 1914. t the postoftlce at Chlcairo,
UL, under the Act of March J. 1879.
DECLINE OF THE MENACE.
One of he most remarkable newspa
per growths in the history of this re
public has been the growth of The
Menace, leader of the anti-Catholic
propaganda during the past few
years. This little paper reached a
national circulation of Something
over 1,500,000 within a very few years
and undoubtedly wielded a powerful
political influence in numerous states.
In the issue of Sept. 25, just come
to hand, there is an earnest appeal
for more subscribers, in' which the
statement is made that: "We haven't
shown a subscription gain since last
April nearly five months."
On looking at the circulation state
ment in this issue I find that 8,703
subscriptions expired during the week
and only 8,227 new ones were re
ceived, and that the circulation 're
port was 1,378,772.
During a recent conversation with
Fred Warren, former editor of The
Appeal to Reason, he said that The
Menace would have to get 40,000 new
subscriptions a week to hold itsbig
circulation, as they came in at that
rate during the rush.
Those who have studied the period
ical anti-Catholic waves in this coun
try Knownothingism, A. P. A.ism,
etc., expected this. The movement
springs up about .once in 20 years,
runs its course, has a great vogue
and then dies down again for an
other twenty years.
J. asked Warren whether he though?
these fights on the Catholic church
actually weakened that church. His
reply was that it invariably strength
ened the church, and the thought the
church could well afford to finance
The Menace, or a similar publication,
because of the many wanderers the
attacks on the church drove back ta
the religion of their mothers.
I was a boy during the anti-Catholic
movement In the early seventies,
but a grown man when we went
through the A. P. A. movement in the
early nineties. I studied the latter
movement, and then read what 1
could find about similar movements
which had preceded it So I began
looking for its revival about four
years ago, and have watched its
growth and gradual decline since.
Being neutral on churches and creeds
I could watch it without prejudice, ex
cept such prejudice as might be
found in one who believes in the
American constitution arid its guar
antee of religious liberty and freedom
of conscience.
JLagree with Fred Warren as to the
effect of such attacks on the Cath-
o.lic church, because I believe that any
church will thrive on such attacks.-
If a nation-wide propaganda were
worked up against the Methodist,
Baptist or any other Protestant
church I believe that church would
grow in strength under the attack.
I haven't been to church in many
years, but was raised as a boy in the
Methodist church, and I believe that
I would resent attacks on the church
of my parents and the church of my
childhood, even though I den't be
long to it jiow arid don't expect ever
to belong to it or any other church.
And I think I can appreciate how a
Catholic or Jew who has gradually
fallen away from his church feels
when it is attacked, and especially
when, the men and women who be
long to it are attacked.
The government acted wisely in not
attempting to suppress The Menace."
That would have been water on its
jmmmmmmmmmm
