WAUPACA COUNTY POST

August 5, 1920

 

A STATEMENT BY THE INTERESTED CLERGY OF THE CITY OF WAUPACA

 

            In view of the Resolution adopted by the Orville Ballard post No. 92 of the American Legion and published in the last issue of the Waupaca County Post, we the undersigned Clergy of the City of Waupaca, present the following statement:

            We do not believe that that outbreak represents the spirit of the American Legion as a body or of the local Post as a whole.  On the contrary we believe it to be spite work on the part of a small minority unduly impressed with their own importance.

            Our particular objection is to the last paragraph in which the local Post in a most un-American manner arrogates to itself the right to decide as to what Clergy shall be permitted to take part in any funeral in which they may have any real or imagined part and presumes to dictate as to the kind of sermon to be preached by the gentleman fortunate enough to win their approval.

            Therefore, we wish it to be thoroughly understood that we do not propose to take any instruction from the American Legion or any other body as to how we shall conduct funerals or what we shall say or how we shall say it and we refuse to be bound in any sense by anything the local Post may have resolved.

            A. WORGER-SLADE, D.D., LL.D., Rector of St. Mark’s.

            J.P. NAARUP, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church

            CHAS. E. COON, Methodist Church.

            ANTHONY JACOBS, Baptist Church.

            (The Rev. J.N. Lund is absent from the city.)