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Show MINISTERS "OX THE LIST!" Ber. McXiece Says He Has Been Selected Se-lected as; a Victim Whereat lie Kicketh Vigorously. Rev. R. G. McNiece addressed a large congregation at the Presbyterian Church last evening, the subject of his discourse being "The Present-Situation in Utah and Some of the Duties of the Hour." The subject, of course, is a most interesting interest-ing one, and last evening was made doubly so by the announcement from the preacher's own lips to an electrified audience that they' "had him on the list." This was one of the reasons, Mr. McNiece stated, why he held forth at this particular time on such a subject as he had announced. Following are a portion por-tion of the reverend gentleman's introductory intro-ductory remarks : "But there is another reason why I preach this particular sermon to-night. It has been rumored throughout the city that there is a certain black list of names in the possession of the police authorities, and that on that black list are the names of. two or three ministers min-isters of this city, my own among others. I suppose I have heard that from some fif-" teen or twenty sources during the last ten days. Who started that rumor in motion throughout this city? Certainly, not the friends of this church. And what was that rumor set in motion for, and why is it kept j flying throughout the town that my name is on a certain black list? Doubtless for various reasons ; and I interpret one of the main causes to be this : It is a covert intimidation of the freedom of this pulpit. It says virtually: You, as a minister of the gospel, have been very outspoken in . times past against this system of government whioh prevails here; you have written and spoken against it. " Now it is time for you to be quiet, otherwise the hair that holds suspended sus-pended this sword of Damocles will be cut and it will drop upon you! We have got something hanging over you now! Be quiet; say nothing more, and we will let you alone! "I was born in a free country, as a free oit-izen. oit-izen. I live under the flag of that country as a loving and dutiful citizen. One of the things with which my mother endowed me as a part of my birth-right, was free lips, and I hardly think I shall barter away that sacred right for priests' pottage; I have not the least idea that I shall be intimidated for one moment from exercising my God-given freedom to speak my honest belief, or that I shall be intimidated from doing my duty by all the black lists that can be collected together to-gether by any blacklegs that the devil may appoint. Owing to the distance at which the reporter sat from the speaker, the six concluding words of the last sentence were indistinctly heard, and may not be the exact Words used by the reverend gentleman, though so recorded in the note book. Rep.1 j . "If there is any district or municipal court in this town that has any criminal charge against me, let it be brought, and I will not be so unaccommodating as the First Presidency Presi-dency of the church have been; I will not put the offioers of the law to the trouble of hunting everywhere for me, up in garrets, down in cellars and through trap doors. . I live the second door east of this church, at 207 E. Second South street, and I can be found there almost any day in the week between be-tween the hours of 1 and 2." |