Dear Editor:

We will say a few words about our society of Simonas Daukantas. This society was organized by the Reverend Burba, who two years ago came from Plymouth, Pa., to visit Chicago. At the beginning this society was organized by Rev. Burba on the Catholic principles. But now some well known "szliuptarniai" are trying to destroy our society.

(Translator's note: - Szliuptarniai is the nickname of Dr. Szliupas' followers, a freethinker who lived in Shenadoah, Pa. At that time Dr. Szliupas fought a bitter war against the Catholic priests for their exploitation of the unenlightened Lithuanians. At that time any man was called "szliuptarnis" when he said something against the priest; it made no difference if he was a follower of Dr. Szliupas or not. Any men who were against the priests, the priests nicknamed as "szliuptarniai"-- szliuptarniai, plural; szliuptarnis, singular. The Catholic women used to scare their children with Dr. Szliupas' name - as a bogy man.)

When this society was organized the constitution and by-laws were written. According to the rules and regulations before the constitution could be adopted by the society, the constitution must be approved by our priest. We we gave the constitution to our priest Krawczunas for approval. The Rev. Krawczunas added to the constitution that there should not be any anti-religious books in the library of the Simonas Daukantas society, that every member of the society must be a church member and go to confession.

And lo! when we read the priest's suggestion to our constitution the "szliuptarnial" jumped up and began to denounce it by saying that this country is not Russia. We can have in our library any kind of books we want, and that we do not need to be forced to become church members and to go to confession.

On this question that the members of this society must go to confession, and what kind of books we can have in our library only four voted against the confession on the first meeting. At the second meeting, again only four voted against the confession and church membership.

Therefore we are glad that the "szliuptarniai" lost; otherwise they would have packed our library with "szliuptarniai" literature. They would have had a chance to criticize religion and even to kill the priest.

The four members were stricken out of our society.

Now, thank God, we are saved.

Members of the Society of Simonas Daukantas.