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‘O Ye of Little Faith’

UNDER the above title the Valley News of Hanover, New Hampshire, of April 11, 1956, published the following common-sense editorial:

“Every once in a while some public official creates a situation that leaves the rest of us wondering if he ever heard of freedom, democracy, and political and human rights. At the very least these actions imply a lack of faith in the peoples’ understanding of freedom. At the most, they are a gross and arbitrary display of official ability to make a mountain out of a molehill. The latest official to breach freedom’s ramparts is Vermont Adjutant General Francis Billado. A group of Jehovah’s Witnesses planned an area meeting in Bennington. They sought to use the National Guard Armory. They signed a formal and legally binding lease of the building as did representatives of the National Guard. The Witnesses then publicized their meeting among their assemblies.

“Then, like a bolt out of the blue, more than a month after the contract had been signed and the Witnesses had concluded advance publicity arrangements, General Billado abruptly cancelled the contract. He cited as his reason the ‘possibility of trouble—a riot or something.’ The Witnesses, being essentially peaceful people, have chosen not to make a legal fight to enforce the lease. One of two things is plainly evident: Either the Guard and Billado did not know anything about the Witnesses when they signed the contract or they were subject to pressure from the outside. If the former is the case, then it is an amazing show of ignorance on a high official level. If it is the latter, then Billado has the duty to speak out forthrightly naming names and revealing why he believes that there is a ‘possibility of trouble.’

“The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect that has demonstrated over and over again that it is capable of conducting orderly meetings. Their national assemblies have been so well organized and run as to excite admiration from those who have watched them in operation. Their beliefs are not generally popular, yet the sect is one of the fastest growing religious bodies in America. The great majority of Americans have a pretty firm grip on the principles of freedom. When they see a prominent official backing away from a legal commitment because of the ‘possibility of trouble,’ they have good reason to wonder.

“Governor Johnson has been quoted as saying that he plans to obtain ‘full information’ about the incident. We hope that he does just that and if, as we strongly suspect, there is no evidence of a ‘clear and present danger,’ no ‘possibility of trouble—a riot or something’ he will have the courage to set the matter straight publicly.”