Hot Tamales [excerpt]

     The fact that Czolgosz repudiated religion just before his execution will not prove such a crushing blow that religion won’t be able to get up again. In fact, it speaks well for religion that it was denounced by the meanest assassin of modern times. We find in the career of this man a good illustration of the effects upon the moral character of a deep-seated contempt for religion. A good Christian might, in the heat of anger, take an axe and kill a book-agent or fruit tree man, but he could never plan and carry out such a beastly cold-blooded crime as that of Czolgosz. It is a pity that certain priests were so active in their efforts to lead the condemned man to repentance. What was the use of it? If the good old orthodox belief in a hell of burning brimstone is correct, it would be a sin to try to keep Czolgosz out of it. And it would be a futile sin, for he couldn’t be kept out of it.