Sunday, July 7, 2019

Judge Rules Man May Be a Good Christian Even If He Wears Suspenders, July 6, 1919

From the New York Tribune, July 6, 1919

A Man May Wear Suspenders and Remain a Christian. . . Such Is the Holding of an Ohio Judge

By Bert D. Strang

Columbus, Ohio—A man may wear suspenders, even suspenders with rubber in them, and still be a Christian. And no one has the right to blacklist him for it, either.

This Solomonic decision has just been rendered by Judge E.B. Kinkead, of this city, in a case which arose in Holmes County involving the beliefs and practices of the Amish Mennonites.

Judge W.N. Crow of Millersburg, east of Holmes County, in whose court the suit was instituted, felt that he was disqualified from hearing the case because when a young man he had taught school in the district where the Mennonites live. He had lived among them, had eaten at their tables and had slept in their beds. They were all his friends. So it was embarrassing to him to be called upon to decide a case in which they were all so vitally interested.

Judge Crow knew that Judge Kinkead was unbiased as to religion, and he felt that he was without prejudice, too, in the matter of suspenders. In the winter time Judge Kinkead wears suspenders, in the summer a belt. And it is said that he even has been seen walking about the spacious grounds at his home in the Indianola district of this city wearing neither, merely trusting to fortune and the little clasp which tailors put in the waistband of a man’s trousers.

And now that we have established the absolute impartiality of the trial court we may proceed with the case.

Eli Ginerich is an Amish Mennonite farmer of Holmes County. He is 52 but looks like 70. He is more progressive than his brethren. He believes in wearing suspenders. It is no one’s business, he says, how a man holds up his trousers, so long as he holds them up. He is not a union man, either, because he doesn’t believe in boycotting. He is opposed to the “meidening” or blacklisting, by the Church.

Ginerich persisted in wearing suspenders. He also discarded the little peajacket which true Amish Mennonites are supposed to wear. It is possible, too, that he rode in a buggy with a dashboard and a whip socket. He defied the Church rules, and the Church punished him by “meidening” him.

Life Grows Unbearable

Life becoming unbearable in the Miller church to which he belonged, he transferred his membership to the Martin’s Creek church, which is more liberal and progressive. He said that he had the consent of the pastor of the Miller church to do this. This good man is now dead, and Ginerich could not prove his story. Later Ginerich joined the Bunker Hill church, and in this church the men may hold their trousers up as they please, and even own and ride in automobiles.

In the old Miller church neighborhood Ginerich had become ostracized. He was unable to obtain help on his farm. The cider mills refused to handle his apples. He was even denied the privilege of attending his daughter’s wedding and could not attend the feast that followed. He became estranged from his child. “If the church sites father,” the young woman said on the witness stand, “it is my duty to shun him, even if it means a denial of our relationship.” His wife stood by him, however, although there had been trouble between them. His brother remained true to him, and because of it he, too, was “meidened.”

Then Ginerich went to court to establish his rights in the eyes of his fellowmen. He brought suit against seven bishops and elders of the Amish church. Judge Kinkead, who went to Millersburg, heard the case with the aid of interpreters and granted Ginerich the injunction he asked for, but denied him damages. Although the defendants in the case had an attorney of record they prepared their own answer to Ginerich’s suit. They cited the Scriptures in defence of their action of shunning or “meidening” and closed with this prayer:

“We hereby beg the court for the freedom we and our forefathers have heretofore enjoyed under the government of our country, which we hereby acknowledge.” The Amish people are very sincere in their beliefs. “We have our church rules and they must be obeyed,” declared one of the preachers from behind a luxuriant growth of whiskers while on the witness stand. All viewed the wearing of suspenders as a crime against the church; a crime that might endanger the wearer to eternal punishment.

Interesting Legally

The trial of the case was not without its interesting legal aspects. A court cannot take part in a church dispute unless the civil rights of the parties are involved. Judge Kinkead in an extended review of the case declared that religious liberty granted to Ginerich under the Constitution had been interfered with. His home had been broken up through his daughter’s having practically disowned him. And he had been boycotted contrary to law, he having been unable to carry on business relations with his neighbors. Many refused to buy from or sell to him, and in this district of between 6,000 and 7,000 Mennonite people he was helpless. The question of damages was not pushed in Ginerich’s suit, but the opinion has been expressed that had the action been brought under the law invoked in the famous hatters’ case he might have obtained a good sized judgment.

The Amish church is the old-fashioned straightlaced faction of the old Mennonite Church of the Protestant Christians which arose in Switzerland several centuries ago. The name Mennonite was taken, however, from the name of Mennon Simons, who was the church leader in Holland. Most of them speak low German and in the trial at Millersburg an interpreter was required on several occasions. They believe in discipline rather than dogma, and declare discipline more important than learning. They are opposed to the vanities of the world, take no part in civic affairs, love peace and despise war. Jacob Amxen became the head of one of the branches of the Mennonite Church in Europe years ago, and the Holmes County branch faithfully adhere to his teachings. With them excommunication from the church dissolves marriages and divorce is refused except on the ground of adultery. The first settlement of Mennonites in this country was made at Germantown, Penn., under promise of religious freedom given by William Penn.

The Amish Mennonites have no church buildings, but in each dwelling house there is a room large enough to accommodate several hundred persons at service. The bishops and elders and preachers are chosen from among the wisest men of the denomination, and their word is absolute law among the people. No man is permitted to become a full-fledged member of the Church until he has grown a beard or has given evidence that he can grow one. These beards are never touched by scissors, although each man bears a clean-shaven lip. A girls is not admitted to church membership until she has proved her womanly qualifications.

Games After Service

After religious services it is customary for the young men to engage in athletic feats, while the girls look on. The young women ponder on the masculine beauty of the participants in the athletic performances, and this often leads to courtship and marriage. Attracted by the manly form of a fellow, the girl picks him out as her future husband, and if when he starts for home he finds her seated in his buggy he knows he has been tagged for the wedding ceremony.

The Amish men do not court as other men do. They never see their prospective brides, except at church, until the minister of the flock has obtained the consent of the parents of both and has arranged for the wedding.

In the course of time the wedding ceremony takes place, and this is followed by the feast, to which church people come for miles around. Eli Ginerich was denied the privilege of giving his daughter in marriage or partaking of the feast that followed the ceremony.

The peace and dignity of man depend much on the way in which he holds up his trousers. Eli Ginerich will be blessed through the ages as the man who caused the courts to rule that one may wear suspenders and still be entitled to public respect, that he may wear suspenders and still walk down the golden streets of Paradise.
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