Letter To Doris Gordon

W. H. Marshner

May 3, 1990

Dear Miss Gordon:

I have reviewed the material published by Libertarians for Life, including your brochure entitled, “A Wrong. Not a Right: An Atheist Libertarian Looks at Abortion,” and the one entitled “Abortion and the Question of the Person,” by John Walker. In light of these, I have reviewed the correspondence between you and William F. Buckley, Jr.

Before detailing points of contention, let me concur in Mr. Buckley’s overall commendation of the LFL material. It is lucid and deserves to be persuasive. I particularly think that your use of premises drawn from the obligation of parents toward their dependent children, combined with the fact that the existence of such children is a consequence for which the parents are responsible, represents a fresh and important line of justification for the pro-life position. Perhaps you will allow me to illustrate.
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The Case For A Two Amendment Strategy

THE CASE FOR A TWO-AMENDMENT STRATEGY

W. H. Marshner

Abortion and slavery, Dred Scott and Roe v. Wade: how many times have we used that analogy? We have used it for the moral light it sheds on the pro-life cause. May I suggest that it also sheds historical light?

I think it illuminates our political position.

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The Historical Appropriateness of the Human Life Bill

The Historical Appropriateness of the Human Life Bill (S. 158):

Evidence From the History of Anti-Abortion Policy in the United States

W. H. Marshner

BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE SEPARATION OF POWERS OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
June 1, 1981

The Human Life Bill (S. 158) will be historically appropriate legislation if three claims can be established: (1) that scientific evidence indicating a significant likelihood that actual human life exists from conception was known to physicians and state legislators from the middle decades of the 19th century forward; (2) that the passage of anti-abortion statutes by those legislators in those decades was significantly influenced and motivated by such evidence; and (3) that the medico-moral and legal climate in which the 14th amendment was ratified was therefore a climate in which it was a settled conviction that the unborn human foetus, at every stage of gestation, was a human being entitled to protection of life, and hence a climate in which absolutely no conflicting right having the character of a privacy right of a woman to abort was conceded to exist by any court or any legislature, state or federal, in this country or in any Western nation.

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Abortion Research: One Step Forward

By WILLIAM H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
June 26, 1975

WASHINGTON — Rep. Paul Rogers (D., Fla.), chairman of the powerful Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House, to which all health authorization bills are referred and to which, therefore, HEW, NIH, and all the rest of Washington’s vast medical- governmental complex must come with outstretched hands — Paul Rogers went on record Thursday, June 5th, as opposing the use of family planning research monies to develop or improve abortion techniques.

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The Vatican’s Declaration On Procured Abortion

The Vatican’s Declaration On Procured Abortion… A Charter For Political Action

By WILLIAM H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
June 19, 1975

Editor’s Note: With a few notable exceptions, Catholics in this Country have given little attention to the Vatican’s Declaration on Procured Abortion, issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith last November. In the following commentary on this landmark document, Mr. Marshner demonstrates that the Declaration is more than a moral exhortation against abortion; it is a call for Catholics and all men of goodwill to take the offensive against all those who seek to institutionalize — in the name of the common good—this most heinous of crimes.

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An End To Federal Abortion Research?

By W.H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
April 10, 1975

As soon as Congress returns from the Easter recess, pro-life forces on Capitol Hill will introduce an amendment to the Family Planning and Population Research Act of 1975 (S. 66 and H.R. 4925). This amendment will bring economic hardship to mad scientists all over America and save the lives of human babies who would otherwise perish in the course of “research.”
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Helms Rejects NC News Story

By W. H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
Our Second Century of Lay Apostolate
April 3, 1975

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Jesse Helms (R., N.C.) has moved to dispel what he called “a number of erroneous impressions” created by a National Catholic News Service (NC) story disseminated on March 10th. The story dealt with Helms’ oral testimony on that date before the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, which is currently holding hearings on anti-abortion measures.

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Bartlett Changes His Amendment: A New Action Imperative

By W. H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
April 3, 1975

Sen. Dewey Bartlett (R., Okla.), on March 11th, 1975, introduced an anti-abortion amendment to the Family Planning and Population Research Act of 1975 (a part of S. 66 — see The Wanderer, March 20th, p. 4). As a result of criticism from colleagues, however, Bartlett decided to abandon that amendment in favor of a new, more specific one.

The older amendment has not been withdrawn but will not be called up for a vote. The new amendment was introduced on March 26th, with the cosponsorship of Sen. Jesse Helms (R., N.C.).

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New Slant In Bayh Hearings

By W. H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
March 27, 1975

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate hearings on the human life amendments resumed Monday, March 10th, under the gavel of Sen. Birch Bayh (D., Ind.), and under the shadow of the Edelin verdict. Bayh, who has been studiously noncommittal throughout the yearlong inquest, dropped hints for the first time that an amendment protecting fetal life “after viability” would probably enjoy his support. Reference to the Edelin case was made by all five of the morning’s witnesses: Senators Buckley (R., N.Y.), Packwood (R., Ore.), and Helms (R., N.C.), followed by lawyers Robert Byrn and Harriet Pilpel.

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Time To Close An Abortion Loophole

By W.H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
March 20, 1975

Did you ever hear of the Dingell Amendment? It prevents Federal funds from being used by HEW to pay for abortions under the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act, to which it was attached in 1970. It is still on the books. It says, ‘‘None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.”

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Hugh Scott Moves To “Restrict” Abortion

By W. H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
(Special to The Wanderer)
March 13, 1975

WASHINGTON – Hugh Scott (R., Pa.), Minority Leader of the Senate since 1969 and one of the most powerful allies of Planned Parenthood in Washington, has begun drafting a constitutional amendment to “restrict” abortion.

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Bartlett Amendment Dropped From HEW Bill

By W. H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
(Special to The Wanderer)
December 5, 1974

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of HR 15580, the appropriations bill for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, without the anti-abortion language proposed in an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dewey Bartlett (R., Okla ).
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Wisconsin’s Pro-Life Representative

W. H. Marshner

C.R.C.M.

THE WANDERER
August 1, 1974

In Wisconsin’s eighth district, Cong. Harold Froehlich (R.) faces a stiff battle to retain his seat this Fall. Wanderer readers will remember that Froehlich was the sponsor of the successful anti-abortion amendment which was adopted onto the omnibus Community Services Act (HR 14449). Froehlich has been active on the right to life issue since he arrived in Congress two years ago and has sponsored and co-sponsored and amended appropriate legislation to represent the pro-life point of view.

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Abortion: The Chickens Come Home

By WILLIAM H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
July 11, 1974

From the very beginning of the anti-abortion movement, long before there was a Supreme Court decision, two camps vied for leadership. One stressed the need for national action (include here The Wanderer Gang); the other preferred to work primarily at the State level (include here Msgr. James T. McHugh).

Then came Black Monday, Jan. 22nd, 1973. The two camps changed focus to some extent, but essentially the same leadership struggle went on. The same quarrel — over effective national action — remained central. It is still central.

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Froelich Amends Community Services Act

By WILLIAM H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
June 6, 1974

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Harold Froelich (R., Wis.) has succeeded in attaching an anti-abortion amendment to the mammoth Community Services Act of 1974 (HR 14449). This act, passed by the House on May 29th, by a margin of 331 to 53, would resuscitate all of the old OEO anti-poverty programs, including Family Planning and Legal Services, by transferring them to a new agency to be created in HEW and to be called the Community Action Administration.

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Cardinals Reject Section Two Of Buckley Ammendment

Cardinals Reject Section Two Of Buckley Amendment

W. H. Marshner

THE WANDERER
(Special to The Wanderer)
March 21, 1974

WASHINGTON – Four U.S. Cardinals, testifying before Sen. Birch Bayh’s Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, rejected the language of section two of Sen. James Buckley’s proposed Human Life Amendment, in open hearings on March 7th.

The section in question reads as follows: “This article shall not apply in an emergency when a reasonable medical certainty exists that continuation of the pregnancy will cause the death of the mother.”

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Hearings Set On Human Life Amendments

W. H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
(Special to The Wanderer)
February 7, 1974

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Birch Bayh (D., Ind.), chairman of the constitutional amendments subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has tentatively scheduled hearings on the Helms and Buckley anti-abortion amendments for Wednesday and Thursday, March 6th and 7th.

Although no public announcement of this scheduling has been made as of this writing, Capitol Hill sources became aware of the dates on Jan. 28th, and word has begun to spread among pro-life organizations.

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Representative Lawrence Hogan… Right To Life Amendment Introduced In Congress

Representative Lawrence Hogan … Right To Life Amendment Introduced In Congress

By WILLIAM H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
Our Second Century of Lay Apostolate
February 8, 1973
St. Paul, Minn.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Lawrence J. Hogan (R., Md.) introduced on January 30th a resolution calling for a right-to-life and anti-euthanasia amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Reacting quickly to the recent Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion throughout the Country, Representative Hogan said that he had rushed to formulate and introduce his resolution while public sentiment was high, not waiting to secure co-sponsors. Nevertheless, a crisis of conscience preceded his move, Hogan said.

“My first reaction to the Court’s ruling was one of despair and disappointment,” said the Prince George’s County representative.

I had very serious thoughts at that point of resigning from Congress.
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U.S. Supreme Court Approves Death Penalty For The Unborn

U.S. SUPREME COURT APPROVES DEATH PENALTY FOR THE UNBORN

By W.H. MARSHNER

THE WANDERER
(Special to The Wanderer)
February 1, 1973

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a sweeping 7 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court struck down on January 22nd the abortion laws of Texas, Georgia, and all but four of the other 50 States. On the basis of a “right to privacy” allegedly guaranteed by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, the Court majority ruled that during the first three months of pregnancy, a woman and her doctor have the unconditional right to decide whether she will bear or abort her unborn child.

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