Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-19

OF the FREQ Press, captioned Consistency
and signed "Catholicus." As l am not
subscriber Of the Free Press, have seen
the article too late to acknowledge il in an
earlier issne.
The distinction between Christian and
canonized names must be obvious to any
one. The canonized names were the names
Of Christian men and women who rendered
them illustrious by the sanctity of their lives
There is no improperly in imposing Chris
tian name upon child, save the circum-
stances create one. l have not hesitated to
give child in baptism the name of
briggs; albeit not a Catholis name, know
him to be reputable man, a faithful friend,
Christian gentleman, deservedly held in
high esteem by the Christian community in
which he lives, by Catholic and Protestant
alike. Now, ! am sorry to say, that no such
honorable distinction attaches 10
the name Of Cleveland in the city where he
lives or in the country at large, and il l
treated your reporter with some mental re-
serve on the subject of my refusal to
christen the Shanshsn child BY this name
/ don't think it ought to have been
attributed to dishonesty" SO much
as to the delicacy any Christian man, not to
say priest, mus. feel, when confronted with
subject Of shameful associations. l do not
think that because have baptised children
by own surname-by the names oftheir rep
utable neighbors. 1 am obliged, therefore,
in order to maintain my consistency" to
baptise the child of Catholicus" for in
stance, "John Brigham Young. Y wler," or
Henry Ward Beecher, : Mugwump," or still
"Victoria Woodruff, Womanless," if its sex
cd tho Of 10
two. If your correspondent must and
will have it, Mr.. Editor, it is not question
Of politics, but Of high morals. Does "Cath-
olicus" think the rising generation is not drift
ing to moral decay fast enough, but we must
needs send them forth from the very bap-
tismal fonts, under the auspices of his i'm
pure political deities! 1t is not one of the
least Of my objections to the Democratic
party that have observed the demoralizing
influence it almost invariably has
exerted over men Of my religion
and race. 1t has conducted
them to the grog shop and gambling hell. 1t
has manufactured from the children Of Irish
parents "hoodlums" and strikers" The
subject under agitation affords but another
case in point. For, whilst was not entirely
surprised that semi-savage from the Sixth
should so soon after election, carry the Eat
mospherc" of the ward caucus even into
the House of Gcd and endeayor to make
himself "solid" with "the boys" at the
expense of his unconscious offspring, my
religious sensibilities experienced rude
shock at the presentation lin the
Free Press OF an Irish Catholic wife and
mother crying and feeling dreadful bad be-
cause her child was not christened by the
name of a self-confessed debauchee. Permit
me to say in justice to Mrs. Shanahan, L don't
believe word of this. l know Mrs. Shana-
han for decent, respectable, domestic,
christian woman, whatever providence may
hsve meant by matching her with such a
mate. "Catholacus," the "Shannahans,"
and company aided by the peculiar methods
of the party, may succeed in coronating vice;
bnt when they proceed to confer domestic
conservation upon it, beg leave to re-
mind them that the Catholic church
is not the place, nor will be the officiating
minister. | feel sorry to say these things,
feel keenly the humiliation of having to con-
fess their truth, hut if exception be taken to
it, beg leave to remind the reader that the
"enterprise" of the Free Press, and not your
humble servant, is responsible for this I'M
willing reference to the unsavory moral re-
cord OF the political idol of this unpatriotic
hour.
REV. CHARLES ORMoSD O'REnLY.
ST. Potrick's, Detroit, Nov. %.