Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-19
SOME SOCIAL PROBLEMS
That Especially Concern Both Church AM
state Pointed Out.

The lecture room of the Catholic University
was well filed yesterday afternoon with ar in
teligent audience that listened with close atten-
tion to lecture on - Social Problems for Church
and State by John Brisben Walker. Phi. D..
Mr.. Walker is well known thinker and writer
of great power, and his lecture in some re-
I spects a remarkable effort in the boldness with
which he brought home to clergy and laymen
their responsibility for many of the social diff
culties that beset our civilization. No such
plain speaking has been heard upon platform
under similar circumstances. and for this reason
as well as because of the food for thought to
every ono Interested in the welfare and pros
perity of his and the government under
which We live that extended report of the
lecture is given. Mr. Walker said
am thankful to your distinguished rector
fo- the OPP ortunity to address you upon the
great problems which are now stirring deeply
| all classes and Conditions of men. The honor
of his invitation Is the greater. that as students
of this Catholic University of America. you are
not mere seminarists but Representatives of a
vast church. Founded for the higher educa-
ton OF the clergy. your university IL destined
to become the fountain head of progress within
the American church. Here must be nourished
truth in its purity. Here the false will be
sifted and thrown out. and in the generations
to come let us hope that what George Mac
| and can't will not be allowed to creep their
| Shiny forms along your corridors.
| had taken for the subject of the paper am
about to read to You THE Church and Poverty"
| An improvement was made upon my title in
| the suggestion ''Sucial Problems for Church
and State" Perhaps. however. the subject
! may be described to better advantage as ''ihe
public duties of the Christian citizen-priest or
| layman."
Those who belive that the civilization OF the
i
ments buried under the mounds of IIesopo-
tamia OF the sands OF Egypt may argue that
! crime and unhappiness are the unbelievable
portions of mankind, and as much part OF
our lot as that we shall earn our bread in the
| sweat Of our brOvs. Iut those who think that
discoveries in electrical science and me
! chanical devices open new era
: in the history OF the world NAV
hold with Sir John Biles that n science of po-
lirical economy will yet dawn, which will per-
! form, as well as promise, science which will
rain the riches of nature into the laps of the
starving poor and that men do not vet
dream of the prosperity which is in store for
all orders of the people
THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH.
! How Ear the church may exercise an influence
i'll bringing about such condition of affairs
how far she is in sympathy with the masses in
| their struggles. and what she is doing toward
such devOutly -tO-be-wished-fOr consumma-
ttoH are iiCtc IMAM lIltTtollllb topics
for consideration. They worthy Of your
deepest thought
What pastor in any great CITY can put his
hand on the causes of the sins that are taken
to the confessional. or are kept out of il. and
not say that fully one-half of these sins come
from frightful poverty, overabundance
of wealth. or from efforts to escape the one or
acquire the other? Take up the daily newspa-
per and read the record OF the suicides from
dependency caused by poverty, the thefts, the
quarrels. the lies. the drunkenness. the disre-
gard of ones neighbor and the cruelty that
emanate from the same causes.
CRIME DECREASES WITH REGULAR WORK
Does not crime decrease in the family of the
small householder with regular work. who is
above want, but is not tempted by overwealth!
IT, then, half of the crime committed by human
beings whose mlseries You have vowed your
selves to mitigate springs from wealth and
poverty, should II not be an important study
for you to determine how far the laws and
existing social conditions bear upon
this poverty on the one hand and surplusage Of
wealth upon the other. and if convinced that
this system Is lnlquitous and the laws unjust
aid in bringing the strength of "a united CON
gregatlon to bear upon the enactment of legis-
latlon which while not inequitable to those in
possession will clear the highways of all legal
tOllgates exacting unfair tributes from labor.
What Is the attitude Of the church today? Do
not think me unfair if | say that the respect
able accumulation of wealth is made much of
within the church portals. and while the pray
ers and admOnitions alike framed to pre-
vent him from vulgar picking and stealing
have yet to hear as many as three sermons ex-
planning any of the uncertain WAYS by which so
many business transactions are made dishonest
while coming within the protection of the law.
CHRISTIANITY MUST BE REAL
He then said that the time had come when
Christianity. to prevail. must be real: that
from the altar discrimination should be made
between the sacredness OF the property of the
| robber and the sacredness of the property ac-
quired Oy toll. and told a story of rich ortho-
dox New England Christian who said to a news
paper reporter on the completion of a large
work. ont of which he is said to have made mil
hons: I'VE have been peculiarly favored by
Divine Providence. Iron was never so cheap
before and labor has been drug in the market"
That man would have thrived on the Rhine half
I a dozen centuries ago. He referred to the fact
that religion encourages "A different set of prac-
tices in different countries and said that il was
well worth studying the construction placed
upon the doctrines of Christianity by peoples
made different by varying degrees of civiliza-
ton. Done with a clear mind it will result in
profound feeling of humility.
The distinction between the eternal truth
which the church must always teach under
God 5 promise and the eternal error into which
the individual and even communities of indi-
vIduals always falling must be carefully
borne III mlnu- Inc pope, tie archbishop. the
| priest do not pre-elnpt good Judgment or
sound common sense or even equity when
| they enter upon their sacred offices. As indi-
Nlduals they are prone 10 error. and there is no
sacerdotal investiture which will prevent their
falling the allotted seven times per day. In
| fact il not iEfrequentiy happens that as a man
| purifies his life and places himself above the
grOsser sins of the world the devil seems to
concentrate MS efforts upon the pride of mind
which gOeth before humIliating mistakes if
| not even actual destruction. IL any one might
/ become perfect by entering the priesthood the
gates OF the selnlnarlce would not be wide
| enough 10 admit the Cling crowds
Why DO Catholic writers seek to cover I'D the
horrors Of st. bartholomew. the crIIelties of the
1 mqIisition the scii-suIiicieat wisdom which
! refused 10 recognize the truths discovered by
| GaliIeO! lie: these stories be told III every
| child's teAt book; let them stand the nonll-
ments they are. t. the folly. the blunders the
| sGperStILiOns, the weakness o. human souls,
who IN their arrogance refused TO interpret
! Gods word except 10 suit their own passions
YET deemed themselves acting Us His servants.
| advancing His interests
| THEY WERE NOT ALWAYS FAD MEN.
| Perhaps the most remarkable teaching of
, such pages lies III the fact that the men who
could be guilty Of such things were not always
bad men. Very often they were persons who
tasted and prayed. distributed charities,
watched with gensie ininistrations at the bed
| side OF the dying. gave aims 10 the poor and
thought themselves the straight road 10
heaven. He spoke Of the demand Of this gem
| Grafton to have the truth. TO strip bare shanls
| and hypocrites, and yet one waits in vain in
| New York before Catholic affairs to hear SER