The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-26

Tense of Christianity from the stand
point Of one who has had large ex-
perience in the practice of the law.
The senator is graduate of the Uni
versity of the class of 1919. We shall
look with interest for a report of the
lecture. The senator is man of splen-
did ability and on such theme as
Christianity would have something to
say far away from the common.
500
demand by some one that Atlantic
steamers should furnish chairs and
make things generally comfortable for
passengers. says that. if the chairs
should have sharp spikes in them it
would be better for America This, of
course, in view of the unprecedented tide
of American travel to Europe the past
summer, carrying according to some cal
culations. the enormous sum of nearly
s250,0O0,O00 in gold to pay the bills. This
annual tourist exodus has now grown to
such dimensions that it seriously inter
feres with the finances of the country, es-
pecially so long as the Government
continues it's present course of sustain
ing greenbacks as convertible at sight
with gold at the U. S. Treasury As
matters stand at the present the Treas
ury is liable to be called on for gold up
to the full extent of it's greenback cir
culation; and it is not strange that
bankers as we'll as politicians and states
man are seriously asking whether the
time has not arrived when this an
omalous feature in the finances of the
government should be abolished.
500
Perhaps most peoples ideas of the
value of the publications of the United
States Government printing Office are
similar to that of a constituent of
Western congressman who wrote to his
representative for "a government publ
cation. This demand being somewhat
indefinite, the congressman wrote asking
what book he wanted and received the
reply that he ''didn't care emphatic ex
pletive) what book he sent; he wanted it
for a scrap book" Nevertheless there
are some very valuable books annually
issued from the Government printing
office, and it is of general interest there
fore, to learn that hereafter these will
be obtainable by any one on receipt of
price. Heretofore these copies could be
obtained only through congressman and
we're looked upon by the latter as per-
quisites to be distributed where they
would do them the most good political
ly. Now the new Bureau of Documents
will, it is said, issue a catalogue every
month, giving a list of the publications
within the preceding thirty days and
the price at which they may be OBJ
tanned. AS some of these publications
are extremely valuable and difficult to
get under the previous plan of distribu
ton. the change will be generally ap-
proved.
@OS
Archbishop Ireland explains the Pope's
recent letter about the religious Con
crosses in his usual liberal style. He
declares that a mistaken conception of
the purport of the letter has gone abroad.
1t is not proscriptive document, but
prescribes the panner in which Catho-
hes may participate in such gatherings.
"The words of Pope Leo are in no
>parliaments of religion said Archbishop
Ireland. He merely prescFibes the
methods or conditions under which
Catholics may take part in them. He
deems inadvisable the promiscuous as
sem bling of Catholics with men of all
forms OF religion, Buddhists and Mo
hammedans, as well as non Catholic
Christians, upon the same platform for
the discussion of religious questions.
The Pope, no doubt, somewhat fears. as
many others did and do, that from such
promiseuous gatherings the impressions
go out into the public mind that all
forms of religion are looked upon as of
equal value and equal sufficiency. The
Catholics who participated inthe Chicago
parliament of religions we're not without
their misgivings as to the peril of i'm
pressions of this kind. But circumstan-
ces did not suggest or allow other ar
rangements than promiscuous assem-
blsgs. And in view of the general good
expected from their participation in the
Congress. Catholics did not keep them
selves aloof, satisfying their consciences
that all things would be made right by
their emphatic and repeated declarations
that the principles of the Catholic faith
remained intact, and nothing done or
said should be taken as placing religions
on the same footing as the Catholic.
but now when congresses or Parlia-
ments OF relig ions are becoming frequent
and seem destined to be permanent in
situations, it is felt that such care ought
to be taken by Catholics that not even
the most delicate and scrupulous con
science among the children of the church
need be alarmed. or that the most un-
thinking non-Catholic be led to misap-
prehend the Catholic position. Hence
the words of warning coming from the
sovereign pontiff.