The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-11-14
Of NATIONAL, S1REN'|G 9th.
Such Was the Topic Which Father
cleary Eloquentiy
Discussed
IN LAST SUNDAY NIGHTS SERMON.
The Flippancy ofToo Many Americans
in Sacred Mat
tiers.
IN LAST SUNDAY NIGHTS sERH!ol

WlOieSOLne ana Timely HSGIIilOu 7dC3 ~ ~
Charles Catholic church last Sunday
evening. He took for his subject '.Ele-
ments Of National Strength and in its
treatment found respect for truth, admir-
aticn for justice. regard for honesty and
love and reverence for God, the founda-
tion OF society, without which no nation
can long survive. In the course Of his re-
marks Father Cleary deprecated the flip
psncy of the American people and the
callous Indifference TO many things which
should be held sacred. The off-hand and
purely perfunctory manner in which
oaths are administered in courts Of JUS
tice, he said, indicated the disregard Of
the solemn significance of mans appeal
to his creator to witness the truth Of his
uttelances. He said, IN part:
TN our courts Of justice the citizen is
summoned and put upon his oath. but if
he has scruples of conscience he is put
upon his word of affirmation. I believe
there is a very general want Of respect
for the solennity Of the oath. An oath
is an appealing to the ever present God
that we speak the truth in defense Of the
law and Of Justice Hence violation Of
an oath has always been looked upon as
q heinous offense. a crime against human
society, which has been punished by Sc
we're penalties of the law, And rightly
SO, because we must incuIcate love and
respect for truth Without truth there
can be no respect for the law. I believe
it is the duty OF every citizen to exert
whatever influence he can in favor OF Gre
ating widespread respect for truth, and
the best way to do that is to be truthful
himself, and ON all occasions show most
sacred and reverential regard for an oath.
"You know with what all utter disre-
gard for respect the oath is frequently
administered in courts Of justice. The
| person summoned to take an cath before
a notary or other official is not even re-
quirea to take off his hat. There is NO
| evidence about the man who takes the
cath to indicate that anybody there has
any respect for the supreme being who is
fsolennnly appealed to; that the person TAX
ing the oath is telling thefruth. And yet
Of what binding force can the oath be
without reverence for God? A man
who has no respect for God has 10 re-
spect for the oath he takes, and when we
see Wholesale frauds. perpetrated, as for
| instance at election time, what is there
| to ground conviction that the oath has
been respected?"
Continuing, Father Cleary said that
people should have in themselves that
kind OF national virtue that would make
! men understand that the man who has
once misled them will never get chance
! to do it again He also appealed for a
| recognition of that kind of justice which
deals gently. and kindly between men,
and which prompts them to deal gener-
ously with their fellow men.
I what does society exist for said he.
what do we have an aggregation OF
| thinking. sentient beings for? Is 1t FOR
! the benefit of the law, that some may pros
| per while others suffer hunger and cold? Is
! it that strength and cunning may gain the
ascendency, and that weakness and tim1d-
| ity may never prosper Or obtain any ad-
| yantages whatever2 Society exists for the
benefit OF humanity for all classes OF men.
and not for the benefit Of the few, and that
society is constituted best where there IS
| the largest share Of prosperity among all
classes Of society, where there is no favor
itisln and men stand equal before the law
and every man has fair and honest
! chance to make his way. The curse Of So
ciety is that it has been ruled by cases
and classes, and the DoCY been deprived of
! its, blessings" 49,,
| Father Cleary said that in America the
theory that every man is free and has an
equal chance among his fellow men ex-
listed. but thinking men could not close
| their eyes to the fact that there is dis
position to make that theory null and void.
| There was a growing tendency, he sad
toward class legislation, tendency to
| favor certain classes OF men at the expense
of the masses, a tendency to bow down be-
fore wealth, cunning and cleverness and
q want Of reverence for man because he is
a man. 1--WE are told, he continued, that
society must be regulated by the law OF
supply and demand, as ii n1en and women
were cattle without reason. Why, human
society nlnst not be governed by the law
of ayaricious, greed that regulates the law
Of supply and demand. The Law Of supply
and demands a law that is not determined
by the necessities OF individuals, but is a
law that is made and enforced by the COM
binations of capital, by the conspiracies OF
wealth. by the intrigues Of INSCRIPTIONS
men The products of nature are con-
trollel by gambling institutions in this
country. The wealth which IS brought
from the bowels of the earth 5 regulated
not by The necessities OF society, but by
wealthy combinations that consp!re against
the necessities OF men,
The speaker pleaded for falrer end more
equitable distribution of the goods of the
world, that all men might enjoy the rights
guaranteed to them by the declaration of
MISUNDERSTANDING and the pursuit Of
happiness He also warned his hearers That
the majority is not always right. BY tbs
voices OF the majority said he, some of
the most ubiquitous things in the world
have been committed. You must not think
! am making an application Of this truth
or making political address. 1 only want
to indicate that the majority may be sadly
! mistaken very often.
'If our government is to endure it must
rest or the safety pillars of truth. justice,
honesty and love and reverence for Cod
Rev. Father Cleary will preach next Sun
day night on. "The Catholic Church and
the Reformation"
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