The San Francisco call., 1896-05-13
The Speaker Scores Secret So
cieties as a Menace to
the Public.
MUCH ENTHUSIASM IS SHOWN.
Rabbi Levy and James II. Barry Make
Brief Addresses to the Vast
ConcourSe.


ticket office at the Metropolitan Temple
was closed. The hall was already crowded
to suffocation, and the committee on ar
rangements decided that it would be
wrong to sell tickets to people who could
make no use of them.
The ladies of the American Woman's 8
Liberal League were in high feather. The
Very Rev. Peter @. Yorke, Chancellor of
the archdiocese, was TO deliver the last OF
his course OF lectures on civil and religious
liberty, and the occasion gave ample ex-
cuse, to their way of thinking, for the fes-
tai aspect of the temples interior.
The stage was banked with Gala lilies,
which also festooned the pipes OF the great
organ and garlanded the speakers desk.
The National colors foated everywhere
and an air of enthusias tic patriotism per-
vaded the vast assemblage. Rabbi NJ. s.
Levy of Congregation Beth Israel pre-
sided.
The programme opened with the sing
ing of Pinsuti's beautiful tenor solo, "But
1 Was Dreaming" given with charming
expression by ]. F. O'Brien. with piano
accompaniment by Miss Mary F. Giorgiani,
organist OF the old cathedral.
Miss Alice Condor followed in humor-
Gus recitation by way of presentation
speech to the Rev. Father Yorke, 10 whom
amid much applause she handed gayly
decorated broom ito sweep the A. p. A. 8
out of the way with"
The next number was a romanza by
Bellenghi, which was admirably rendered
by Nine. Angehni Casati.
The Rev. DR.. Levy made very brief ad-
dress, in the course of which he alluded to
the unique spectacle of Rabbi and Cath
olic priest side Dy side in public hall. In
burning words he called upon all patriotic
Americans to do their best to break down
any barriers which ignorance, bigotry and
prejudice may have raised between Ameri-
can citizens.
he said he could see no reason for q
broom being presented to Father Yorke,
since that gentleman had made so clean a
sweep of his adversaries already without
the aid of a broom.
II am very sorry to differ with the good
rabbi" said Father Yorke, when he had
been introduced; "but when it comes to a
clean sweep l have to take an exception.
Not all the brooms on earth could sweep
some of our adversaries clean.
But another thing ought to be men,
toned. The first clerical condemnation of
the A. P. A. In this City came from the
Jewish pulpits. How fitting it is, then,
that rabbi should meet with US here to-
nightf'
Father Yorke then commenced his Iec-
ture. After reviewing the ground covered
by the first four lectures OF the course he
spoke in part as follows:
1--WE have seen the glimmerings of the
dawn, the entrance of the light and the
beginning of the day of liberty, and now
we stand in the full, glorious noontide of
freedom. Those of us who are Catholics
imagine that we have a right TO enjoy tn is
state of affairs. We further claim the right
to stand on a level with all our fellow -citi-
Zens, asking for no favors, and also asking
that no unjust discrimination be exercised
against us. But this is Just what certain
self-styled patriots object to. They would
have US thrust down and away, as though
we were something Internationally vile.
I'VE hear it said that the American
Catholics are all right, but that there are
Catholics and Catholics. The Pope, the
Ultramontane, the Jesuit particularly
the disguised Jesuit-and above all the
dreadful hierarchy. unite to form a bogie
man so horrible as to strike terror to the
stoutest heart.
"What, now, is the attitude of Catholic
theology and philosophy regarding those
who follow other forms of religious be-
lief? In the first place, the Catholics
religious views are beliefs, not opinions.
And so sure are we that we have the truth
we contend that there can be no question
of error in the church's teaching; or, in
other words, that the Catholic church is
lnfallible in matters of faith and morals
Now, since this is the belief of Catholics
we would be very disingenuous if we said
one church was as good as any other.
Another point l wish to make is that
man has no right to array himself against
the truth, when that truth has once been
made known to him. Above all things
stands principle. The man who will 90
back on his principles and espouse evil
knowingly is, to Americans, thing ac-
cursed.
"This American idea is only the Catho-
lie doctrine that man must be true to him
self and to his God. Adherence to prin-
ciple-that is the cornerstone of Catholic
truth, as 1T is also of true American citi-
zenship.
yet how dreadful are the misrepresen-
tations of Catholic truths heard on every
side. Particularly in the matter of saliva
ton are these Misrepresentation most
grewsome.
LET 1t be once and for all understood
that the Catholic church teaches that
God judgments are proportioned to the
lights and graces which each individual
soul may have received. Even st. Thomas
Aqulnas, who has been quoted on this
platform as the greatest of all connoisseurs
OF fricasseed hereto, sustains this teaching
ana proves that any other view would call
in question the justice of God.
1t is crime in the eyes of the church,
not sanctioned by any theologian, how
ever bloodthirsty. for Catholic to believe
that any soul is in eternal torments. The
church keeps to the charitable view ex-
pressed in the old saw:
Between the saddle and the ground,
Mercy sought and mercy found.
"The Catholic church believes in the un-
covenanted mercies of God, which like the
genial showers of spring fall alike upon
the just and the unjust.
NOW as to the slavery of tho Catholic
| We are told that conscience cuts no figure
with him; that all he has to do is to obey
| blindly in order to be first-class Catholic
How foolish an assertion! The Catholi,
church does believe in an absolute SOW
ereign over the souls of its members, an6
that sovereign1s conscience. Busenbaum
an old theologian and Jesuit to boot, say,
that where a non-Catholic's conscienc,
does not urge him to enter the Catholi,
] church he cannnt be held nhlir ed To do 40