The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23
The Catholic Champion Argues
at Length in Support of
His Faith.
MR.. HITTELL GIVES THANKS
The Historian Grows Sarcastic in
Responding to Father Yorke'S
Recent Letter.

Inc 1OllOWl0g communication from heV.
Father Yorke addressed TO THE CALL, is
the latest contribution to the controversy:
To the Editor Of the Cdll-DEAR SIR: On the
principle that open confession Is good for the
soul-the other fellows Soul-Dr. Wendte has
devoted the Introduction OF his last letter to
an enumeration OF my high crimes and misde-
meanOrs. He informs the pubic that Il bIus-
ter, bully and bluff" am surprised that he
drew the line al the equally alliterative bull
doze." He is under the impression that am
lndulging in a series OF wild warwhOops, in
order TO drive him out OF the controversy. DR..
Wendte should be consistent. Atew days ago
he announced that he was about to retire out
of pity for the Church OF Rome, now 1t would
appear that he is about to retire out OF pity for
himself.
Let me state Mr. Editor, In the very be-
ginning that 1 regret that DR.. Wendte seems
panied at the tone OF my letter. If l have said
anything to him unjustitied by the facts l
sorry for it. II have used words which have
hurt his feelings I hereby apologize. ! have
carefully read what l have already written
and / am unable to see wherein l have Of
Tended. Perhaps, however, Dr. Wendte has
travel the rocky road OF controversy there are
no pnuematic tires.
CONCERNING Mr.. HITTELL.
DR.. Wendte seems to be sore that have
spoken so severely of Mr.. Hittell. l assure
him that did not do so without much deliber-
alton. I have given Mr.. HittelPs book thor
ough and conscientious study. have been
careful 10 look up nearly all his references and
I am convinced that he not only misinteT-
prets history through ignorance but through
malice.
In order to keep what had TO say out of Dr.
Wendte's controversy l put it in q separate
letter. If ever q humbug deserved exposure
that humbug IS John 5. Hittell Dr. Wendte's
bump OF oeneFolence must be OF exceeding
bigness when he can defend man who has
placed him in such an unenviable position.
MISREPRESENTATION.
Whether intentionally or not, DR.. Wendte
has contr1ved TO mlsrepresent me twice in as
many paragraphs. He first accuses me of
sneering at cooks and tailors. l do not imag-
inc that the cooks and tailOrs have interpreted
my words in such fashion did not introduce
cooks and walters into a theological discussion
DR.. Wendte did. He brought them forward in
the first place as cheap argument against
Catholicism.
He addressed his highly cultured congrega-
ton, and with his face joyful with the oil of
Protestant scholarship he cried out: 'Behold
how condemn this representative of church
OF hod-carriers out of the mouths of cooks and
talloTs." When with righteous indignation he
protested against this method OF argumenta-
llon, ne cries out that am sneerlng at the
humble folk who make up the larger part of
the Roman Catholic congregation throughout
the country" Let me now inform Dr. Wendte
throughout the country can, in intelligence,
IN worldly goods, in social station compare with
Protestant or Unitarian congregations.
Let me say that those whom he contemptu-
ously denominates as plain people have often
more brains in their little fingers than those
have in their whole body who gather in cush-
toned pews TO admire DR.. Wendte. TO drink tea
and to talk twaddle. There are no "hum Bile
folk' in the Catholic church. Before Gods
altar the cook and the'tailor are as great and
as high as the multi-millionaire. The cook
and the tailor have built our churches and
they are able to support them, too. am sur
prlsed that a defender OF the American system
OF government should so far forget himself as
10 speak of the men and women of "humble
estate" There is no 'humble estate' in the
Catholic church or in the American constitu-
non. Before our God all men are on a level as
before the law all men are equal.
ABOUT REFERENCES.
DR.. WeEdte's second Misrepresentation con-
sists in the statement that have found it i'm
posi- bic TO verify the references to original
sources, because could not gain admission to
Mayor Sutro's library. Let me remind Dr.
Wendte that as there were kings before Aga
memnon, SO there were Libraries before Mayor
Sutros. | went to Mayor Sutro's library sim
ply because DR.. Wendte mentioned it, and be-
cause it is in the next block When | disco v
cred tnat could not get IN knew half dozen
Libraries where l could find what I wanted and
where l or any gentleman would be made well
come without the formality OF an official permit
AS matter OF fact the difficulty of verifying
quotations is not so great as DR.. Wendte i'm
aglnes. Even among the Philistines OH this
uncultured side of the bay there are many
magnificent collections of authorities. l am
sure that the Athens of the Pacific and the
University of California are not surpassed in
this respect by mere money grubbing en-
porium. 1 fear the difficulty in the matter
arises altogether from the sad but sufficient
fact that as in the case OF Sairey Camps
L
tions.
AS to the amount of time required to verify
references evidently Dr.. Wendte eXaggerates
the extent OF work to which he is unac-
customed. OF course, the labor itself is a
nuisance, but under proper conditions il is
gone through rapidly enough. Including the
time spent IN streetcars it took me a little
over three hours to look up all those contained
in his first letter, and more than half of this
time was occupied in hunting for an allocution
that was never delivered. His references this
morning was able TO verify before breakfast.
OF course, it may be one of the methods of
Protestant scholarship" 10 waste much time
over nothing, but ordinary, unlettered Papists
find they can get through very quickly when
they know where TO look.
LITERARY ETHICS
Here l may again remark that DR.. Wendte
does not seem to realize the peculiar position
in which his methods of arguing have placed
him. He has given his authorities at second
and third hand and he has not taken the
trouble 10 discover whether these authorities
were correctly cited or not II in the ordinary
affairs OF life man repeats the idle tales which
come to his ears sensible people put him down
as an irresponsible gossip. When these tales
contain serious charges and seriously affect
the character of Others the repetition of.them
is known by a harder name. The Just man
believes that II IS his duty to examine into the
truth OF q serious accusation before he make sit
No one considers II sufficient excuse to urge
that the examination is difficult or that it will
be made later on. We not bound TO chal-
lenge the good name OF our neighbor but if
we take the task on ourselves we are bound in
lle very pegilnlDR 10 be sure of our facts Dr..
Ncndte does not think that he owes this Chris
tian caution 70 himself TO US when he is
dealing with Catholics. He backs up his
charges with arguments drawn from Catholic
writer's and he promises "to crafty us soon"
with the information whether Catholic writer's
ever used these words not. Dr. Wendte's
scholarly and judicial plan is to hang us first
and try US afterward.
If in describing the manner of acting I have
used strong language / think the fair-minded
American public will agree that | have
received provoeation. If l should in these
letters make false quotation or ascribe on
false testimony opinions TO men which they
repudlate would be ashamed to appear before
the people without a humble apology The
meanest thing that crawls upon the earth has
right to justice. Is it only in controversy
which is carried on in the name of religion
that justice may be houted2 DR.. Wendte
admits that in at least one case 1 have dis
proved an authority which he cited. remark
that he has not penned a syllable TO show that
he regrets having circulated the forgery.
PROTESTANT SCHOLARSHIP.
DR.. Wendte is strong on Protestant scholar
snip. He declares that all Protestant writers
are learned, judicial fair and accurate. II
makes no difference whether like Gladstone
they spring into the arena, smarting after
political defeat, and proceed TO lay the lash