The Irish standard., 1899-11-11
lion against him to whom our Lord
gave the keys OF the kingdom OF heaven
and to whom He promised protection

against error down to the end OF time.
There is but one answer-even a Prot
cstant gentleman wrote on this very
point in the New York Sun OF Friday
last-tEere is but one answer Our
Catholic girls are pure and chastc be-
cause they are Catholics and for no
other reason. Now. ii this be true OF
our young women, how much more so
must 1t not be true OF Our young men!
Nay, more, how much more necessary
Tor our young men to be exact and
faithful i'll the practiccs OF their Catholic
lille, since their pathway is strewn with
able
And il this be true OF the private
and domestic life. how much more so
! OF the mad, rushing, turbulent lie men
engage in when they enter on the strug-
Sle Tor existence? For, remember, there
are not sets or codes OF morality-one
tor the home and the other for market
| place and forum: one Tor the dealings
with ones kindred and another for the
dealings with ones rivals and ones enc
mics. There is but one motive-there
an be but one motivc-which when
men make use OF their conduct is cor
'ect. but which when they neglect their
'onduct is blameworthy. From its very
ature this motive is unchanging; it
must be the same i'll every phase OF cir
nuisance; it must have its origin in
| he justice of God: it must point unre-
nittlngly to eternal life. This is the
ood on which we Catholics are brought
p, and in proportion as you take it
rom us we die moral death; we be-
ONE menace to the community in
hlcil we live, and although our fellow
zen may appear TO respect and trust
S, yet are we deprived OF the sweetest
i human consolations We cannot re-
pect or trust ourselves.
I'm Our own day and in Our own land
here is kind OF iaudable attempt on
lie part of some very excellent persons
create an epidemic relative to the
Hercise OF the civil virtues, and their
Ian OF campaign appears to have
cached no higher level than the detec-
ion OF some poor wretch who had
orccd on him at election time few
'ollars to feed his starving children or
sho gave his vote because refusal to
10 so would permanently drive him
rom employment and into the poor
lousc; while the man who guided the
yndlca OF corruption is honorcd and
cted: people vie with one another to
10 him reverence: the chance to say
me knew him intimately, although
degradation, is not even regarded as a
'ausc Tor shame. l have never yet
ourd a man who dared openly defend
he taking Of brides to influence con-
duct in the performance OF public duty;
but as between him who receives and
him who gives the bride, I could ignore
The former as vcnial while l would pun
ish the latter with privation of every
civic right.
But if all this BE true OF the material
order, what are we to think OF those
who practice it in the spiritual order?
What do you think OF a man who chan
ges his religion Tor food or clothing or
money or the chance to secure employ
nlent? What are we to think OF the
man who adopts the religion OF the sect
offering the highest premium for his
change OF creed? But, my God, what
are we to think of the venal soul that
dcsecrates its existence procuring these
results, plotting The destruction OF the
moral life OF innocent victims by taking
from them the only motive that could
keep them from the commission OF
moral sin and giving in its stead mo-
tive that cannot restrain, but OF ncces-
sity must impcl 10 constant violation OF
such laws as stand in the way Of the
satisfaction OF impulse and passion and
individual craving There are in your
own town to-day victims Of a corrup-
ton such as I have described but who
the moment their salaries are withdrawn
will inevitably return to the home from
which bribery has seduced them. The
corruptcr OF civic morals is deemed
wretch unfit for human association
What shall we say of him who reports
adhercnts to his creed at so much
head? Such person must be dishonest
to the hearts core, and so dishonest that
right conduct can have no attraction for
him. He hlchcs from his victim a
human soul, and therefore he is dis
honest towards God; he wrests from his
victim his moral nature, and therefore
| he is dishonest towards his fellow man;
he robs his victim OF the intrinsic and
sufficient motive for right conduct to-
wards his fellow citizens. and therefore
lie is dishonest towards his country; he
continues his work of destruction only
because he has stihcd the voice of con-
science, therefore he is dishonest to-
wards self
Fellow knights, you can see directly
what l would say the Catholic Church
expects Of you, the same as your consti-
buttons erjoin that every true Knight Of
Columbus bring as offering to the altar
of his VISIONS choice-fealty to God,