The age-herald., 1900-11-28

soon i'll a number of vacancies in the Sa- cred College, with the probabilities of two of the red hats coming to the United States. The correspondent, gossiping in a very interesting way anent the question In its diplomatic bearings. lays particular stress upon the point that the numerical strength of the church in America natural ly suggests to the Vatican the advisability of hs ying two or three cardinals in this country instead of one only. He mentions the names of Corrigan, Ireland and Chapelie as prospective members of the college. But Corrigan and Ireland have been listed for red hats for these many years, according to the Herald and other papers, and it may be many years yet be- fore either one of the red hats is actually in sight. And maybe neither one of these two distinguished prelates will ever receive the coveted honor. The point is this: While the Pope has a right to feel proud of American Catholics and of the American hierarchy, and while he appreciates fully no doubt the importance of the United States as field with an incalculably great future, it has not been his policy to con slider numerical strength basis for the appointment of cardinals. If numbers were to constitute the basis, then progressive Germany would have more than one or two members of the Sacred College Today there is only one German cardinal, and in recent years there have not been more than two at the same time. Yet the German Empires population of 52, 1000, 000 includes 23,OOO0O0 Catholics as against about 12000, 900 in the United States, with a population of over 76,0000O0. And the German Catho- lies are making gains at even a more rapid rate, l believe, than the American Catho- lies. On the other hand England, with only 100000 Catholics, had three cardi- nals at one time-Manning, Newman and Howard. The United States has never had but one at a time; first Cardinal Mo- Closkey and today our beloved Cardinal Gibbons. France has always had greater number of red hats than any country out side of Italy. She has five today and she usually has as many as six.
 Another question and I am done The Methodist bishops who expressed them selves wrathfuly against the Pope a few days ago have no official connection what ever with the Methodist Church, South. Bishop Goodsell lives in Tennessee, but he is North Methodist; and the North Meth odists have generally been noted for bitter talk Roaming at the mouth is one of their old diseases. The speaker who referred to l.e Pope as having declared himself infal- hble certainly should have been familiar wiOh the history of the Vatican Council of 1S69-70, convened by Plus K, when the bishops of the world, after full discussion, took a formal vote on the dogma of infalh- bility, and in that way the Pope was de- clared infallible. Quite a number of pre- lates, including those from France, several from Germany and two from the United States-Archbishop Kendrick of St. Louis and Bishop Fitzgerald of Little Rock-were opposed to the declaration of the dogma; not that they did not believe in 1t, but they regarded 1t as inopportune. But when the final vote was taken all but two present answered, 'Placet,' Bishop Riccio of Ajac- cio and Bishop Fitzgerald answering Non- Placet. :"
 Robert F. Morgan of Cincinnati, a nephew of the famous Senator who was on yester- day elected for the fifth time a member of the United States Senate is in Birming- ham. MT. Morgan travels for a wholesale clothing house, and is well known all over the South.
 fofmer speaker Charles 10. Waller of Greensboro was in Birmingham yesterday on his way to Montgomery. Since last April when MT. Waller temporarily retired from politics, he has been an exceediny busy man, having devoted all of his time to his law practice, in which he is notably successful.
 Capt George de Whiting of Birmingham, who was an assistant engineer and there- fore one of the survivors of Raphael Semmes renowned warship Alabama is eonvalescent, after tedious and dangerous illness. If Captain de Whiting can visit Pensacola next month he will have an op- portunity of seeing the new United States battleship Alabama, believed to be the greatest vessel of it's class in the world as the old Alabama was greatest in its day. The officers of the new Alabama would doubtless give this gallant survivor of the old ship a true sailors welcome.
 MT. Sol Haas and Mrs. Haas, who came to Birmingham to attend the funeral of their lamented son, MT. T. J. Haas, have resumed their journey to California, whither they go in hope of beneiting MT. Haas health which is deplorably poor.
 
 RUMoR CONTAINED.