New-York tribune., 1900-04-10
"out perforation or crack to marked degree as
compared with the present service armor
SAINTS. GENTLEMEN AND OTHER THINGS.

SAINTS, GENTLEMEN AND OTHER fHINGS.
We regret that our article "Monastic Or
ders' failed TO please the casino Giri whose
lively and impusive protest we published yes
terday. But our regret is tempered by the salts
faction we feel at learning that the girls OF the
comic opera stage read The Tribune We cannot
In candor say that our critic has demolished the
arguments OF that article Indeed we do not
Just understand why the article merited crit
icism at all, as IT simply a colorless re-
sumo of certain facts concerning the religious
orders in France quoted from French writer
But perhaps the prevalence of facts In it was
what disturbed Casino Girl" who. with
charm all her own, employs italics. capitais ana
various punctuation marks in lieu or facts she
regrets that some Catholic theologian did not
answer The Tribune and thus relieve her from
that duty But we assure her, with all due re-
spect to the Catholic theologians. we are glad
they were silent just this time. else the world
would not perchance have had the privilege Of
knowing what a Casino Girl thinks about
gentlemen saints and other things Catholic
theologians are no doubt fine men in their
vay but not one of them could have written
letter like hers with it's drops into the stern
emphasis of italics and it's flights to the higher
and more raref1ed region of capitals.
While we shall not attempt to answer this let
ter-it is in fact unanswera be-we do wish to
correct one inaccuracy Of the writer. The IT'D
Is not the owner of any churches. as she
implies. and it has never presumed to name one
after saint. We are interested to learn that
st. John the Divine Catholic, but then the
other saint of that name Baptist. which
seems to plunge us into uncertainty again And
may we venture just to suggest TO fair critic
that she is little hard on non-Catholic New
York men in denying to every of them the
grand old name of gentleman? We do not ques
ton that her experience may have led her to
that conclusion: but is it not possible that she
was a little unfortunate in her choice of gentle
men friends? And, on the other hand. we seem
to recall the fact that in Catholic France the
ladies of the stage do not invariably find all men
to be gentlemen true in thought. word and
deed" 1t Is always nvdous to make COM
parisons. and we sure that IL Casino Girl
had more experience she would avoid doing so.
For it is practice that Is sure to react upon
those who indulge in 1t. For instance some en-
emy of Catholicism might point out to this
charming Defender of the Faith that although
Roman Catholics are only about one in sixteen
in the population of England they contribute
one In four TO the quota of criminals. according
to writer in The National Review" There
also more relapses into crime from the
Catholic reformatories in Liverpool than from
the Protestant reformatories. But we forbear.
The remarks of our correspondent concerning
canonzation seem to slightly open to ques-
ton. Waiving the personal point whether The
Tribune believes in that process not. we sub
nit that canonization does not make saint;
1t only records the fact that he is already
saint. As matter Of fact careful students
of history would refuse the title of saintship
to some whose names the calendar and
for the credit of humanity it is to be hoped
that there are many saints in the world even
to-day who will probably never get on the list.
These Catholic gentlemen who take Casino
Girl to supper after the play-if they in
deed true in thought, word and deed she
says-we venture to assert probably as
worthy of santship many who have been for
mally canonized. And in saying this are not
paying them very much of a compliment,
either. The Church's saints must perform
miracles, believe But men and women VINO
keep themselves clean. pure and upright will.
sure. stand pretty close to the saints in the
last day. even though they never possessed the
gift Of miracles