The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-10-19
CATHOLIC PRESS OPINION.


| The Bulgarians have captured an Amer
Ican missionary, Miss Stone, and demand
$lo9eoV for her ransom. The missionary
ladies of this country are trying to raise
| the sum- Not one dollar should be paid
tor her ransom. She is where she ought
TO be- If she has any business to be d
need conversion it is those Bulgarian
bandits. When the Moors were captur-
ing and enslaVing Christians the Church
instituted an Order of Ransom. But it
was to purchase the freedom of the flock,
not of the shepherds, who often voiun-
tarlly took the places of the ransomed
slaves in the service of their Moham-
medan masters. Then, catching female
missionaries may become very lucrative
pursuit if the prize is so readily ram
somed.-Western Watchman.
The daughter of Vice President Morton
was married i'll a Catholic church in Lon
don last week. She was a convert. Peo-
pie wonder why so many American heir
only about One-twentieth of the lordly
erests of Europe adOrn the brows of
PrOtestants. Even the princesses of the
blood royal of England often think of
changing their faith. The portals of the
Catholic church are their only escape
from the fat boy from the Rhine, and
they are oftentlmeS tempted to dash
through them.-Western Waterman.
In recent convention of our separated
brethren many harsh words were hurled
against OIdn because OF ltS pOiySdHlOuS
practices. How inconsistent! How much
better are these brethren who counte-
nance a plurality of wives under, the
sanction of decree of divorce? There
is no difference in the principle.-Catho1c
Union and Times
The Church of the United States is
the favorite name with those who wish
to substitute nicer appellation for
Protestant Episcopal at the San Fran
cisco meeting of that church. Such
name would be decidedly a figure OF
part and an infinitesimal part, too
Northwest Catholic.
The proper course to pursue now would
be to send fleet OF warships to Con-
Stantinople or some other Turkish port
and to demand Of the sultan the freedom
of Miss Stone. and in default of her safe
return on board an American vessel to
lombard the town, take possession of 1t
and levy an indemnity for the outrage
that, would prevent q, repetition of such
safety of the kidnapped missionary is the
first and highest consideration. This is
not true. The first consideration is the
dignity of the American government. Miss
Stone took her life in her hands when
she went into a strange land and among
people who were hostile to her and her
mission. If she violated no law she should
be protected. But there should be no
barter or dicker with the brigands. The
Turkish government should be forced to
protect her, ana in default OF this should
be adequately punished.-Boston Repub-
lie.
It is to be hoped that Catholic young
mems societies viii do something more
this winter than play cards. smoke and
dance The cultivation of sociability is
commemorate, but the neglect of the
things of the mind is not to be approved.
Readings, musicales. courses of study
and lectures might well be used as part
of their observation-disclosures Column
bian.
The department commander of the G.
A. r. of Wisconsin has issued an order
TO his comrades never hereafter to
breathe the name of the assassin of
breathe it If he wanted to. 1t is as much
as anybody can do to snore it-Czolgosz!
Boston Pilot.