The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-20
PoPE's HEART sADDENED.
Persistent Reports Of III Health Are
Declared False.
InnominatO in St. Louis Globe Demo-

crat.)
Rome, Nov. S-More than once the
holy father has expressed a natural
bitterness in regard to the campaign
Of lies about the state Of his health.
Parties are savage. They respect nei-
thec the majesty of the tiara nor the
sanctsty of old age. Present strategy
does not take into account sentiment
and deliCaCy. As every one knows, il
is the A. b, c of good manners not to
menuOn-abOve all, not to speak loud
ly-of the fTailty of an old man. When
such fables reach the point Of constant
violence, which has caused regret to
all Of US, such indelicacy becomes gross
boCrishness.
Leo XIII has all the more reason to
complain of such misconduct, inasmuch
as he is still hale. he is proud of his
youthful old age, just as a woman is
proud of her beauty His manner of
life continues the same; his habits OF
work and administration have not
changed; the one novelty, not recent,
but dating back several years, is the
minute care with which he is watched
by DR.. LappOni. who likes to show his
zeal. and the doctors strict prescrip-
tons, which the great pOntiff avoids
as much as propriety permits. DR..
Lapp3nis predecessor was not so ty-
TanniCal. ne read Leo Kills soul, he
knew the pope better and had attained
the physicians ideal to let the patient
get along according to his own con-
sciou ness Of his strength.
Unfortunately, Dr. Lapponi is a
pOmpOus stiff provincial, he counts for
his reputation on the preservation Of
the pOpe's precious health. Leo XIII
Ia fr1cz hut obi
to obey, inasmuch as all his attend
ants are in league with the doctor.
That is the real state of affairs. 1t is
a shame TO see ignorant. deceived or
designing journalists lay before the
public daily. the alleged sufferings and
the interminable agony of the holy
father
@ % o
What increases the natural sorrow of
the pope Is the fact that he is perfect
" well acquainted with the sources,
the character and the object of this
abOminable mystifCatiOn. Better than
any one else does he know whence
these fancies arise, in what hands are
held the threads Of the intrigue. what
result is Ges red. When the matter is
looked into it is person high in pOlit-
ical Iower who is directing the OdiOUs
Vaccination. Private letters. Confiden-
tial notes, party relations cOmmUnica-
tons OF personal police, have all been
used for the stage setting. Agencies,
intrigues, combinations of groups are
acting at the bidding Of this person.
Great attention has been directed to
the fact that this person has the mis-
sion Of managing in behalf of the triple
alliance the affairs leading to the COM
&
other striking fact is that French roy
alist newspapers gave the keynote for
this scaudalCUs concert. The other
papers chimed in, some to give news
to their readers, others because they
had drawn from dishonest sources.
The character and object Of the cam
paign might be guessed even If precise
info. nation did not enable us to know
them precisely. To increase the cOnfu-
sion in mems minds, to discourage the
obed ent, to incite the rebellious, to
bring it about that all serious action
shall be put off until the next pontifi-
cate and that the resistance in the
conclave shall be so strong as to bring
about not only change Of person, but
a change Of administration and of pol
icy-these are clearly the directing
ideas Of the conspiracy.
g q g
We are on the eve of the French cleo
tions; it is desired that the pope shall
inspire neither confidence nor fear.
They wish to give a free hand to every
fern OF dis bedience and to authorize
all kinds of ambiguous actions. In
this way the opposition to the rallie-
ment and TO Christian democracy
hopes by a flank movement to juggle
. w-uTr tho ra-r,1ona7,f ro1iozr of he
papacy and to enmire Catholicism in
the old, conservative methods Of work.
The work Of skillful investment is
supported by the parallel movements
of persons who, though faithful to the
republican instructions Of the pope,
aim at checking the socialist tenden-
Cies, under the preteXt that in France
the democrats are eXaggerating the
teachings at Rome and creating a
schismatic atmosphere. At times some
imprudence in matters of detail gives
a samblance of truth to these perfdious
accusations. These combinations of in
trigues sadden the heart of the holy
father. Was it not the Christian dem
ocrats of France that carried into eff
feet with most joyous and grateful
prOmptness the counsels, the policy
and the secret wishes of the holy see?
pOcrisy To bubble over trifles with the
secret intention of making a historic
movement turn from its course! Amid
the willy adversaries are all the de-
tractors Of The congress Of sacerdOtal
works. The object is to brighten the
pope and to disarm his strength Of ac-
ton. No! a thousand times no. Leo
XIII is not in his death agony like a
common decrepit and wOrn-Out old
man. When one cardinal can talk to
him for two hours about the affairs of
America and Of Germany, when one
ambassador can explain to him at
great length the thorniest difficulties
of France, and on the same day at
nightfaI he can receive a bishop con-
secrated that very morning by Cardinal
Satolli, there can be no question Of "a
weakling" or a victim of "consump-
ton"
Journals that are misinfOrmed or are
the mouthpieces of a petty conspiracy
are fond of adding that in this end of
a reign il is the pope that reigns and
Cardinal Rampolla that governs.
The poor and sanity cardinal, so dis
Greet, so retiring, who has to endure
the genius Of a master, who tOlerates
no Independent thought or policy does
not deserve these perfidious attacks.
His heart does not dwell in the ante
rooms of diplomacy; it sojourns in
higher tabernacle5. The series Of
learned studies that he is publishing
in the thick of this lend of a reign,
in NJ. COrtis' La Papante ct les peu-
pies" clearly marks the turn of MS
thoughts and the preference of his
soul He loves only God, his master
and high culture
The name Of Leo XIII is a force IN
itself; that is the greatness that is