Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-14

{.
pine scouts-and can talk with these
people. ! want to settle among them
and remain for a number of years I'M
til know them so thoroughly that
can give a thorough account of their
customs.
Archbishop Ireland.-The Apostle
Paul gives this counsel: Not to be
more wise than it behooveth to be
wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and
according as God hath divided to every
one the measure of faith In the mind
of the apostle things most excellent if |
made use of in undue measure and
without proper regard to circum-
stances of time and place, change into
things perilous and hurtful. And this
is undoubtedly what is happening in
the case Of the fiery zeal in defense of
Catholic interests which seems to be
coveting an explosion at the present
time among certain classes of Ameri-
can Catholics. The interests of the
church, it is said, are made to suffer
at the hands of the government in its
newly acquired dependencies, and the
call to arms is sounded from the ros-
trums Of Catholic societies and
through the columns of Catholic pa
pers, to the perturbation of the whole
Catholic body and indeed of the whole
country. The moment has come to say
to Catholics, Be wise, be Jealous, unto
sobriety, and according as God hath
dividnd tn puory ono ha n, on cl1ra faith
and such is the counsel take the lib
erty to give to my hearers. Who are
they who complain and protest and
call upon Catholics to be up and doing?
Are they those who might claim to rep
resent the church in its general or
even local interests? Bishop Blonck
of Porto Rico openly rejoices that the
American flag rather than the Spanish
guards his diocese, and the hierarchy
in Cuba are thanking God that church
interests there were settled by the gov
eminent Of Washington before Cuban
parliament was allowed to sit down in
Havana Most cautious at all times
must Catholics in America be not to
stir up latent prejudice and smothered
snimosities, of which, as experience
teaches, there is no small share here
and there in the community,an which
but little provocation is needed to fan
into fire and flame. Better often it is
to endure some suffering than to give
a pretext for opposition and social tur-
moil. Nothing is to be more dreaded
| in America that hatred and warning
among citizens in the name of relig-
| ion, and it behooves all classes to do
their utmost to nurture and maintain
peace and harmony; it behooves Cath
olics even more than others to be mod
els of prudence and good will in this
regard. The simplest approach among
them to form political party on the
basis of religious interests would be
fatal to those interests and fatal to
public peace. Nor is public agitation
necessary in America to redress griev-
ances. Let justice be done to Amer
lea; in no other country is there gov
so willing to treat all classes of citi-
zens with absolute justice as that with
which we are blessed in America. And
| let Catholics be careful lest by i'm.
prudent agitation and repeated mis-,
4 trust of the government of America
they instill into the minds of many OF
their fellow citizens the notion that as
Catholics they are disposed to form
themselves into people apart. The
Catholic body will never prosper II
America unless it be thoroughly imbu
j ed with the spirit of the country an6
4 with deep love for it's welfare. AS tc
matters in the Philippine Islands, We
cannot discuss them. They are for the
time being put beyond our reach, since
!, they are the subject of negotiations be
4 tween the government and the sover
eign pontiff. To take at the present
such matters into our own hands
would be to mistruststhe wisdom an6
4 the good will of the sovereign pontiff
:. it would be to treat with discourteous
:. ingratitude the administration II
: Washington, and this, as true Ameri
cans, Catholics will not permit them
: selves to do. The logic of the situa
) ton in presence of strange compiled
/, tons for church and state, arising from
a change of sovereignty in the Philip
| pine Islands, pointed to a mutual con
ference between the head of tn,
church and representative Of tn,
: state as the proper and dignified wa.
: to final peaceful solution. Leo XIII
+ Leo took the initiative proposed tn
, conference; the President and his ad
) visers accepted the proposal. VIVA
A more could have been done by the ad
t ministration to prove its good will an,
D sense of justice? Some people ar
y born to clamor. Be it so, but we shall
r insist that they clamor in their ow,
name, and not in the name of tn
!, church of America, and for our owl
y part We shall hold our souls in peace
r leaving church interests in the Philip
e pines to one who understands them a
l.. least as well as we do, and who vii
S be as wise in disposing of them as w
!. could well hope to be-Leo XIII.
e Professor o. M. Wood of the depar
d ment of education, Porto Rico: A
!. unfortunate impression has gone fort
S among the American people to the e
t feet that the Porto Ricans are negroe
n This Is bitterly regretted by them, fe
# in Porto Rico there is no color lin
s AS matter Of fact, there is but 20 pc
e cent Of the population really negroe
!. and this percen age is maintained