The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-31
Reverend Father Coffey breaches
an Easter Sermon Touching on
Municipal Corruption.
DEATH KNELL OF BOODLERS,
Standard of Public Conduct Raised
by Mr.. Folk Must Be Main
tanned Against Politi-
cal FreeboOters.

| The Reverend Father James T Coffey
pastor of ST. Johns Catholic Church
preached an Easter sermon against munich
pal corruption. taking his text from Mark
xvi. reading a lesson from the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ as of ines
timable value 10 the Christian world He
said:
wi: Who shall roll Us back the stone? I.
the stone rolled back.-Mark XVI.
Was the death of Jesus Christ n failureo
Has his resurrection from the dead proved
OF no value to the world? In other words,
is Christianity itself a failure as We find
II working in our midst to-day? I do not
hesitate to state emphatically that the
death of Christ was not In vain. and further
more that his resurrection has brought to
mankind its full quota OF peace and hap
piness.
1T is>true, when We look around us to-day
judging Snly specifically, We might be led
to conclude that the religion of Christ is
losing its hold upon the intellectual, the So
cial. the commercial and. in a most partic-
ular manner, upon the political life of our
people. But the conclusion Is a hasty and
unfounded one Christ is as strong to-day
as he was in the dark hours of his passion
and death. 1t seemed then to his devoted
followers that their Masters influence and
power were fast waning. But II was only
the darkness and deep gloom before the
dazzling dawn of the first Easter. And
these clouds that seem 20 be gathering now
on he horizon of Christian life and Chris
tian activity only indicate the glory of the
victory that must eventually crewn the
Christian hosts in the fierce struggle now
being waged against the enemies of the
cross of Christ.
THE disciples of Jesus forsOok him i'm the
awful hours of his fearful passion and ig-
nominious death. Their poor. weak hearts
hsa.N ha., asa.l.
towards that we are-see the rapid ad-
vance of the powers of darkness against
Christianity. and in fear and trembling cry
out: 1t Is all over with US. Christ and his
religion are vanquished.' Now We cover
before the intellectual onslaught of a pro-
fess2r f,,s., In Chicaso university; whose great
tack upon Christ. One little mind or
thousand little minds like his should not
university professorship makes him neither
wise nor sane. much less infallibie in 4
declaration abhorred by all Christians
Again We say. Christianity has failed ut
terly TO remedy our political ills. We are
constantly going from bad to worse. We
have discarded the Seventh Commandment
amidst the thunder" and lightning of Sinai,
Is now a dead letter In public life. and
We don't care. We want honesty among our
children. We demand It as a qualification of
friendship. We are ineNorable in insisting
upon IL IN those whom We employ; but in
politics; well. We have simply come to the
sary-but even impossible. Hence We say,
Let II go on. nothing can be done to stop
the onward rush of this torrent OF iniquity!
We are towards and cravens-
Honesty is possible in public as we'll as
in private servants. We must demand It,
and II We demand it like strong Christians
We VIII get IL, not till then. We have
reached crisis here in our municipal gov
crisis such many other large
have met with strong heart
and steady hand-and we must face It. too
and unswervingly.
Folk Has Raised the Standard.
Mr.. Folk has raised the standard and IS
bearing it forward to victory. Mr.. Folk and
his associates are the leaders: they can
do little unless they have the strong moral
support of the Christian men and women
OF this city and State. Their enemies are
saying that their present course Is the har-
binger of their political doom.
Then is II, too. the barbinger Of the |