The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-01-04
Money Well Spent.

A subscriber to the SACRED Heart
Review" who says he has been a con-
slant reader of Catholic papers for
more than a half century, writes:
zone good, wholesome Catholic
weekly ought to be taken in every
Catholic family, and as many more as
can be afforded. 1 have found from
experience that what money is in
vested in this direction pays we'll.
cit is a matter of reproach to us
that so few of our faith do this, and it
is sad to think of the numberless
homes all over the country without
Catholic publication of any kind. 1t
is no wonder, therefore, that there
are so many weak of faith and asham-
ed Of the land of. their ancestors. How
can it be otherwise when they are
daily reading, in journal or magazine,
articles decrying both, constantly ridi-
culing faith and fatherland, and no
antidote in the shape Of a Catholic
newspaper, or magazine, at hand? l
do not wish to be understood as not
reading others, for I do, and have,
since was nine years old, but have
had, at the same time, publications
of my own faith. No man can be we'll
informed unless he reads both sides.
If he reads but one side, and that OPP
posed to his creed and race, he will in
time unconsciously imbibe the preju-
dice Of the writer's which he reads,
and have the same opinion Of Catholic
schools, Catholic institutions, Catholic
nations and Catholic publications as
non Catholics have. This is not fancy.
1t is fact. I have frequently been
obliged to defend them from the at
tacks Of men Catholic in name, but
who had perhaps never read Catho-
lie magazine or paper in their lives.
"Harper's Magazine and Weekly I
read from the time the first number
of each was issued. Before 1861 they
were fairly decent towards us; after
that date, under the administration Of
George William Curtis and Thomas
Mast, both became the most virulent
anti Catholic publications in the coun-
try. 1 dropped them in 1876. I could
read them and derive information even
from their ISLANDERS, but with my chill
dren it would be different, and as they
grew up deemed it best to make a
change, substituting Appleton's for
them. George William Curtis was one
of the best writer's in America, but in
his treatment of us one of the most
unfair and uncivil. Mast, in his cuts
was one of the vilest of artists in
treating of the Catholic church.
'"These thoughts have been evoked
by the remark recently made by a
Sister of Mercy, the substance of
which was that she was greatly sur
prised at the number Of pupils in her
school who rarely saw a Catholic pub
LEGATION, none being taken in their
homes. With this condition confront
| ing us, ought not all Of us, Of the
clergy and laity, agitate this question
and endeavor to have at least one
Catholic publication in every home?
| Can it be done? believe with the
proper spirit it can, for have seen
! it done years ago in one village. A
club Of fifty was formed for the Pilot,
and numerous subscribers to the
Young Crusader, the Irish People, the
Catholic World, the Irish World and
some others whose names cannot be
recalled now. This was not done
without labor, but it was done, and a
most beneficial influence was exerted
that is felt to this day among those to
whom it extended"