The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-01-03

Archbishop Kain presided at the
monthly meeting of the orphan board
last Thursday and appeared in excellent
health and spirits.
Infidels in Rage.
For 400 years it has been regarded as
the privilege of all Protestants to
speak every evil thing against Catho-
lies in general, and Catholic priests
and religions in particulars. For the
first time this privilege was challenged
in England last year and a notorious
Protestant publication was condemned
to pay heavy damages to a Jesuit
priest, who complained that he had
been libeled in the general villiffcation
of his order This action was brought
under the common law.
In Italy the other day the Archbishop
of Ferrara brought a criminal action
against the publisher of an infamous
sheet in that city for a scurrillouS at
tack on the clergy of his diocese. The
paper endeavored to evade the punish
ment by pleading that the attack was
not against the archbishop and that he
had no right in law to represent his
clergy in an action for criminal lihel
The court ruled that the archbishop
could maintain the action and the case
went to trial. The people flocked to
the court room every day and took up
the discussion verbs ct verberibus .
The police had to be brought in from
time to time to quell the emeute. The
result of the trial was that the pub
Usher was compelled to print retrac-
ton of the libel and serve three months
in Jail. The Socialist and goddess press
of this kingdom are bowling in their
rage and threaten all manner of dire
reprisals on the court and judge. They
think that all they have fought and
bled for in the past half century has
been nullified by this decision. If to
abuse a priest is not a privilege of an
Italian patriot, what can be meant by
liberty of speech and liberty of the
press in that country?
In this country libel is actionable in
law. In this state malicious libel is a
criminal offense. Under our laws all
criminal prosecutions are instituted
and conducted by the state, as all
criminal offenses of whatever kind or
description are considered attacks on
the peace and dignity of the state. Par
ties guilty of criminal libel in this state
can be indicted, or arrested on infor-
nation. Criminal libel can be against
an individual or against body of men.
Such an action as was brought against
the Italian sheet could be brought
against any publication in this state
guilty of the same offense, but it would
have to be brought by the state.
We publish this information for the
benefit of a few of our pestiferoue
Protestant papers who make a spe-
cialty of malignfng the church and her
ministers. 1t is we'll that they should
know that this privilege no longer ex-
ie.fe ,,,1 +hot ;r. Of oaiI lie.
descensus" from the sanctum to the
Jail.
We publish it also for the informa-
tion of our clergy and people. who will
be pleased to know that they have
some rights to a good name that Prot
estants, especially Protestant preach
ers, are obliged to respect. A strict
enforcement of the statute would drive
them out of business; but there are
more dire disasters even than that
which we are sometimes compelled to
submit to.
Mr. Christopher Friedl of Milwaukee,
by his will just filed for probate, made
the following requests: Catholic orphan
asylum of Columbus, O.. diocese, $100;
St. Josephs parish, 81 600; ST MichaeFs,
$500; st. Boniface's, $500: Holy Cross,
$500; ST. Aemilianus orphan asylum,
$1O0.
Five thousand converts year from
Professionalism is the announced gain of
the church in the archdiocese of New
York Archbishop Farley, who was
present, corroborated the statement in
public address.
Among the bequests in the will of the
late a. G. Hutcheson of New Orleans
are $4,000 to the House of the Good
Shepherd and $4,000 to ST. Annes asy-
lum. The bulk of the estate is be-
queathed to the medical department of
Tulane university
ST. Joseph's church and the pastor $
residence next door, Calumet, Mich.
were destroyed by fire Sunday of last
week, involving a loss of $4,000. The
flames gained such headway that a
general alarm was turned in, but the
efforts of the firemen could only save
the adjoining property. The blaze
started in the furnace room from an
unknown cause. Forty tons of hard
coal in storage were also burned. The
loss is insured.
The semi-annual conference of the
Catholic priests of the northern circuit
of Montana was held last week at st.
AIMS church in Great Falls. There
was a large attendance.
.
Notre Dame university is now in di-
rect communication by rail with Chi
cago, as it has brought a branch rail-
road, spur of the Michigan Central.
to its very door. The new line is called
the Notre Dame & Chicago railway.
Charles NJ. Schwab, the steel king.
sent his check for 81. 600 to the Evening
Journal as his Christmas present to the
poor children of New York. Last year
Mr.. schwab sent $1,5oo.
One of the most pleasant functions
ever held in Omaha was the compli-
mentary dinner given Wednesday night
to Archbishop Keane of Dubuque by a
number of citizens. The dinner was
served at s. and at $50 the addresses
began.
Anthony Brogan has been appointed
by President Roosevelt postmaster to
the insular government in the Philip
pines, with headquarters at Cavite.
Brogan was graduated from the Uni
versity of Notre Dame in 1901 with high
honors,
AT the present time there are 1859
orphan children being cared for in the
Catholic orphan asylums of the United
States.
Bishop Hennessy of Wichita, Kan.
has been mentioned as the probable
coadjutor of Archbishop .Kain of St.
Louis.
Signora de Gaetano. widow of Ban
tist minister of Cagliara, Italy, was re-
ceived into the Catholic church on ST.
Miphaal'e dnr q IInr eo,, L.. e =