The weekly Thibodaux sentinel. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 1898-1905, 1903-10-17
TWO BURNING CUES
TIONS.
Divorce and Irreligious Edu
cation Discussed BY Car
dinal Gibbons.

In an interview last Saturday, a
Baltimore, Cardinal Gibbons expresu
ed his views on divorce and the pub
lie school system. The following ac-
count OF the interview appeared as .
special dispatch in the San Antonio
"Dsily Express"
Your E,niDence, it is said Presl-
dent Roosevelt will recommend tha
Congress provide means Of maxim
an exhaustive inquiry into the qu&4
ton of divorce in this country, with .
view to making q national divorc,
Law 10 take the place of the variou.
State enactments that are far frou
beng uniform" said the correspon-
dent
IL am not aware of the President't
in .entions, but any legislative measure
calculated even to check the growth
OF this social evil should be hailed
with satisfaction" said the Cardinal
"Oo you believe there should be
any kind Of law granting divorce2"
"Of course not am in favor OF
a strict application of Gospel teach
ings," said the Cardinal. awe are
confronted 10 this country by polyga
my. l mean polygamy that exists 10
every State of the Union, and there
ls no law against this kind of polyga
my, out rather laws that recognize it
and make it possible. There is q
law against polygamy that exists in
Utah. Is not q law Of divorce q vir.
tual form Of Mormonlsm iu modified
shape? Mormonism consists of
simultaneous polygamy, while law
of divorce practically leads to sue
cessive pOlygany. Each State has
on its statue books q list of Causes,
or, rather, pretexts, which arc recog-
nized as sufficient grounds for divorce
vinculo. There are in &ll twenty
one causes, most of them OF very
trifing character, and in some States,
as in Illinois aud in Maine, the power
Of granting divorce is left to the dis
cretion of the judge.
"EvideDces are accommodating each
year that the cancer of divorce is
rapsdiy spreading over the country
and poisoning the fountains Of the
df;a5 iss| ;s; ss;sIes
the very existence OF our family ne
is imperileti. How can We call our
selves Christian people. If We violate
the fundamental Law of Christianity 2
Aud il the sanctity aud indlssolubili-
" of marriage do not constitute =
cardinal principle Of the Christian
religion, we are at a loss to know
what does.
"I.et imagination picture to itself
fearful wrecks, daily caused by this
rock Of scandal, and the number of
families that are cast adrift on the
ocean of life. Great stress is justly
laid by moralists CD the observance
of Sunday. But what mockery is
the external repose of the Christian
Sabbath to homes from which dOmes-
tic peace has been banished by in-
ternecine war!
"This social plague calls for q radl-
cal cure, and q remedy can be found
only in the abolition Of our mischie-
vous legislation regarding divorce
and the honest application Of the
Gospel"
The PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
"What do you think Of the public
school system of the United States az
a we'll balanced system of educatiOn?'
asked the correspondent.
"The system Of public education o.
this country is imperfect and vicioul
and undermines the religion Of oul
youth" said the Cardinal. "Th'
religious and secular education o.
children cannot be divorced from
each other without In6icting . fata
wound upon the soul. The usual
consequence of such separation Is Il
paralyze the moral faculty and tG
foment q spirit of Indifference il
matters of faith.
"The catechetical instructions givel
once . week 10 our Sunday schools
though productive Of very bsne6cia
results, are insufficient 20 supply thu
wants of our chill 1ren.
IL am not unmindful of the blesset
influence of home education, and es-
pec,ally Of a mothers tutelage. Blu
Of what avail is q mothers toll, il tn
seeds of faith she has planted attaiI
sickly growth in the cheerless atmos-
phere Of a school room, from whicl
the sun of religion is rigidly exclud-
edf
"The remedy for these defect
would be supplied if the denomina'
tional system, which now obtains II
Canada, were applied in the publ
schools. ls."--SOuthcrn Messenger.
He IAarued q Great Truth.