Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-11-02

bribe, whether II be of money or SOM,
ether consideration. how quickly poli
tics might be purified; and Yet. al IN,
next election on the Sth of the con,
ing November. as in every election
can remember. men will be bought /,
vote for two dollars or for three o.
for five. Now II there were only IN,
spirit among men which forbade trans
actions of that klnd, corruption woui,
wlther and die from our midst. becaus,
1t is not a thing that is profitable {,
us in any sense, If We only looked a
IL in the right way.
And so We might apply the teach
ings of the church and the praceuty
of the Master to every one of the de
tails and affairs of our daily life
whether II be individual or the III,
of the community.
Now | have said that the jurisdic
ton of the bishop is over more i'm
portant things than the administra
ton of justice between man and man
than the punishment OF crime ant
the preservation of property and pub
lie order. His Is a spiritual iurisdic
ton, a jurisdiction over things wnicn
are eternal and not transitory, as these
others are. That is why his visit &c
us is OF more importance than the Wis
II OF the governor of this state, OF ey
en- than a visit from the president OF
the United States. The dominion OF
the church is over things eternal
The unseen things which are eter
lSl." as the apostle TO the Gentiles
said. hope that we all feel the i'm,
p%ortance OF this; ! hope we all fee
- at what | have said Is true, although
we are apt to lose sight of those things
in the stress of every day life.
The church-the universal church
has brought down to us through nj!
the ages. a knowledge of the things
which make for righteousness. There
have been times, perhaps, when the
church has faltered, but nevertheless
from age to age and from generation
TO generation, the light has been hama,
ed on down to the generations that
now exist upon the earIn, and it will
continue TO be handed down through
ALL the generations that are to come
showing men the right way to live and
the right way to die.
Our present life is important. be
lieye 1t is Just as much a part of the
immortal life as that which is to come
alter death. | cannot distinguish be
tween them except in circumstance
and condition. | believe that the pres
ent is as important as any time in the
past or as any possible time in the
future al be.
While | myself am a Protestant,
recognize. as every man must who haS
read history, the vast Importance oI
the Catholic church. II has come
down to us from the earliest times OF
our civilization; IL possesses the mos
wonderful and flexible organization
that the world has ever seen. nc
temporal government has ever arisen
on this earth whose organization anC
structure were so wonderful as is thai
OF the venerable church that exists
among us today. There is no Temporal
organization that has ever bestowed
upon mankind the benefits which II
has derived from this organization
| need not dwell upon the distinction
things any more. II what | have sal.
does not illustrate to you the impoi
lance of them. nothing that I could add
would possibly elucidate the subject
And this church, as well as all church
es, in greater or less degree, is at tn,
present time of great importance L
us in a governmental sense. Thi!
country is absorbing every year from
the nations of Europe a vast numbel
of immigrants who come to US from
the lower classes generally of Tn,
countries in which they formerly lived
They come to US with but scant know
edge, perhaps none at all, of our in
situations; they are not filled with tn,
spirit of our laws; they do not un
derstand freedom as we understand
ii, and the great danger from Ties,
people is that they are liable to diff
into anarchy, installing liberty for 4
cense, thinking that every man has
risht to do as he pleases. forgetting
that no man on this earth ever did o.
ever can have the right to do tina
which is not right. to do anything tina
endangers himself or anybody else
They have not yet been made fire.,
through the perception Of the truth
and many of them 90 TO swell TIN
ranks Of the discontinued and tn,
dangerous. And | think | do not ex
iggerate when | say that the Catholic
church at the present time is III,
great bulwark of civilization and or
her in this country against the force!
OF anarchy and communism. No 9th
er church can possibly have the holt
upon this class OF people that thC
Catholic church has. Most Of the i'm
migrants of this class come from
countries where they have been hell
In strict subsection, and the change |.
Immediately dangerous for them; 1
takes a generation, or perhaps more
than one. to bring them into accolC
with the spirit of our institutions. AnC
az a Protestant and as an American
citizen | feel glad TO acknowledge The
debt that civilization and order in this
country owe to the influence of thi:
church. | appreciate the situation
oiAu 10 III FtiIt itah iNiN' Il "iah "
express my gratitude to the organic
alton that has done so much for gooC
order and for permanent civilization
IN this country.
| do not desire to take further tim,
in giving to you the | consider
that the visit of Bishop Lehman Il
us at this time is a distinguished
honor. AS | said before. this is his
first pontilical visit TO this diocese
addressing the Bishop.) | am sur,
that every citizen of Lewislown, TIO
testant or Catholic, feels most highl!
nonorcd that your first visit has beef
made 10 our little inland town. w
know that you and the church whicl
you represent are a great power TO
good, a great power for civilization
a power for order and good govern
aaat L. sht, z..t.. ..a 81 fT,..a a.