The Irish standard., 1905-07-08
What the Catholic Schools Have Ever Con-
tended For is the Only Education
Worthy of the Name
Men Have Come to Know in This Land That
"A Secular Kingdom is But as the
Body Lacking Soul.''

AT no time perhaps in the history of
our country was there greater need of
impressing upon the American and the
Catholic his duties as a Catholic and
an American, says James M. Hay of
Worcester, writing to the Boston Re.
public. For we hear it on all sides;
Americas is material greatness. Her
history is a miracle of practical prog
ress. She abounds in riches and lux
ury such as no other people ever knew.
The hunger and thirst for riches, the
auri sacra flames, never ragged with
fiercer flame in any bosom than in
hers. And her fate-is 1t to be that
Of Babylon-'Great, avaricious and SEN
suous?'"
Oh, we hope not And with reason
Thinking men are beginning to see the
need of keener appreciation of NOR
ality based on religion. They are re.
calling the fate of other nations. They
recall Rome, at the highest in mental
culture sunk in the lowest depths of
vice and corruption. "And the re-
suit is," says President Harper OF
Chicago university, that the move,
ment in popular education is proceed
ing upon levels that are more ethical
for a faith in the future" In a word
then men have come to know that
secular kingdom is but as the body
lacking soul"
And what is the Catholics interest
here? 1t is for him TO know and make
1t known that his schools have never
ceased to teach morality with religion;
that his schools have ever contended
that the only education worthy of the
name is the one in which the eternal
verities of truth and goodness are in,
stilled into the bosoms of youth from
very infancy
For where is that teaching to be
found that has ever held out for the
sanctity and indissolubility of the mar
riage tie? Where is that teaching to be
found that has been ever crying out
and crying out alone, but none the
less vigorously, against this that is
at this late day-not too late we hope
recognized as the Social evil" the
Course of society?" Whose was the
lone voice so long heard against those
desrtoyers of the rights of property,
whose vote we saw fall off to such a
large extent last fall? What has Cath
olic teaching all along been with re,
gard to legitimately established au-
thority so often ignored today by rich
and poor alike?
Is the duty therefore of the individ-
ual Catholic citizen today to be faith
full as he never was to his church's
doctrine and the morality she teaches,
to be especially faithful to the family
and to authority established there, and
authority in the State. He will fur
ther fail in his duty as a Catholic If
he does not Zealously guard as his
church has ever defended the rights Of
property, the rights OF labor and the
rights of capital.
said he must be faithful to the
family. True it is that the root of
the commonwealth is in the homes OF
the people," True it is also that the
river does not rise above it's source.
AS are the families so is society. II
well ordered, well instructed and we'll
governed they are the springs from
which flow forth the streams of nation
al greatness and prosperity, of civil or
der and public happiness. The moral
ity of public administration then is to
be gauged by the moral standard of
the family. Thus reasons the men of
today, now that they have awakened
to realization of the point that
threatens our free institutions, their
deadly danger through graft, corrup-
tion, bribery and the destruction of
moral ideals in political and human
life. Thus reasons President Harper
today and he concludes: Education
therefore in connection with religion
becomes a factor in securing for the
democracy the very food on which its
life depends Thus reasoned the
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