New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-28

humor of the churchrnen never Haunted itself
more tnnocent1y than in the PapaI preface
printed with GalileO's Dialogues" Calico haV-
ing declared that the Dialogues merely pre-
sented an imaginary controversy The book was
sanctioned but given an Introductory note warn
ing the reader not to take the contents seri-
ously'
The one scientific work which. more than any
other. has confficted with ROnanistic doctrines
Darwin's "Origin OF Species has never been
disapproved by the Index authorities. On the
other hand. vast swarm OF utterly insignif-
cant pamphlets has drawn down the censor's
lightning One cannot run through the lists
Of the Index without realizing at once how
greatly mere chance. personalities and narrow
theological training have guided the Congresa-
ton OF the Index in its toilsOme career Not
one important American book. by the way has
ever found its way into the list Of the damned
That the Index Expurgatorius has signally
failed may be seen from the fact that it is
often little known and still oftener ignored by
orthodox Catholics In Spain. supposedly the
most loyal Catholic country. the Index is not
valid at all Bishops in various other countries,
too. have both questioned and denied its worth
and its applicability to extra-Italian lands on
several occasions bishops end archbishops have
used and recommended condemned books The
greatest factor in stripping the Index of all
real power has. OF course. been the opposition
Of European governments to Papal infringe
ments upon the freedom Of the press and the
book trade
In England Roman censorship never had any
appreciate influence. because the government
enforced it's prohibitions only in rare cases In
Paris. where the spirit OF independence even
pervaded the Sorbonne. but little more could
be accomplished than in England. Even Cath
ole Germany often laughed at the DEGREES,
while Holland turned a pretty penny by pub
fishing condemned literature for export. Italy,
though most under PapaI domination. was by
no means uniformly obedient. the Republic x
Venice being particularly disposed TO ignore
the censors. All in all. we cannot dispute the
historians verdict that the chief service the
Index ExpurgatOrius has rendered has been
the preservation Of the contents Of many inter
esting books which but for the publicity they
gained through PapaI disapproyaI might have
Iapsed into oblivion. Modern liberal Catholics
realize the hindrance the Index imposes upon
scientific and cultural progress within the
Roman Church. and there signs pointing
70 an eventual though distant reform in the
Papal attitude toward freedom in thinking and
reading
Mr. Putnams two volumes are written so eX-
clusiyeIy for the benefit Of historians that the
mere reader Of history will gain scant pleasure
in toiling through his long. dry records Of
Papal. collegiate and inqUisitorial DEGREES only
here and there does the writer venture to insert
page or two OF genuine historical literature
Perhaps there are enough persons interested in
the simple story OF the censOrs to warrant MI
Putnams writing another short volume giving
in readable narrative form the gist Of these two
scholarly volumes. Such a book might even
attract the attention OF the Congregation of the
Index