The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-09-05

ical oppression. Of the past; and, what
is still more unfortunate, harbor the
suspicion that if she were in power
again she would work for the restora-
ton of the old order of things This
makes them not hostile but suspicious
Of priests. 3
The universal suffrage that now
prevails in all civilized lands is indi-
rectly responsible for the hostile atti-
tude Of the people to the church. The
tyranny of the kings has been fol-
lowed by the tyranny of the common
people. Laws are dictated by the I'M
lettered. unthinking and awfully self
tsh populace. Statesmen have become
demagogues. and hackmen, and ,sa-
loonmen have all become statesmen.
saw picture the other day with the
title of the "Rhetoricians." 1t repre-
scented a dramshop where a score Of
men sat drinking. Among them were
some In working clothes. others in the
dress Of professional men. They were
all talking and gesticuating: but none
listening. The world is just now pos
sessed of the talking Devil: as IT was
in the beginning of the sixteenth GEN.
fury possessed of the reading Devil
The bouleyards. the cafes, the work.
shops TEEN with rhetoricians: and
they are all discussing do: you
think? Politics? No. Social re-
forms' No. They are all talking the
ology. That is the science which can
be mastered without going to school
or reading books. The graduate of
the penny dreadful is always an
adept at divinity These perpetual
noise-makers do not like the priest;
for the priest generally insists on do
ing all the talking himself.
But the categories do not make up
all the. bulk Of the indifferents. The
greatest source of religious indiffer-
ence IN our day is greed; love Of
money: a craving for the good things
Of the world. The whole world Is lust
now money-mad; and gambling Is the
ruling passion everywhere The rich
think only of money: the poor rail and
rave about it. even in their sleep. The
workingman has got taste Of the
nectar Of the financial gods, and he is
consumed with thirst for more The
farmer, the mechanic. the laboring
man is money mad Crops, high
wages. pensions are the Divinities
that the common people adore. They
naturally regard the priest as a scare
crow to keep them off the preserves
Of the protected and privileged classes.
All these make up the multitude who
in their day take no account Of their
souls and are Indifferent to religion
But where is the rift in the cloud?
Reform must come downwards from
the head to the body. These, people
are not as a. rule irreligious; they are
only unreligious. They can be brought
back. The reign of the ticker will
come to an end. Money is getting of
less value every day Time will come
when 1t will not be taken as an equiv
alent of value at all. There is an
enormous annual increase OF currency.
What can prevent return to real
values? Then people will cease spec
,ilating and cease trading, Commerce
and trade are a. curse. Man needs
hut little here below. and not that lit
tie long" and he can generally And
all he needs at his own door. The
world will some day get another st.
Francis. who led it back to sane
methods Of living. 80
The scandal of the great" is the
bane Of our age. The men who occu-
py the first places do not go to church
The rulers Of France and Italy never
go to- mass. What a.. scandal The
rulers of other European countries
are, with two exceptions, men without
any sense of religion, What a scan
udl! Inc CnleIS or the army and
navy never enter a church. The heads
Of the universities are all infdels
What a scandal! The mayors of
towns: the Judges of the courts; the
men charged with the vindication of
the laws, are unbelievers in anything
above the reach of their own powers
What a scandal! In italy and in
France the rulers Of the people are not
only devoid Of religion. but they are
openly hostile to it in. all it's forms.
The forum. the court. the press is
atheistic. What an awful scandal!
Qualis rex tails populus. The leaders
of the people despise religion; the peo-
pie grow Indifferent to it.
In the United States. unfortunately.
the vast majority OF our public men
belong to no church.. and profess no
religion. They are not infldels:, they
are friendly to all forms Of Worship