The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-10-23
ARCHBISHOP CHRISTIE Of P0RTLA LAND
ON POWER Of THE CATHOLIC PRESS
The Peae of the Far Northwest has the Proper Conception OF
the Power Exercised by the Newspapers in the Affairs Of
Church and StateA Fine Presentation of the Influence Of the
Press by Man Of Wide Experience.

OF interesting news, and puts us in)
touch with the endeavors Of the
Church throughout her world wide
field of labor. Thus it fosters that
spirit Of fraternal union and coopera
tiOn whence comes the power to
achieve great things for God and
country.
We have an impressive and instruc-
tive example of the power and in
iluence of the Catholic press in the
great good gained through its agency
Tor the oppressed Catholics Of Ger
many. For ii WAS the Catholic papers
of the country which united the faith
ful to the Center Party. enabling that
splendid organization 10 gain its well
known victories over Bismarck and
testimony of Dr. Barth given at the
catholic Congress of Rntisbon: THE
Catholic Germans had behind them Il
gift inspired by Heaven.
Such Il giu was the vigorous, able.
aggressive Catholic press. In quality
and quuntity it developed into a power
life. q In the course of fifty
years the number Of, newspapers
! resolutely Catholic, increased from fivH
or six to nearly three hundred and
fifty The subscriptions, which down
to 1860 were not more than fifty or
sixty thousand. and were distributed
among about twenty newspapers have
since increased to hundreds Of thou
sands, even to millions.
"'rhe Catholic press suffered and
fought ever Increasing in number, all
ways with more ardent zeal, with an
inncxibc and untiring spirit of sacri-
flee for the right OF Catholics. II saw
ed the Catholic people from the moral
imbecility of religious Indifference; it
armed and elevated their aspirations
toward the imperishnble goods of
Heaven, toward faith and virtue
which live forever, even If the world
goes into ruin"
1t must be Il consolation to the
; working editors and writer's of the
Catholic press to hear so just and
says the Philippine Catholic. What
DR.. Bnrth said Of the editors of mis-
own country we may say of our own.
They have been an Indispensable aid
in the work of the Church in this
} country and we have grown SO used
to their unfailing service that it nevar
" occurs to us to measure our indebted
r ness to them. While we have rarely
} had to endure the iniquitous and op-
: prcssive laws by which the Catholics
, of other countries have been thwartc'l
and harassed, still we have had to
3 put up with calumny, misrepresenta-
ton and blgotcd ignorance in unstint-
t ed measure. These evils are being
overcome by the steady and we'll
l directed efforts Of our Catholic press
3 We see very little nowadays of gross
caricaturcs of Catholic doctrine anC
e Catholic purposes by which unsus.
: pecting people were misled into at.
q tributing all sorts of crude absurd
r ties to their Catholic fellow citizens
a There is no longer the same craving
, for the literary output Of cx-priest'
= and escaped nuns. In word, fair
= minded people have become better in
a formed, better information has result
/, ed in better sentiments, and not unfra
@ quently the reading of Catholic paper
r has led the we'll disposed to embrace
: with joyous Thanksgiving the Churcl
: and the faith they had previously g.
II unreasonably misjudged.