The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-09-11
Light" that beams forth from the ram
parts of. the City of God.
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Its Human Foresight Lauded by the
Rev. Henry Ward Bseeher.

lite Human Foresight Iauded by ehe
Rev. Henry Ward Beseher.
A writer under the initials of w. z.
H. writes as follows to the Intermouh-
tain Catholic of Salt Lake City:
| 1t may interest your clients to read,
that talented but unfortunate Congrc-
gational preacher, Henry Ward Beech
er, had to say of the human foresight
of the Catholic church in America.
Beecher until the day of his trial for
undue intimacy with Mrs. Tilton, was,
as free and independent church,
man and politician, the greatest ami
most influential figure before, during
and after the trying times of our Civil
| War. He was a human lion, and
when he shook his name, orthodox re-
ligion was said to tremble. Unlike
Talmage, who was a preacher for rev.
enue, Beecher cared nothing for
money. He was too great man t,
make love to avarice, adulation or
praise, but, strong as was his intel
lect, his animal passions conquered
his discretion, and, though acquitted
by the jury, while still under the spell
Of the great Everett's eloquence, pub
lie opinion gave its verdict against
him, and popular idol fell from it's
NJ ie MT TIM n
to say, died of broken heart. The
second volume of his Life of Christ"
never appeared, for the revelations at
the trial of Beecher made it an i'm
possibility. Here is what he said Of
the Catholic church when preaching to
an immense congregation, in his
church, Brooklyn, N. Y, May Is, 1871:
ITO all who look at it thoughtfully,
the Roman Catholic church in America
must appear to be marvel of power,
versatility, wisdom and persistent ag-
gressiveness. Vanderbilt does not
manage his enormous railroad inter-
ests with more sagacity and boldness,
with more subtle, trained and far
seeing faculty for getting on in the
world than do the consecrated rulers
of the Catholic church WELD the vast
and multifarious operations Of their
tremendous corporation.
THE Catholic church in America is
the last consummate product of the
genius of organization. It is con-
quest reduced to science and operating
with the precision of a perfect
machine. What string of individual
and social influence does it leave I'M
touched? What weapon, spiritual or
material, has it overlooked or delayed
to utilize? The pulpit, the newspa-
per, the platform, the caucus, the leg
islature. the judicial bench; the charms
and graces OF society, music, art, lit
creature, the power OF wealth, sacra-
ments and sacrifce-these are its In !.
struments, and they are handled with
skill that never plumbers, an energy
that never slurs. or slumbers, or tires,
and an audacity that is sublime, aud
in the presence Of which the greatest
secular man of earth is but asT
A pebble. twig, or blade Of grass mat
lies A@ ~
Upon the path one treads; thing
Of naught;
A thing unheeded,. unremarkcd; a
thing es
That merely makes part Of All
around. H
For instance, take the Catholic
church In this country as an operator
in real estate. The keenest Of world
ly spectators in that article could
go to school to these churchmen. and
learn how to pick out building sites,
and bide their time, and to seize their
opportunity and get their price. In
the whole vast territory from the Bay
of Fundy to San Diego, this corpora
ton has fixed its eye and its mark
on the best pieces Of land: and while
others are in a hurry. 1t can wait;
and when It once buys it never sur
renders; and 1t calculates values
not on a scale of years or decades
but of centuries. In fifty years from
now it may control more property
real and personal, than all other RS
ligious bodies put together; and thus
add to it's other auxiliaries the al
mishtiness Of the American dollar"
All Of which, If 1t be true, refutes
the charge that priests are not good
business men. Furthermore the REV.
Henry Ward Bsecher publicly ac.
knowledged that the irish intellect IA
a superior intellect and that .l!1e
training of Catholic bishop and priest
is, from secular viewpoint. immeas-
urably ahead Of the training given to
any other body Of men, Mr.. Beecher