The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-03

extracts from Leo AtllS famous En-
cN-eIicsI on the Condition of Labor" af-
ford interesting reading and are well
worth pondering 1t is only too true
that, without the teachings OF Chris
tisnity. the moral relations OF human
society become unsympathetic, hard
and selfish. Hence Leo declares that
without God there is no society"
NO man may outrage with impunity
that human dignity which God himself
treats with reverence: nor stand in the
way Of that higher life which is the
preparation for tie eternal life OF
heaven"
TO consent to any treatment which
is calculated to defeat the end and pur-
pose Of his being is beyond his right.
He can not give Up his soul TO servi-
tude. for it is not mans own rights
which are here in question. but the
rights Of Cod"
Therefore no man can contract TO
work so many hours and so many days
4 week as TO render it impossible for
him 10 live Christian and human life"
Let it be granted. then. that. as a
rule workmen and employer should
make free agreements and in particular
should freely agree as to wages; never
theless there is a dictate of nature,
more imperious and more ancient than
any bargain between man and man,
that the remuneration must be enough
10 support the wage Garner in reason
able and frugal comfort" which he ex-
plains as sufficient to enable him to
maintain himself, his wife and his chill
dren."
If through necessity or fear Of
worse evil. the workman-accepts harder
conditions because an employer or con-
tractor viii give him no better he is
the victim Of force and injustice"
Where there is no proportion. or
known proportion" observes Cardinal
Manning. between enormous and in
creasing profits and scanty and sta
tionary wages, TO be contented is to be
superhuman."
When work people have recourse to
strike" says Leo, st is frequently
because the hours of labor are too
long or the work too hard or because
they consider their wages insufficient
Such paralysis of labor not only af-
fects the masters and their workmen,
butts extremely injurious TO trade and
10 The general interests of the public"
The laws should be beforehand and
prevent these troubles from arising;
they should lend their influence and au-
thority 10 the removal in good time
Of the causes which tend to conflicts
between masters and those whom they
employ"
Every intelligent person nowadays
is supposed to know that the story OF
the pope's Bull Against the Comet
is fable, on a par with the famous
Moon Hoax" But now comes Rev
J. Stein, s. J., in 4 40 page quarto. is
sued by the Vatican astronomical OBJ
servatory. in which he clearly shows
that the laugh is really on the his
torians and astronomers who have been
blindly quoting the story. one from
another. without ever once taking the
trouble TO examine the original docu-
ment- in the Vatican archives, which
are now open to the world.
According to Doctor Stein, the story
seems to have started with Platina, in
1874. nearly 20 years after the publica-
ton OF the Bull" He had not been
in Rome at the time, and wrote merely
from hearsay, as follows: Then
comet. which the mathematicians saic
meant great pest, great famine and
some great. calamity. Wherefore Cal
ixtus. to appease the wrath of God, haC
professions organized for some days
so that, II over men evil were impend
ing. the great God might turn il alto
gether over the Turks. the enemies OF
the Christian name"
Three centuries later the story wa.
highly embellished by the astronomel
Laplace, who wrote that the pope or
dered public prayers ''in which anathe
mas were leveled against the Gomez
and the Turk" Since then the stor,
has been embroidered and embe1lishec
by q long list OF scientists, including
such lights as Arago, Babinet, Vic
Admiral Smyth, Robert Grant. G. F
Chambers, President White OF Cornell
Prof. John W. Draper, Flammarion anS
the Scientl1c American (September %
1909, till ii reads like the story of tn
Three Black Crows' or the fables o.
Don Quixote.
In their anxiety to make the papac,
appear ridiculous, the scientists hav
drawn literally their imagination
and fallen into grave errors both o
history and astronomy. For example
Grant credits the bull to Calixtus II
who died more than 800 years befor
il was published. Draper declare
that by order OF the pope all tn
church bells Of Europe were runE t
scare il away. President Whit
SAYS: Then, too, was incorporated int
the ntsny the plea (sic), From tn
Turk and the comet good Lord, de
liver us" Chambers declares tina
The comet was still visible" whe
the battle of Belgrade was won. Con
temporary authorities declare that
had disappeared several days before tn
battle was fought. The Scientif
American assures us that Constant
NOBLE" Gnstead of Belgrade) was be
sieged by the Turks in 1856" An,
only the other day, Signor Milleso
vich, director OF the CoIlegio Roman,
in an article on Halleys comet wrote
.On August 9 the great battle too
place under the walls OF Belgrade;
lasted two days, and in the interver
ing night HaIley's comet was shining
AS observed by Rome" the battle wa