Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-12

and all quite devoid of that elusive but
most renl quality which we call
charm Milton, for instance, was
described during the late commemora-
ton as q radiant optimist' For my
own part, can not discover the
slightest trace of Joy In anytnlng no
ever wrote. Thomas Carlyle Is the
Puritan brought up to date. His sny-
ing that there Is something better thon
happiness, namely, blesscdDess. Is an
admirable example of the dlscord In
which PurItanism delights There Is,
OF course. no distinction between the
two things BIessedness IL tho supreme
degree of happiness This is undoubt-
edly the promise of the Beatitudes-
There can be no question but that
many of the best PurItans Of tho types
have tended TO gloom and stoicism-
have thought ito merit heaven by
making earth a hell And therein is
one of the limitations of that system
most evident,
How Is 1t with Catholicism 1t
claims authority unity. Joy in the
more generous sense. as opposed to tho
narrowly intellectual joy OF the Prot
cstant ideal But what are Its re-
suits on the masses Of the peoplef MT.
Speer's illuminating comments upon
conditions in South America throw
strong light OH this aspect of tho con-
trovcrsy. He quotes from letter oil
the Pope to the clergy of Chilo'
"In every diocese. eccIcslastics break
all bounds and deliver themselves up
to manifold sensuality, but no voice IL
lifted to imperiously summon tho pas
tors to their duty. II Is sad TO re-
fleet that prolates. priests, and other
clergy arc never to bo found doing
service among the poor. never In the
hospital, never In the dwellings OF the
AFFLICTED or the distressed, OF engaged
In works of benencence, that they arc
always absent where human misery Is.
unless paid as chaplains or fee Is
given. You. as clergy, are always to
be found In the house of the rich,
where gluttony is to bo engaged In and
where good wines aro to be obtained
words of the Bishop of Caracas, taken
from a pastoral letter:
THE scandals In the parish or town
take on unmeasured proportion. Tho
enemies of the Church triumph be-
cause of the shameful evils of tho
parochial priests. and good souls retire
to groah In secret 1t is revealed In
the deserted churches We should
know that the one cause OF this hu-
initiating delay is none else than the
hidden corruption of the heart and life
of the priests"
Mr Speer quotes statistics to show
that Latin America Is a country OF
appalling illlteracy. The average IL
literacy In the American nation. in
Guiding the children under ten years
of age not In school. is 16 per cent:
the Republic of Brazil. Is IS per cent;
Argentine Republic. so per cent;
Chile, 60 per cent; Bolivia, so per
cent. All of South America together
has Just about the population of ia
pan. In all South America there are
ls. 900 school teachers and 100000 pu-
pills; while in Japan there are $4,000
school teachers and 5000 600 pupils in
the schools Comparing Japan with
South America, there are three times
as many teachers and three times as
many pupils in the schools of Japan as
In the schools OF South America.
His conclusion Is that II our educa-
tional Institutions are justified. as they
are, in Japan, they are threefold moro
justified, on the face of the facts, in
South America,
These arc strong and, we fear truth
full indictments of both Professionalism
and Catholicism. Each Is defective
ever learning, but never coming to a
knowledge OF the truth Each con-
taIns much that is true. beautiful. and
good; but each Is also an example of
those who have changed the Gospel,
broken its statutes, nulllfied its ordi
nances. and perverted Its ideals AS
the Christian hymns state this truth.
"All we. like sheep. have gone astray."
The remedy is faith. repentance, and
acceptance OF the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
FOR PRUDENT ECONOMY.