The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-12-31
CRIME RAMPANT.

disptach from Talapoosa, Ga says "That
following quarrel over the ownership of a small
gray mule three brothers, WILL John and Whit
comb Benefited, well-to-do planters, engaged in a
fight with revolvers, and all three were killed. Each
of the dead men leaves widow and children" The
list of suicides homcides and murders published
in the daily press is a sad commentary on our pres
ent civilization What is the causel Belief in God
and the obligation to worship Him is the foundation
Of all morality. To doubt the existence OF Su-
preme Being to deny all existences since without
God nothing is conceivable The three first COM
mandments Of the decalogue proclaim His exist
ence and mans obligation to worship Him. No
man is free to dispense himself from this obliga-
ton. As far back as we trace the history of the
human race this belief and obligation have been
recognized by all nations be they barbarians, saw
age or civilized. As Creator, God is proprietor,
whilst man. as creature, is His property. Even
God who is master of all creation could not release
nan from his obligation to worship Him, because
it rests on justice, which is an attribute of God,
and therefore Interchangeable
Do the suicides, homicides, and murders, whose
names are daily published broadcast concede this
obligation? It is to be feared not. This obliga-
tdon, which includes all others-"Fear God and
keep His commandments, for this is the whole of
naan7-is the foundation of all morality, and the
corner stone of society.
The three brothers. who shot one another and
left wives and children to mourn their loss had
10 conception of morality, and were total stran-
gers to the command: Chou shalt not kill Rule
God out Of the universe and all standards of moral
ity cease. Moral obligations, without acknowledge
ing Supreme Being, have no foundation. If man
Is first obligated God there is no obligation
to fellow man. A nation that denies the existence
of Supreme Being has no foundation to rest on
or build up an ethical code for the we-being and
welfare Of society.
There are, no doubt, many who persuade them
selves that there is God, no future, yet perform
good works as exacted by the moral law, but not
because they so enacted for if there be no God
a moral act is inconceivabe. Losing sight of this
great truth, crime is in the increase Religion is
ignored and churches abandoned We read of the
millions of Bibles that have been distributed and
to be placed il hotel rooms; but what of the tens
of millions of daily newspapers that go to the homes
where innocent boys and girls read them with
greater avidity than any book that may mention
the name of God. The reason of all this is given
by Father York in the Leader;
Under the guise of news he writes, 'the
young people of our large cities are learning more
evil from a single copy of the yellow press than
ever come from the perusal of dozen copies of
novels of the Nick Carter variety. Murders sui
cides, divorces, and other evils depicted in Ian
guage that excites imagination, and is more d.
recty answerable for crimes than any other agency
we know Of Sunday colored supplements with
their lessons of disregard for parental authority
are doing their share also in the improper rearing
of the youth of the land; and through it all the
dear people stand supinely by and declare, Isn't
it too bad2
mo relief need be expected from the daily pa |
pers. One is about bad as the other. 1t is SIM
ply case of the thickness of the yellow paint.
"The protest against sensational journalism
must come from the family. Parents should see
to it that their sons and daughters not permit
ted to read the vile accounts which the daies turn
out labeled news
THE QUALITY OF TACT