The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-12
WARNING AGAINST PROFANITY.
Comment of Church Paper on Ad.
dress by President John VI. Thomas
(The Catholic News

(The Catholic News.)
The pastor of a prominent Protest
ant church in Manhattan preached
sermon few weeks ago on the de-
plorable prevalence of plasphemy
and profanity which, he said, are
increasing at so alarming rate in
America that a strong effort should
be made to check the evil. New York
ers cannot, if they would, deny this
impeachment. Passing along the
street, riding in the car, sitting in a
public gathering, ears are constantly
assailed and sensibilities shocked by
irreverent and profane speech and
if the truth must be told, by the vile
epithets with which the Sacred Names
are intermingled. 1t is shocking and
deplorable, and the saddest phase of
this evil is the fact that young child
rem are so inculcated with the virus
as to seem to be the worse offenders.
The glibness with which the boy in
the street pours out a torrent of
oaths and curses is appalling.
1t seems that New York and other
crowded and populous centers are not
the only strongholds of profanity. A
few days ago at the State convention
of the Y. NJ. c. A. in Vermont Presi-
dent John NJ. Thomas of MiddlebuIy
College, made a stirring address on
this subject and held up to admira-
ton the Catholic Church with it's
Holy Name Society, as an example
Ito be copied by the Y. NJ. c. A., in
dealing with this vice. Some of the
city people who visit us in the sum-
mer tell u.s." said President Thomas,
that there is more profanity in Ver-
mont than in New York City"
If this is the condition in staid old
Vermont. the traditional breeding
ground of all the virtues that con-
stitute the most rugged and uncom-
promising type of the oldfashioned
Bible Christian, what a change must
have come over the face of the
Green Mountain country. President
ity has now become bad manners,
and for the sake of it's reputation for
good sense and good manners YER
mont ought to reform its speech. Il
have in my hand" he continued, "a
| little manual of the Holy Name So
ciety, an organization of the Roman
Catholic Church, whose special OBJ
| ject is to discourage profanity. The
irule which this organization enjoins
upon its members includes the fol-
lowing principles:
Never to pronounce the name OF
God without respect.
ITO avoid blasphemy, perjury and
, immoral language.
ITO induce their neighbor to alb
stain from all outrages against God
or His Saints.
ITO praise God in their hearts by
words Praise be to Cod" or Praise
be to Jesus Christ" wherever they
hear any one blaspheme.'
This organization has 100000
members in the United States, al
men, and all pledged to obstain from
foul language. 1t is not an uncom-
mon sight in one of our large cities
cities to see 5000 men in a parade
under the banners of this organiza-
ton. The Catholic Church deserves
great credit for this movement, and
am glad to note that this organiza-
ton has some branches in Vermont.
Il believe the Y. M. c. A. should
constitute itself similar society. 1t
might well be one of the objects OF
the association to promote clear
| 10 nf ~
entire State. | would like to see q
Statewide campaign for the dis
couragement of profanity, with meet.
lings in every town, back in the
country as we'll as in the centers, and
sermons in all the churches. The AL
mighty made Vermont clean: let not
a profane and ribald population pol
lutte her soil"
We are not told how this sugges.
ton was received. There was time
I'VE know, when it would require more
than a modicum of courage for a mar
to stand up before staunch Protest
ant organization in that State with q
Catholic prayer-book in his hand and
praise of the methods of the Catholic
Church in his mouth. Honest and
thoughtful men of all non-CatholiC
denominations are looking to the Mo.
Their Church for light on many prob.
lens realizing, as one of their clergy
men, a leading Detroit divine, recent
ly expressed it, that 1.-The Roman
Catholic Church is too powerful fol
the practical man to ignore, too spir-
itually rich for the thinkers to neg
lect too human for the humanitarian
to despise.'