The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-19
A CIVIC DISGRACE.

Last week carnival was held
in st. Paul under the auspices of
the North Central Commercial
Club composed Of business men
residing or doing business in the
North Central District of the
city. The carnival was located on
University Avenue between the
intersection of Rice and Wabasha
Streets and the State Capitol
grounds. It was disgrace to
the city, an insult to it's Christian
citizens, and an outrage on public
decency.
Under the protection of a
transferred liquor license beer
was sold openly in "the German
Village almost under the shadow
of the State Capitol, and drunken
men and women were much in
evidence during the week. In a
side tent entertainment which was
not merely questionable and sug-
gestive but unblushingly immoral
was provided for the patrons. It
is inconceivable that these things
were done without the knowledge
and consent of the members of the
North Central Commercial Club.
The grounds were we'll policed
and there is no reason to believe
that blind men were assigned to
this duty.
But this was not all. The piece
de resistance Of the carnival was
a public marriage ceremony per-
formed on the grounds during the
evening Of Thursday, August 10,
by the Court Commissioner. A
couple, Influenced by the gift
of a housekeeping outfit donated
by the merchants Of the North
Central District, consented to
brave the gazing crowds, and
were married in the dance pa.
vilion. This marriage was adver
tised as the feature Of the
evenings entertainment. AS soon
as it became known, through the
medium Of the public press, that
this marriage was to take place, &
protest was made in the name OF
the Catholic and Christian
citizens of ST. Paul, as we'll as in
the name of civic decency, against
this public degradation Of a rite
which Christian people Of all de
nominations look upon as more OF
) less sacred. AS a result Of this
J protest those in charge of the ar
; rangements for the carniva
pledged their word Of honor thai
the marriage would not take place
publicly; but when the time came
| they failed to keep their promise
: and the marriage occurred a.
advertised, amid the applause O
the spectators, the majority O.
, whom were Christian people wht
made no protest against this pro
fanation of the marriage cere
mony.
We desire to emphasize thi
scandalous affair for the reason
!. that some of the officers and man,
members of the North Contra
Commercial Club are Catholic
who, being familiar with tn,
Church's teaching in regard t,
e marriage, must have known tina
: they were participating in
e sacreligious travesty of sacra
: ment. They helped to select tn
r committee which planned thi
$ feature, secured the couple, an,
e staged the performance. As soo1
t as the Catholic members of tina
4 club learned that this feature wa
! contemplated they should hav
: entered a vigorous protest agains
}. it and if no heed was paid t
: their remonstrance they shoul,
e have had manhood enough to re
|. sign their membership in the clu1
g at once That they failed to d
! so, and have not done so, places
Y a very large share of the stigm
n for this disgraceful exhibition o.
i their shoulders; and if they wer
: present on Thursday night, as, n
f doubt, many Of them were, the,
) are doubly guilty. They are in
g excusable even though the,
q played no more important a rol
Y than that of silent and unpro
: testing witnesses; for, by thei
! presence, they sanctioned pei
Y Torrance which cannot fail t
e have an unwholesome effect Of
o the rising generation and on thos
a who need the stimulus of right