The Washington herald., 1912-02-05

Reckless and ill-considered marriages
were denounced as being largely respon-
sible for the handicap placed upon a
| large percentage OF the nations young
by Father Bernard Vaughan. of London,
England. in a lecture last night in the
Belasco Theater on the subject, Char
acter, the need Of the day" 4 large
and representative audience listened to
the noted Jesuit priest and orator.
Father Vaughan declared that great
ness OF state or republic was not to be
measured in terms OF acres or wealth,
but in terms Of character. He then went
into a description OF the forces going TO
make character. and said that the rising
generation was well trained but badly
educated. He declared that it was n
wrong idea to cram a boy with all sorts
OF facts and statistics, as though he
were an express delivery van, TO be
emptied as soon as possible OF its con-
tents.
Impetus to Socialism.
The lecturer further stated that moth
ing was giving such an impetus to
socialism in all its hydra-headed phases
as greedIness. the cradleless nursery. the
pleasure bound life. legalized prostitu-
tion. and oxtravagant orgies.
1T would be WELL" said the lecturer,
''if men and women before entering upon
the sacred state OF life called matrimony,
would bear in mind more closely that
what is bred in the blood comes out in
the bone. Then there might be fewer
tokens OF physical wreckage on the high
ways and by-ways OF life. Man and wo-
man In welded life should be indissolubly
fFaN fall nd fTNhg atrh
good. Instead of expecting so much
more, let them be COntented with much
less. each from each. Love means Civ
ing rather than getting"
OF environment, Father Vaughan had
much TO say. The pendulum had swung
Of late he said, from heredity TO en-
Vironment, and votaries OF pleasure and
other humans were making environment
the aIl-absoIving excuse OF their lives of
scandal so fruitful of wickedness.
Instead OF being the creature of cir
cumstances,'' said father Vaughan.
''let man he its creator. and out of all
sorts OF material let him build up n
staircase sloping, TO the tf.c1Ie OF God.
Without toll there is no rest; without
rain no gain, and without fight there
is no victory
About education the lecturer was en-
thuSiastiC.
to learn its limitations" said Father
Vaughan. ''and the mother sees how acts
beget habits and habits conduct which
on the broader platform OF the public
school bcgets character. And that char
acter goes on developing till he is rung
up by the Worlds Master. when, like
any other servant. if he wants to ind
his right place in heaven. he must first
Of all present his character
Father Vaughan went on to say that
the almost all-pervading mistake of the
day is the attempt to build up character
without religion.
Good and Bad Form.
TT is bad form TO deny God. but it is
good form TO ignore Him, and men are
attempting to run their fatherlands with
out God, while they cannot even run a
nursery without Him. There is no finer
or more terrifying weapon TO put into
the hands Of our rising generation than
the weapon of knowledge. but religion
captains that troop of lads, teaching them
how to use that weapon. We may, in
the near future. be forced to realize
that instead OF having drilled an army
We have armed mob"
Father Vaughan has worked for many
years I'm the slums OF London. He is
descended from Caradoc, Lord OF Fer
lex. Of early British tradition, connect
ed with the Oldest families OF England,
among them the royal house OF Planta-
genet, stanch supporters Of the Stuarts,
and outlawed after Culloden and the
downfall of prince Charlie" Father
Vaughan counts among his family men
ranking high in church history. such as
Cardinal Pole and Cardinal Weld.