The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-11

uldFFldSG COuCFdCb. LIS purpose IL
to uphold and emphasize the sa-
credness Of the lifelong obliga-
tions assumed by Catholics who
enter this sacramental union and
thus place society upon a sound
moral basis.
In their haste to secure notoriety
the Methodists evidently forgot
that they were in a community
where Catholics are numerous, in
telligent and on the alert to resent
calumnies against the Church and
her teaching. Had they taken
time to recall the incidents Of a
couple of years ago they would
surely have remembered that it
was unsafe for Methodists, especi-
ally, to say anything derogatory
to the Church in this portion Of
the Northwest. But their impa-
tience to show themselves in their
true colors by taking a gratuitous
fling at the Catholic Church would
brook no delay. Now all the
world knows that their malicious
attack proved a boomerang. They
have made themselves the laugh
ing-stock Of the whole country.
So true is this that they have be-
gun to realize it themselves, and
have taken measures to minimize,
if possible, the effect Of their I'M
called-for attacks on the President
and on the Church. The leaders of
Methodism realize that they have
made an egregious blunder and
they are making desperate efforts,
to redeem themselves by toning
down the resolution censuring
President Taft and Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson, and also by
re-considering ''the resolution re-
specting the relations between the
Methodist Episcopal and the
Catholic Church. FFThe tendency
is to deprecate the attack and the
belief is that the expressions Of the
Bishop and delegates who have
been personally embittered cannot
be construed as an indication OF
the sentiment of the rank and file
Of the church. -
It is to be regretted that the
Methodist Episcopal Church has
among its leaders men who show
so little regard for the ordinary
canons Of Christian propriety as to
make vilification Of the Catholic
Church part of their stock-in- trade
The accusations which they have
hurled against her are the century
old ones which have been refuted
times without number. They are
the ordinary weapons of bigotry
Evidently it pays to have the lead
ers Of Methodism in the old world
come to the General Conference
and tell their brethren in America
and the public at large who sympa-
thize with them how terrible are
the conditions that obtain in Cath
olic countries, and how wonderful
is the progress made by Methodism
in these benighted lands where the
Catholic Church exercised her ben,
efcent influence centuries before
Methodism was born. Methodism
it seems, needs this kind of food to
enable it to survive in a land of
enlightenment and culture. There
are in it's ranks many who are not
unwilling to be deluded into the
belief that the generous contribu-
lions which they make for the pro
pagation Of it's tenets are produc-
ing results in Catholic countries
especially. So long as their lead
ers continue to regale them with
stories, no matter how unfounded,
of the growth and influence Of the
Methodist Church in these lands,
so long will they continue to pour
their hard-earned dollars into its
Golfers.
Tt would be too much to expect
that the General Conference Of the
Methodists in Minneapolis has
laid aside it's belligerent attitude
to devote it's attention exclusively
to it's own business and, in view
of past events, it can scarcely be
expected that in the future it will
be any more cautious in making
unfounded assertions about the
Catholic Church Of which it seems
to know so little.