The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-22

TENED TO HIS ADDREss-IN
TRoDUcED BY THE MOST REV
EREND ARCHBISHOP.
In the course of his address on
"The Hour and It's Opportunities, de
livered in the Pro-Cathedral Audi
torium, Minneapolis, last Sunday
evening, the Honorable Bird S. Cole1
of New York took occasion to inveigh
against the insidious advances of So
cialism in the economic and educa-
tional world and made a strong plea
for the re-introduction of religion into
the public school system of this coun.
try.
His lecture was the third of a series
planned to signalize what may be
called the civic dedication of the Pro-
Cathedral of st. Mary. There was a
large audience present and the ad-
dress was followed with great atten-
ton. The public interest in these
lectures is far from abating and there
is little doubt that the remainder of
the series will be as well patronized
as that which has gone before.
The Most Reverend Archbishop Ire
land presided and introduced Mr..
Coler as "a careful observer, no theor-
ist, and man who knows intimately
the terrors through which the coun-
try is passing at the present time. -
Mr.. Coler's subject gave him an op-
portunity to dwell in vigorous Ian
guage upon what may be character
lied as his hobbies, namely, the i'm
practicability of Socialism as a work
ing hypothesis and the necessity of
religion in education.
Not Socialism, But Social Reform.
In the course of his address Mr.
Coler traced the growth and develop.
ment of the present economic system
which, with all our boasted civiliza.
tion, is far from perfect. 1t still en-
shrines hideous wrong and huge in
justice The path of amelioration
does not lead through Socialism, but
stretches upward before us, but we
cannot see the end of it in time
perhaps, because the end of it is not
in time but in eternity.
The economic problem that con
fronts us is the ordinary mans prob
lem and the questions involved in ii
must be settled by the average man
for the welfare of the community is at
fob GnnfoIicV1o cnIr1%inT1
worthy of attention. 1t cannot cure
the evils of the present system 1t
has gained it's prestige and following
by indicting our social organization
for cruelty, greed, oppression and in
Justice; but it proposes no relief meas
ures that give any promise of econ
omic or social betterment. There are
other ways of reforming society and
of ameliorating the conditions we COM
plain of without adopting the pro-
posal of Socialism.
Religion in Education.
On the necessity of religion in edu-
cation Mr.. Coler spoke as follows:
"The trouble with our secular edu-
cational system is that it's moral
foundation is fallacious. There is only
one foundation for any educational
system, whether it deals with the
spiritual side of life or with it's ma
terial side. When you build upon any
thing other than truth you build in
vain. The whole lesson of history
teaches us that the greatest efficiency
is possible only where the main OBJ
ject is not material but a spiritual
object. This is inevitable because of
mans constitution. He is primarily
spiritual being. Any system of
psychology, which ignores this car
dinal feature of mans constitution is
bound to go wrong. Consequently, we
find that even in the educational rudi-
ments there is today no thorough in
struction. We find that in the de-
partments of science the ultimate inn
preston left by the confused teaching
of the public schools Of our day is
that Charles Darwin demonstrated the
materialistic hypothesis and deprived
religion Of the supernatural authority
which was it's vital principle. We
find this thoroughly false idea of life
and its meaning as the result Of our
educational plan which has left out
of consideration the spiritual nature
of man and his relationship to the
divine power which created him.
Who can doubt that the whole
tendency of our secular education is
materiaHstic? Who, that has studied
the literature and therefore knows the
basic idea of socialism, can fail to
see the tremendous advantage that
such a materialistic education gives
to the socialist propaganda.
Purpose Of Education Is to Make Man
Good.
What is education? What is its
purpose? Why is the state interested
in education? Is it to make its citi-
zens men of knowledge in the purely
worldly affairs of life? Is it not rath-
er to make good citizens men who
are righteous, men who under the
spur of conscience and directed by in
telligence shall be fit to govern the
state. Such would seem to be the
conception. All educational
authorities since the beginning Of
time are agreed that the moral con-