The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-07-03
THE SILENCE OF CHRISTIAN
DEMOCRACY IN THE
UNITED STATES.

L
THE SILENCE OF CHRISTIAN
DEMOCRACY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
The War Role Of the American Press.
The nations at war can think only
OF war; the nations at peace ought to
think of nothing but peace. War is
curse and peace is a blessing. The
nations at peace must work and pray
to take away the curse upon the ma
lions at war. Even to think of peace
for those who cannot stop to think
of 1t, is blessing and a prayer.
Men and movements have expressed
their thoughts. sentiments and reso-
buttons about peace and war. In the
clamor of conflicting views, the voices
confuse and confound and none but
the men who tower head and shoulder
above the din, can hope to be audi
BILE even for minute.
Such a voice has been heard. What
ever our estimate of VIM. J. Bryan,
he undoubtedly was, as Secretary of
State. in intimate touch with the reali-
ties of the war, as but few Americans
can be. No man has until now said
more apropos word in delicate sit
uation than has Bryan in the days i'm
mediately after his resignation. He
said: Nothing has surprised me more
in my official connection than that
great metropolitan newspapers are
trying to determine the policy Of a
nation and take it's affairs out of the
hands Of the officials"
At the Parting of the Ways.
1t is not necessary to call by name
the great metropolitan newspapers to
which Mr.. Bryan refers and of which
the New York Herald is the chief
offender. Nor is it necessary to i'm
pute the motives that actuate them.
1t suffices to accept these newspapers
upon their face value. They reek
with lies and Misrepresentation.
Their cant and innuendo, threats and
bullyings represent the acme of all
that is unethical. There is no pal
liating circumstance and no shadow
of excuse. Everything is deliberate
ly done.
How can the Holy Spirit of Truth
take up his abode in the pages of
newspapers that have no purpose ex-
cept to create prejudice, to foment
passion and to plunge the country
into war in the leash of the Father
of Lies? This isapparent to COM
mon sense and tie wonder is how
it can happen that even Catholics
feed regularly at the troughs of this
debauched press and allow themselves
blindly to be corrupted by it.
Malefactors Of Public Opinion.
No country can make war unless
all the people stand behind the gov
eminent, ready to bring all the sac
| rifices of war. Public opinion is a
very uncertain thing until it is formu-
lated by knowledge and judgment
or drunk with prejudice and passion.
How goes the pendulum?
In the course of our business in
various sections of the country and
by the perusal of very many Ameri-
can newspapers, we have come to the
unsuitable conviction that the secu-
lar press of America does not prop
erly inform the public. Let us waive
the question of reports from abroad,
for the press is at the mercy of the
correspondents, whose instructions we
do not know. Aside from these re-
ports there are the editorials and es-
says meant to be instructive. No
word will describe most of this writ
ing except ignorance, Grass and black,
deep as hell and high as heaven.
The vast majority of ready news
writer's know practically nothing of
the history of the nations in war;
nothing of their antecedents, condi-
ton of the people, status of legisla-
ton, degrees of popular government,
education, religious influences, eco
nomic problems, race psychology,
character of government, etc. To
think that these factors of public opin-
ion are turned loose upon the Ameri.
can people in a critical hour! What
travesty of progress and enlight-
eminent! But there are redeeming
features first in the inertia of chron-
ic newspaper readers, who from years
OF experience, have a subconscious
conviction that after all 1T may not
be so" and secondly, in the intelli-
gent minority who actually know that
1T Is not so."
The Catholic Factor Of Public Opinion.
Speaking from q Catholic point of
view, we find it pity that most of
the Catholic papers have no definite
and concerted policy. There are in
deed references to the war, reports
of special exp. Catholic phases,
incidental essays, ETC., that do credit
to the Catholic name. but on the
whole Christian philosophy finds no
adequate expression and application
for the avowed purpose Of definitely
shaping public opinion. Thus the very