The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-12-04


that died few days ago might not
indeed have left its mark on the world
as these men have done, but it could
possibly have gone through life
creditably were justice only meted
out to it, So far have endeavored to
show that since no certain proof can
be given that human being though
defective will be permanently so, or
even if it is, that it will be burden
to society. While the very fact that
physicians wrangled over individual
cases, shows how utterly impossible it
is to reach certain decision. Again
we repeat,-life must be guarded.
Underlying Principle Unsound.
But this is not all. Even though
child will be permanently defective,
and even though it will be burden
to its relatives and to society, what
then? May we allow it to die? Again
we answer most decidedly not How
many imbecile adults are in the world
at present, incapable of helping them
selves, and if you will burden to
society. Ii one of these were to need
an operation which would still leave
him helpless, what doctor would re-
fuse to perform it? And why is not
the same privilege accorded to help
less infant? Is it not the duty of the
physician to help them in their suffer.
ing no less than adults? It has been
tod bo
with the same nature, why not there
fore be given the same human as.
sistence? What would we say of an
ambulance attendant who upon exam
lining wounded soldier on the battle.
field, allowed him to die, because if
saved he would be a burden on the
state for the remainder of his days?
No, the underlying principle upon
which the death of the Chicago child
has been defended, it totally unsound
For man though social creature, is
still an independent personality, pos
sessed of Independent rights, and any
action whereby these rights are I'm
duly subordinated, is unlawful and
wrong. Man is not made for society,
but society is for man. This is the
bedrock principle which modern
eugenics has completely lost sight of.
And one of the most sacred duties of
society is to attend to the well-being
of the helpless instead of allowing
them to perish. What becomes of our
boosted civilization looking at the
question even from a natural point of
view, if such a practice were to find
favor among men generally? What
would the world be like il such a
detestable doctrine so foreign to
everything that is good and holy,
were allowed to pass unchallenged?
Children would desert their parents
when the latter old and feeble, cease
to be a benefit to the state. Every
other day we would pass by the way
side fellow creatures dying a slow
death rather than be supported in
charitable institutions at the cost OF
| the commonwealth. Those who are
Rpleased to tell us that civilization has
been natural outgroWth, while they
scott and jeer at Christianity, can now
see where rationaliSm, atheism and
materialism lead to. They would sap
the very foundations of state and So
ciety,I were, not the,,, Christening in
| fluence of Christ and Christ's doc
We shudder when we read of pagan
mothers who sacrificed their children
to idols. But here in the very heart
of a Christian country idolatry of q
lower and baser form is being adyo
Gated. An idol of clay is held up for
| beings are to be crushed out OF
existence beneath the wheels Of this
| juggernaut-for the sake of society.
Who Are the "Unft" to Live?
And who if one may ask the ques.
| ton of these savants, who are to be
designated unfit to live? Is every
malady of serious nature which
threatens to be permanent, a sufficient
reason for permitting the patient to
die? And if not, where is the line of
demarcation to be drawn? And who
| is to be constituted, so to speak, the
judge in the matter of life or death
Is it TO be the family physician, or
some eminent practitioner? Or will
the unfortunate victim have the honor
of whole jury of men of medicine ?
Is every member of that noble pro
fession, instead of being a blessing to
mankind, to be turned into a kind OF
society headsman, passing sentence OF
good to him to do SO? Is his duty
henceforth not TO help his suffering
fellow-men, but to drive them out OF
existence? And are detectives merely
to be allowed to die, or will there be
coId-blooded murder? Some have ac
tually been callous enough to advocate
| this latter course. 1t only shows tC
what extremes one may go, once the
sacredness OF human life is lost sight
of
1t therefore behoyes all right-think
ing citizens to protest against this
pernicious teaching and to guard
themselves against this hellisI
monster, begotten of materialism
Needless to say the Catholic Church
can have but one attitude. She, as
the custodian of truth and the guard
| ian of morals, will forever maintain q
firm attitude in regard to the sane
] tity of human life. The law of Chris
| tian charity which permeates hel
Il e..