The Irish standard., 1916-10-28
w A N T ED - Reliable
woman for homework in
small family on farm.
Address M. P. Coughlin,
Montgomery, MINI.
MGR. Russell ON THE PAN-PRoT.
ESTANT CONFERENCE.


We cannot let pass without some no.
tice the pitiful pretensions of those
who assembled at the Panama Con.
ference of the Protestant Missionaries
for the discussion of the needs and
missions" of the Latin Americans
Out of the overlooking, superabun'
dant treasure house of Christianity in
the United States, what portion, we
may ask, are these jealous mission
aries disposed to bestow upon the mis-
guided Catholics of Central and South
America? Will they teach them Chris
tianity? It is admitted that the Latin
Americans, for the most part, believe
at least in Christ.
The northern part of Mexico, which
produced the bandits now giving us so
much trouble, is the only section in
which the people have to any large ex-
tent lost their faith. This is due to
the fact that this section, more than
any other part of Latin America, has
been evangelical by Protestant mis-
sionaries of the United States. The
people ceased to be Catholics even in
name, and they did not become Pro.
testants-but bandits!
While then, Latin America, with this
notable exception, is at least Christian,
our census shows that one-half of our
population does not even profess be-
lief in Christ. While these mission
aries are complaining in this country
of ever-decreasing congregations, the
Catholic churches in this country are
filled several times every Sunday.
Physician, cure myself"
How will these Protestant missiona-
ries teach the Latin Americans respect
for life,-by our methods of suicide
and lynch law? Will these missiona-
ries find in Latin America any in
stances of men strung up to tree,
hanged, burned and shot to death by
respectable citizens without due proc
ess of law? 1t may be noted, in pass
ing, that executions of this sort are
most common in the States among us
that have the fewest Catholics.
Will these Missionaries remove the
blot of illiteracy from Latin America?
Again it might be asked: Why not
remain at home? The States which
show the most illiteracy in the United
States are: Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkan-
sas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arizona and
New Mexico. OF these States only
three-Louisiana, Arizona and New
a considerable Catholic
population, at least 100 Catholics for
1000 of the population. The other ten
States, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennes-
see and Kentucky, comprise the Sec
tons where Catholics are less num-
GUS than elsewhere in the Unit
ed States-not 10 per 1000. So
that it may be said that the illit-
crate section of our country is also
that section in which Catholicity least
abounds. Is the Catholic religion re-
sponsible for this? (See Special Re-
ports of the Bureau of the Census
Religious Bodies-vol. ], p. GA, also
Chap. XIII. p. 1900 of VOL of the 18th
Census Reports.)
Will these Jealous missionaries
transport the morality of our home
life to Latin America? We had in the
United States in 1906 one divorce for
every twelve marriages. During 1901,
among seventy-five million Americans,
there were twice as many divorces as
among the four hundred million Chris
tians in the rest of the world. We
rank next to Japan in legalized immor
atty in the home. From 1907 to 1906
the increase in divorces has been 30
per cent every five years. Since 1880
the population has increased eight.
fold, while divorces have increased
Over one hundred and ten
thousand divorces were granted in
1914. Ninety thousand orphans were
created by divorce last year. or the
divorces granted to women, one-third
were for desertion, and only per cent
for drunkenness. How far the Catholic