The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-12

TO mat Eeld ny ddu1Cd1S-IldSn OF
Arms Result of National Greed and
Jealousy.
An audience of about 600 was present
last evening in the Auditorium to hear
the lecture on War and Peace by David
Goldstein, who is travelling and lectur-
ing under the auspices of the supreme
council Knights of Columbus. Mr.. Gold
stein s address was a scholarly exposi-
ton of the relationship of the Catholic
church to the state.
Mr.. Goldstein was introduced by
State Deputy Charles f. Mann and ON
the platform with them We're Grand
Knight p. NJ. Ferriter, Past Grand
Knights f. j. A1ulry, 7. A. Austin, j.
A. Austin and ]. L. Stewart. Lecturer
f. L. Foley, and Martin Austin, J. j.
Eckels, II. b. Haus, J. 2. Ferriter and
w. ID. Lenihan, members of the com
mttee III charge of the lecture. After
the lecture Mr.. Goldstein answered two
questions which were asked him. He
then went to the rooms of Leo council
where there was a smoke talk. He left
\ TINS morning IOE tDOSiOH anu lViiOIIoN
will speak in Worcester.
4 Mr.. Goldstein dealt with the subject
/ of peace and war as it applies to the
+ individual, the family, the industrial
/ life and the government relationship
giving the Christian position in con
/ trast tc that held by radicals In deal
4 ing with national and internationa
peace Mr.. Goldstein said, in part: BaC
will, DENYING God s law and setting AZ
our own in our domestic and CONNER
cial relations, is no foundation for ma
( tional peace. just so long as there Il
national greed, envy and jealousy, jus
so long shall the clash of arms be hearC
and the only peace we shall have vii
be armed peace. with its ever increas
ing burden of taxation. This being SO
the maintenance of an army and
navy is a necessity today. But ever,
time we see a regiment or battleshil
it should be a reminder of our persona
and national disobedience to the Law
of Christ. 1t is indeed an evidence o
- Man S inhumanity TO man that make
countless millions mourn.
The world win not have peace at tn
price. of peace, and so nations ar
t-lemgcd with blood. 1t is interestm
to note that those who DENY the powe
IL.
Ever since the outbreak of the Euro
pean war, I have been frequently que;
toned as to the contradiction betwee
the law of the Catholic church and tn
acts of Catholics. They want to kno'
how it is that the Catholic church says
"Thou shalt not KILL and vet, in tn
armies of the opposing nations at wa
Catholics are found killing one another
Why, as the law of the Catholic churc
is against killing, does not Rome put
stop to the war by calling upon til
Catholics of the several nations at Wa
! to refuse to fight?
r Questions of this character as ofte
. show a sincere ignorance of the law an
the power of the church as they q
:. hostility to her. What seems to SON
genuine lover of peace to be plai
contradiction between the law Of Cat
= olics and the acts of Catholics quickl
gives place to a common-sense viey
9 when the facts in the case are pointe
out to them. Of course the insince
> man holds the self-same perver
% opinion even after the plainest of a
swers. "Thou shalt not kill - is indet
q the law of God, and the church is IL
l.. divine interpreter of the law. TT
ID church says: ''Thou shalt not kill.
- But, interpreting the law, the chur'
n says that you and / have a right
- our life; that, if an enemy, out of 7
6. venge, or if n mailman threatens o
r existence, we may cut him down, al
ce the law ''Thou shalt not kill'' is n
:; violated. The church teaches that t
3 state has right to its life; that t
state has a right to maintain and to p,
> feet that life. If then. the state tax
>: in battle the life of an invader, t
ii. law "Thou shalt not kill is not v
lated. The state may enter the ter
st. tory of her enemy, making war to co
is pei the settlement Of her Just clair
p and the law "Thou shalt not kill
N. not violated. So it is that the interp
10 tation of God s law meets with the
8 sent of right-minded men. For it re
m. upon the principle of Justice, not up
a sentimentality more or less sound
Mt sicklv. The mind of the Cathc
III church is robust, wholesome, sou
nd While the church says there is sucf
ma thing as a just war she knows Il