El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-09-15

prosper is to revert to the ancient
Onarchic-theOcraIic order.
In the case Of the German nation
we observe what amounts to a fairly
complete reversiOn to type 1t de-
serves here 10 be said, in passing.
that. on the whole. the influence Of
the Roman Catholic hierarchy seems
to have operated everywhere in some
degree, at least, to restrain this ten
dency-a statement which we wish
could also be made for Protestant
state churches.
The thing to forever keep in mind
in every consideration of the nation
as indeed in everything else-is the
essential nature OF the thing you have
to deal with. The essential nature Of
the nation is material interests. The
nation is the property pOssessOrship
and business activities Of the COM
munity, organized as a corporation
and determining the community's or
der. In the tribal period OF civiliza-
ton, before the nation developed as
the dominant form OF the community.
the life Of the community was subOr-
dinated TO the interests OF kinship
IN the national period the life Of the
community is subOrdinated TO the in.
terests Of material gain.
Authority over Life OF Men.
In the case OF the German nation
we have exactly this: the vested in
terests Of the German community in
vested with a transcendent authority
over the life OF the individual man in
virtue OF which authority these in
terests become the determining prin-
ciple OF moral right and wrong What
is right in q given situation for a
German cltiZen2 Answer. Whatever
is to the advantage Of the German
national corporation. What is wrong
in any given situation for a German
ciuZeng Answer; Whatever is not
TO the advantage Of the German ma
uonal corporation
All scruples arising from natural
human instinct, and suggesting that
right and wrong are not matters TO be
determined either by geography or
By material interests-au Scruples
about right and wrong as being mat
tiers determined by the nature Of God
the theory that for the people OF the
German empire there is no higher law,
because Germany itself is an arrange
ment of God.
In Conflict With Catholicism.
Now We arrive at the matter of
German nationalism in its conflict
with Roman Catholicism over the
question Of which shall be the domi-
uant principle in the form OF the
German community.
Before remarking in any wise upon
Roman Catholicism 1 wish to disclaim
condemn the Roman Catholic church
as compared with other religious Or
CARNATIONS in relation to the German
national religion. The facts. in so far
as have been able TO understand
them would not warrant any such
condemnation. Valid issues between
Professionalism and Roman Catholicism
are not to be raised on these immedi-
ate grounds. Any notion to the effect
that I am pronouncing unfavOrable
euaan If
compared with Professionalism in this
connection can arise only from q
childish miscOnception Of words.
am reminded Of PietrO's misunder-
standing Of the word ~disarrange."
PietrO's teacher asked him to give
statement in which he used the word
in a logical connection. PietrO rose
and this is what he said: MY papa
dis morning he maka da FLYER Ia
flyer no maka da heat for gatta da
breakfast-he maka da beeg,
beeEa smoke. an my papa cat mad an
he say dana disa range
/ hope that everybody will clearly
understand that in the disarrauge-
ment with which we are having TO do,
I have no notion Of condemning RO-
man Catholicism as compared with
Protestant church organizations.
1t is the peculiar property and dis
tinctOn Of the Roman Catholic idea
that IL presents the Christian com
mun1ty as supernatural Institution
"a permanent religious corporation,
sacred in its nature. in its structure
and in its system Of government
religious corporation invested by God
himself with authority TO arrange the
life Of men and to teach them and
save them. This religious corpora
tiOn is to the Roman Catholic. like
the body Of Christ, Immediately con-
ceived and organized by the Holy
Spirit in the womb OF humanity. It