Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-13

are breathing patriotism" he said. 1T
Is a privilege not alone to live TOT
ones country. but 1t is a duty to die,
if need be- for 1t. All are called to-
day." he said. And we who have
passed the years wherein we could
shoulder musket can do our part
Just as nobly"
Then he branched out in treatment
Of the subject of the peoples educa-
ton and the part his church had borne
thruout the ages in fostering it. Never
before have the means of knowledge
been spread so extensively among all.
The leaders of thought in the nation
are convinced that an educated nation
Is free nation; ae the apostle to the
Gentiles said. 1t Is the truth that
makes men free. He traced the begin
nngs of the educative influence Of the
christian church from it's birth. He
dwelt upon the free schools of the
church as far back as the third CEN
fury, instancing the later famous
schools Of France, Italy, England, Bel
gium and Germany, and the work OF
their great universities. Our UNIVERSE
ties of today are copied closely after
those established by the church in the
middle ages.
And about the middle ages often
spoken of as the dark ages" Father
OConnor had much to say in PROOF
that they were really the ages Of light
and leading, mentioning their great
men The best architecture-many Of
its best examples, alas. being over
thrown during the present war--of the
world was reared in the middle ages,
which also excalled in art, in literature,
in music, in all the "humanitiee." The
middle ages were not the ages OF ig-
norance, of barbarism, as many may
think STILL" he said, but ages Of faith,
Of high intelligence, Of art in it's high
est expression"
No Contention With Public Schools.
Father OConnor said he and his
church had no contention with the
public school system. His church ex-
ponds yearly s6O,OoO,O0O on its schools.
enough to build and equip two univer-
sites each year the size Of the Uni
versity of Chicago. Nearly all the
other church denominations have their
schools. Bishop Burt, Of the Methodist
church, a year ago said to his people
Build your own parochial schools"
Taft and Roosevelt and the presidents
of Columbia. Cornell, and Johns Hop
kins universities have been demanding
that religious instruction in the public
schools be returned as a safeguard for
the nation. Statistics show that only
3 per cent OF all children who enter
the primary departments reach high
school. More than so per cent leave
school before or during the eighth
grade year. Isn't that frigftft1l
thought? More than 60 per cent Of
the nations children never cross the
Threshold of Sunday school. l am
told the national average :;cias IL! Mar
shutdown. Don't you see the danger
to this republic? Here lies the great
danger, an uneducated, irreligious
people"
Many Catholics in Army.
Speaking of the spread of democracy
in the years and the fine response Of
the people Of all nations to the call to
arms, Father O'Connor said the figures
sent out this week show that of en-
lietments in this country 60 per cent
of them all have been by members of
the Catholic church. He spoke of the
many leaders in the armies OF Europe
and America who are members Of his
church. I'VE do this because it is with
US conscientious principle that after
love and reverence of God comes next
in our religious duty love OF our coun-
try and service for 1t. And I am con-
WINGED that after this war is over our
church members will be revered and
respected for the large part they have
played in assuring that the people Of
this land and all lands turnout the
world may be free"