The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-02-09
TWENTIETH CENTURY PHARI-
SEES.

Ill OfueF To WflCG the HlSlOIy VI 1lit
world it is only necessary to tell the
same story over again every five hun
bred years, allowing for change OF
setting or background The play is
the same, only the scenes grow faded
and must be replaced; the actors
grow old and their understudies take
j up the role.
Over two thousand years ago his
! tory tells us there were factions IN
politics and society, much as there
are factions now. Only the names OF
parties have changed. Among the an
cient factions probably one of the
most conspicuous were the Pharisees.
Now the Pharisees were certainly not
| the most meritorious class of people
of ancient times, but their long card
was publicity, and that is why their
name has not been wiped off the So
cial register even now.
The Original "Four-FIushers."
According to the dictionary, Phar-
isee. lis one of a religious sect among
the Jews, characterized by their strict
observance of the LETTER of the
law, and rites and ceremonies; one
who observes the letter rather than
the spirit of the law; a mere formal
ist." To my mind this means that a
Pharisee is "four-fusher." And the
! Ancient and Dishonorable Society of
'Four-Flushers - was, is, and will
continue to be a factor in human So
ciety.
The Pharisees of old Jerusalem
were in the habit of strOlling along
the city square early on a Sabbath
Day, when all that was beautiful and
rich in Jerusalem had turned out to
see what might be seen. Then the
Pharisees got busy. They blew their
horns (much like our fish dealers to-
day. and when a crowd had gathered
the Pharisee, to the great admiration
of their humble brethren, would give
a penny to a beggar. Every Phari-
see was either a press agent himself,
or else he hired competent man,
lest any, good action would be over
looked in the morning papers, or
whatever publication was then in
vogue. Hence the Pharisee, instead
of giving an aims, which is a good
deed, acquired untruthful advertising,
which is to be condemned. Old Jeru-
salem has passed away, but the Phar-
isees are more numerous than ever
before; and far more exalted.
They have changed their silk robes
for full dress. suits; .theE~ belong to
!. The Upper Four Hundred" They
are the people who sit in the ex
allied seats, and gaze with undis
guised disgust at the vulgar masses
who toll and squirm in the dust OF
the earth They cannot understand
why laborer, when the clock strikes
six and his days work is done, does
not doff his overalls and don his full
dress suit, takes his wife to the cafe
for luncheon, and go to the opera
afterwards. Among other things, the
Upper Four Hundred" lave a dis
tinct aversion for useful labor, but
they also like to seem important, ant
so in despair they have taken III
what they call their social duties.
Many of them have sacrificed THEN
health to their social duties, and al
most all have suffered indigestion
therefrom.
Charity Ball Humbug.
Like the Pharisees of old, moderr
society" loves the grateful publicity
that attends charity. Accordingly
they have taken up charity work as
one of their choice occupations. The
greatest development of society'E
charity work is the charity ball. Thit
!. is one of the most uncharitable func
lions witnessed on this earth. If al
the uncharitable words and all thu
uncharitable thoughts that arr
j. evolved from charity ball were re
vealed, the poor who sometimes get
penny from charity ball would no
have the heart to take the aims.
Some weeks ago, in New York, thu
cream of society decided to give
I grand charity ball for worthy cause
and according to all accounts the ent
seemed to justify the means. Ar
? proximately $50,000 or more, wa
spent in preparation for the ball, and
> although the hall was crowded witt
guests who had paid exorbitant fees
: the net gain, which was to be givel
to charity, amounted to only few
9 hundred dollars.
= In order to help fellow in dis
D tress, We only have to reach dow
4 into our pocket and hand him d dol
e lar and the work is done. We don
e have to put on our full-dress suit
s nor do we need to dance to the fines
music in the land and eat the mos
l expensive and most undigestible food
/ in order to help man in need Blu
3 there is the rub. If a Pharisee Wer
1 to give a. dollar to poor man, or di
rect to a charitable institution, Wh,
: would be there to put it in the news
4 papers? But if one attends a CRANE
;; ball, that is something different BE
{ fore the weary (and bleary) guest
have sought their siIken beds in tn
2 early twilight, thousands of thei
humber fellowmen, going to work a
l Z a. m. will have read in the pape
t that the Pharisees had foregatheret
| to do a deed of mercy, and, what