The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-09

THE CATE
school question is not fair. Already
unjust provisions are written into the
Legislative books of one state. The
people, misinformed and misjudging,
have unknowingly been induced to
employ the ballot as an agency of tyr
amy.
Love OF Liberty Inherent.
Love of liberty is inherent In the
human heart No human power, no
form OF tyranny, can eradicate it. Ev-
cry encroachment on it brings eventu-
ally its own punishment. Shall we
fail to make! every American under
stand the true idea of liberty Of edu-
cation? Can we not make it clear to
the whole American people that the
things the Church stands for mean
the stability of civil government,
mean law and order, mean the protec-
ton of life, property and home, mean
the defense of liberty as it fires man
from infancy to old age?
| wish to speak only in measured
terms. The Catholic Church can is
sue this challenge: There is no right
thinking man or woman, there is no
man or woman who means to be fair,
there is no man or woman endowed
with ordinary reasoning powers, who
can possibly read the true facts of
the history of the Church and study
her teachings without being compelled
to acknowledge that the Catholic
Church is the greatest force in the
world for right thinking and right liv-
ing and the most powerful support of
law and order in any government
Questions for Americans.
American men and women who hon
estly love the United States may
pause and ask themselves these ques-
tons: What are the forces seeking
to destroy the ideals of America?
Where is the radicalism coming from
which will destroy the United States
il it is allowed to go on unchecked?
Shall we use the Catholic Church to
conserve the ideals of America, or
=
shall we attempt to destroy her?
Shall we ally ourselves with Bolshe-
vism, Socialism, with groups of anar-
chists and radicals of every kind, who
are bending their every effort to over
turn the present order of things and
to undermine the very foundations of
our government? Shall we prefer
such an alliance to one with the Cath
olic Church? True Americans, non
Catholics, may further ask them
selves: What other cohesive body is
there in the United States, standing
for law and order and the stability of
civil government, to which we can
with such assurance unite? 1t is man
ifest to all that the Catholic Church
does not deal in novelties. Whether
she be liked or disliked, accepted or
rejected, no one can truthfully say
that. she does not act on principle.
She is permanent with the permanent
cy of the ages. She can confer last
ing benefits ON America as no other
force in our country can. Is it not
incredible that fair none Catholic Ameri.
cans, however much group differs
from group, or sect from sect, can be
united frequently in opposition to the
Catholic Church? Where will all this
lead to? Is it not about time, that all
true Americans, non Catholics, would
say: We must unite all forces which
love America, and in this senseless op-
position to the Catholics, which is un-
American, we wish to have no part
Shall we continue to prosecute Cath.
olics, to annoy them, to encourage ev.
cry propaganda against them until we
force the political unity of Catholics
These are burning questions in the
public mind. Never before, perhaps
has the Church in the United States
had such favorable opportunity to
present her case, never such certain.
ty of obtaining a hearing. Our duty
in presenting the case of the Church
is positive, not negative, or at least
the negative is practically incidental
Can we afford to waste our time in
refuting thousands of miserable cal
umnies which have already been re-
futed thousands of times, and which
keep us always en- the defensive? AS
peace-loving citizens, we do not wish
to go forward to attack, but must we
not present 4 constructive program ?
Must we not explain the positive posi-
ton of the Church on all questions
especially those which are of vital in
terest to the American public? Do not
thousands of converts assure us that
never, il ,FeViousato their conversion
had they had the slightest intimation
that the Catholic Church possesses "a