The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-05-23
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment considsred or Ineonsid.rst.

The old familiar sayings, saws, adages are not
always so wise or penetrating as they seem to be-
good deal of foolishness has managed to get itself
expressed in sparkling form, and to endure for
centuries as gems of wisdom But the thing to re-
member is that there real gems of wisdom
An occasional stone from Woolworth's may conceiv-
ably find its way into tray at Tiffanys but this
disturbing fact does not destroy the value of the
genuine jewels
II is silly TO reject an oldfashioned saying be-
cause 1t is cliche, it is to accept each timeworn
adage as the concentrated essence of nvariabe
truth Especially is it silly reject and accept on no
principle but that of personal preference We need
cool heads, and some experience to pick our max
inns Judciously and to value them effectively.
Consider the remark that where there is smoke
there is fire. In an age gone wildly chemical, we
know that this is not true great deal of smoke can
be produced by the mere mingling of gases or
liquids. II is true that an effect has its cause but
IT is sometimes injudcious to make sweeping
identification of the cause Many reputation has
been ruined by the rash assumption that the smoke
of rumor comes from the fire of fact omitting the
possibility that it may come from the evil chemicals
OF ignorance, envy, or malice.
Or take the ancient Roman saying that virtue
stands in the middle" This is true saying when
the virtue in question is that of temperance which
is the right and reasonable use of material things
But the adage does not extend TO all virtue Ex-
tremes are not always bad. Indeed, most virtues
demand the extreme One cannot be moderately
just, moderately truthful or somewhat pure and
claim the virtues Of justice truthfuness or purity
On the other hand there is universal value
IN the old saw that sraws show which way the
wind blows Trifles are, when rightly interpreted
sure indications Of facts conditions which are far
from trifling And there comes to light in
current review trlfling comment which seems to
indicate an omlnous state of affairs; il is straw
which indicates an evil wind
Before we quote the comment let us look ser.
iouSly at the world live in. We hear people ev-
erywhere talking about civilization II is something
valuable that we possess though communism and
other things threaten to take ii away from us We
feel that with our civilization is coupled high
culture Everybody assumes, and nearly everybody
keeps saying, that is an enlightened age. We
dote upon education, although we do not define the
term. We boast of our schools, our laboratories,
our unlimited opportunities for intellectual and
technical enrichment
We talk of our American way of life" as of
something fine, something inexpressbly dear, some
thing almost sanctifed. We want free enterprise
united with just dealings for all concerned We re-
loice that our generation has forced upon the blind
ruthessness of moneyed power human and kindly
awareness of the laboring man We feel we have
emerged at least in great measure from the savag-
cry of soulless corporations and wage-saves. We
have troubles to be sure and social matters are not
yet in equilibrium. But aware of the goal
and we make progress.
No longer do we find the industrial situation
either the bloody arena of capitalstc greed or the
field of turmoil where labor trampes triumphanty
on money barons Capital and labor are now
team II is an uneasy team, not yet used to working
quietly in harness, but IL is team, and day by day
its members are learning to pull steadily in the
direction. Ours is the Modern Moment, the
Present Day, the Twentieth Century at its best How
far ahead are we of the old fogies and the poor
serfs and the overlooking drivers of halfcentury
ago! In our day the great thing called human dig
nifty, in employer and in employee, slowly but surely
emergeS to demand universal reverence.
Ours is at the moment, troubled world, but
surely IL is world in which there is a new land
hitherto unimaginabe) awareness OF the common
glory of man, including the common man. We work
tirelessly against the old horrors of bigotry race
prejudice artificial inequalities, unmerited priyil.
ege and undue subiugation. We hear the call Of
humanity We give generously, making willing sac
rifce to help the afflicted TO blot out disease, to
shelter the homeless We work in a state of noble
indignation against moral corruption, crime, delin-
quency, evil Influence.
dignity new high seriousness, new and elevated
view of humanity and its purposes. We hunger after
justice; we arc graced with charity. No numerous
group of modern men, constituting a real social
and public force. could in this bright hour, descend
to anything sordid, low debasing, uncouth No? But
there are straws in the wind
Here is such straw. We quote it without COM
ment Ponder its meaning. IN view of all our high
idealsm our culture, enlightenment, and all
the rest of IT, See what a wind may be indicated
and whittier il may blow Here is the comment taken
from an immensely popular and very serious, re
view
"The old.ne AFL electrical workers union vii
send troupe of burlesque strp-teasers to citie
served by the Northwestern Bell Telephone Co Il
put on free shows for employees It's to WOO member
away from the rival CIo communications union"