Newspaper Page Text
•AGE 4—'jL-fiE BULLni-i. iIn , r
JOSEPH BREIG
The Court and Smith
A condition not far short of
total confusion in the matter of
obscene literature exists today
as a result of decisions of the
present U. S. Supreme Court.
An additional — and mad
dening—com
plication was
introduced a
couple of
weeks ago in
the case of
Los Angeles
bookse Her
E 1 e a z ar
Smith.
Up to then, the court’s inter
pretations had created a situa
tion which, in essence, boiled
down to three central points.
1. Obscenity is not entitled to
protection under the free-
speech and free-press guaran
tees of the Constitution.
2. Anything short of obsceni
ty does enjoy those protections.
3. But what obscenity is, de
pends on “contemporary com
munity standards,” as interpret
ed by the courts, and ultimate
ly by the Supreme Court.
A fourth, and frustrating, ele
ment was added when the jus
tices upset Smith’s conviction
because Smith had not been
proved to have been aware of
the contents of the book he was
arrested for displaying.
The book dealt with perver
sion, and was on a table with a
sign saying that “only persons
21 years of age and over may
handle books on this table.”
The Los Angeles judge who
found Smith guilty held that
the sign was evidence that
Smith was aware of the con
tents of the book.
The Supreme Court disa
greed.
What is most discouraging,
however, is the fact that the
Supreme Court ruled that a
bookseller cannot be convicted
unless it is proved that he knew
the book was of questionable
content.
Justice William J. Brennan
Jr. wrote the majority opinion.
He argued that if booksellers
were required to know what
they are selling, “the public’s
access to constitutionally-pro
tected matter” might be “se
verely restricted.”
What I am unable to under
stand is the court’s failure to
look at the other - side of -that
coin.
If booksellers may offer for
sale anything at all as long
as they do not know the con
tents, then obviously. they can
sell anything and everything,
no matter how obscene.
All they need do is' refrain
from reading the books.
Either that, or every law-
enforcement agency must cre
ate a book-review section, stu
dy all books, decide which are
obscene, and serve official no
tice on all booksellers.
Offhand, I cannot think of
any other area of merchandis
ing in which the man who sells
is not held responsible for
knowing something about what
he offers for purchase.
Druggists may not dispense
drags willynilly. Grocers and
butchers are not permitted to
sell tainted foods.
Auto manufacturers cannot
plead ignorance about the de
pendability of brakes. A toy-
maker must use care that his
products be not deadly to chil
dren.
Justice Brennan’s argument
seems to me superficial.
The court might reasonably
have held that a bookseller
alone cannot bear the whole
burden of deciding what is ob
scene under the present con
fusing interpretations.
But to rule that booksellers
have no responsibility unless
they read the books is to invite
them to avoid reading and then
to plead ignorance.
Further, it is exceedingly
dangerous to lay down the prin
ciple that everything goes in
the field of publishing except
outright obscenity.
The present court seems to
see in the Constitution a total
preoccupation with individual
liberty without reference to
common good. This is a mistak
en attitude.
Finally, the court in the
Smith case was silent on the
claim of Smith’s attorneys that
since the justices had already
upheld advocacy of adultery as
a constitutional right, they must
likewise uphold advocacy of
perversion.
Sooner or later, this court —
or some later court — will be
forced to face up to the logical
consequences of the curious in
terpretations being handed
down.
Theology
For The
Layman
Somebody
By F. J. Sheed
Column 48
THE CHURCH IS HOLY (2)
One more of the means, or
aids, to holiness offered by the
Church to her members is es
pecially worth mention, be
cause it is of the first practical
impor t a n c e
and is not al
ways realised
in this partic
ular connec
tion. It is the
example of
the saints.
The abiding
temptation of
every Christian is to feel that
the standard set by Christ is
high and holy,, but quite simp
ly beyond our powers: it is
splendid but impossible. The
feeling is foolish, of course. The
God who made men would not
know so little of the beings He
made as to ask the impossible _
of them. But knowing it fool
ish does not diminish its force.
We feel that however it may be
for others, our peculiar circum
stances and difficulties make
the living of Christ’s life im
possible for us.
Here is a special value of the
saints. Men and women of our
own sort, in our circumstances,
beset by our difficulties, have
attained high and heroic sanc
tity. As this comes home to us,
holiness will still seem difficult,
but it will not longer seem im
possible. And between the diffi
cult and the impossible there
is all the difference in the
world.
It may seem at once ungra
cious and merely silly to tell
other Christian religions their
business. I can simply utter my
own wonder how they get on
without something equivalent
to the canonization of saints. It
would, I should think, be a help
to a Methodist or Presbyterian,
tempted as he feels beyond his
strength, to read of a Methodist
storekeeper of the eighteenth
century, a Presbyterian farm
er’s daughter of the nineteenth,
who overcame the same diffi-
(Continued on Page 5)
Opinion Polls And Hidden Bigotry
The backdrop
Jottings...
(By BARBARA C. JENCKS)
Question
Box
(By David Q. Lipfak)
Q. Is there any obligation on
the part of Catholics to volun
teer their services, from time to
time, for church or community
affairs? I'm not sneaking mere
ly about selling tickets for the
parish carnival or collecting
pledges for the Community
Chest Campaign. What I have
in mind is aciuallv taking part
in such oroanizalions as the
Leaion of Mary, or helping to
teach CFO religious classes, or
performing any one of the mul
tiple services unon which the
average parish, hospital or so
cial organization is dependent.
What is the Catholic viewpoint
on this subject?
A. Volunteering one’s serv
ices for the good of one’s church
or community is in itself a
laudable work. If pursued from
the right motives, it could defi
nitely be meritorious. As re
gards those who securely eniov
considerable leisure time, being
a volunteer can also be defined
in terms of an obligation. Those
who, on the other hand, cannot
offer their services without
prejudice to personal duties in
justice cr charity (with respect
to one’s home and familv. for
instance! are normally bound to
avoid entanglements in volun
tary works.
THE ASSUMPTION RETNfJ
that one is free to offer his serv
ices gratuitously for certain
church or civic projects, the real
worth of his work will be deter
mined. in the main, by his basic
motivation. Obviously, it would .
be sheer hypocrisy for one to
volunteer for some good work
exclusively for selfish or prag
matic motives. In volunteering
for hospital and social service
work, moreover, one should he
especially careful that his or
her ultimate motive is not
merely pity (i.e., feeling sorry
for others because they are not
quite so fortunate as oneself)
but true charity (love for all
human beings in Christ insofar
as they are children of God). In
hospital and social service, a
high degree of patience, external
kindness, tact and dependabil
ity is also requisite.
THOSE WHO hesitate to be-
(Continued ,on Page 5j _
SHARING OUR TREASURE
Convert Nun Shares Faith
With Twelve
By REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN, Ph. D.
(University of Noire Dame)
Second only to the grace of
God in leading people in to the
true Church is the good exam
ple of Catholics. That reflects
one of the principal marks
of the Church: the holiness
of her Found
er, doctrines
and members.
Such holiness
is evident
parti cularly
in the lives
of Religious.
Hence if you
want to win a
youthful convert, help him to
enroll in a Catholic high school
or college.
This is illustrated in the con
version of a high school senior
who became Sister Mary Danita,
a Franciscan Sister of the Per
petual Adoration. Now a teach
er in the Cathedral school in
Superior, Wisconsin, Sister has
helped to lead her brother and
11 of her students into the one
fold with one shepherd.
“My mother,” said Sister,
“was a Methodist Sunday
School teacher and deenlv reli
gious. We read the Bible at
home and I was taught to pray
daily. I attended Sunday School
regularly and was baptized at
12. I was readv for high school
next vear. As the Catholic high
school, St. Elizabeth’s, was the
only one in Harper, Iowa, my
parents permitted me to enroll.
“The order, discipline and re
ligious atmosphere impressed
me deeplv and I soon loved the
Sisters. I enjoyed my school
work, but never thought of be
coming a Catholic. Though in
vited during my freshman year
to attend Mass by several of
the girls, I declined. But the
next year I accepted an invita
tion to attend Midnight Mass on
Christmas Eve. The beauty,
grandeur and warmth of the
services wore a sharp contrast
to the coldness of Protestant
worship and made a lasting im
pression on me.
“I admired the Sisters and be
gan *o wonder if I could be
come one oi them, i stayed
after class one day for a chat
with Sister Mary Alonza. Notic
ing a rosary on her desk. I
asked how she prayed it. She
explained it and gave me a
rosary, asking me to say it for
her intention,
“About a month later I had
another chat with Sister and
told her I would like to be a
Sister. She smiled and said,
‘My dear, you will have to be
come a Catholic first.’ ‘I would
like to be one,’ I said, ‘but I
don’t know how to go about it,’
Sister advised me to see a priest.
That evening I went to the rec
tory and started instructions
with Father Francis Schaeffers.
“My parents were auite upset
when thev learned of this, and
my mother particularly resented
it. In mv senior year my father
told me T could become a Cath
olic if T knew what I was doing.
Accordingly I was baptized on
October 10. 1937, by Father
Didacus, a Franciscan who was
giving a mission in the parish.
Kneeling before the Blessed
Sacrament, I thanked our dear
Lord for the greatest of all
blessings.
“That night was a sleepless
one because I looked forward
so eagerly to the great jov of
receiving .Tesus in Holy Com
munion the next dav. Time
seemed to walk with leaden
feet, but morning finally came
and with it the indescribable
jov of receiving Our Eucharistic
Lord. Mother was disappointed,
but said nothing and went into
another room when I came
home.
“When I expressed the desire
to become a Sister, mother won
dered how I, the onlv daughter
in the family, could separate
myself from those I loved. She
knew, however, the meaning of
personal sacrifice, overcame her
feelings, and a few weeks after
graduation permitted me to en
ter St. Rose Convent. Both par
ents soon became resigned to
God’s will and now, to God’s
grace, my brother too is a Cath
olic,” ,
MODERN MAN
"Our one preoccupation is to
be safe. We don't know what
we love, or if we do we don't
dare mention it. We are willing
to become anything, to be turn
ed into any sort of worm, by
the will of the majority. We are
afraid of standing alone; above
all, we are afraid of having fo
fight." — Santayana
* * *
• IS MAN any more wretch
ed today than he has been since
the world began? The agony of
living in this world of technolo
gy and noise and the pursuit of
emptiness seems too much for,
me these days. I would cry out
with Isaias in seeming despair
of times that call good “evil”
and evil “good.” Tom Dooley
came along at the, right time to
hold high the mirror which
showed the image of man in
focus — man possessed of pow
er, dignity, integrity. The art
ist’s role is also to hold up the
mirror to our time. What we
see in the artist’s mirror is
hardly a flattering picture of
man who was created and re
deemed by Christ. I tell my
students that these times are
trying times. Few know what
truth is. Few care to spend
their days searching for it. The
dedicated Christian is looked
upon with the same amazement
as would be the man from
Mars or from the moon. Tom
Dooley tells us that these are
great days to be living with a
challenge for heroism. How
many of us have the stuff of
heroes? How manv of us can
stand up alone and fight and
have no fear of being hated or
of being ridiculed and of being
alone? Not very manv. The
wise priest savs that today is
always, for always there is a
crisis and always the Christian
has suffered agonies when con
fronted with evil. How could
we survive these days which
sear the soul if it were not for
our faith?
• THE ARTIST in our midst
is the prophet. The true artist
has insights denied to most
men. What are today’s artists
telling us? Are they false pro
phets? Each week while pur
suing the news of book publica
tions, I am saddened anew at
the content and style of novels
which seek to tell modern man
about himself. One could weep
long and hard over the new
Jerusalem. Recently, I came
upon two articles which dis
cussed well the subiect of the
modern artist and writer and
the image of man created bv
them. “The artist always has
held up the mirror to his times
for those who have eyes to see
and the courage tp want to
see.” savs Father Clarke in a
recent “America” article en
titled “New Imaees of Man.”
He was commenting on a re
cent exhibition of painting and
sculpture at the New York City
Museeum of Art. He wrote:
“The most powerful over-all
impression that struck me was
that nowhere here could one
find man at peace, man in har
mony with himself, with his fel
lows or with the world that is
supposed to be at least tem
porarily his home. Almost ev
ery artist lay him bare, in his
own arresting way,- as a crea
ture of taut, often agonizing
tension, confused as to who and
what he is, painfully lonely and
isolated from his brothers, the
de-personalized victim of his
own triumphant technology, or
of dark primitive . forces un
leashed from his own subhu- •
man depths.”
• NOW WE TURN to the
novelist and the picture of man
which he holds up. We find
this comment from Alfred Ka-
zin in “Harper’s” entitled “The
Alone Generation.” Mr. Kazin
writes: “American society is re
markable for t h e degree of
loneliness (not solitude) in
which the individual can find
himself. In otir mass age, the
individual’s lack of privacy, his
unlimited demand for self sat
isfaction, his primary concern
for“his own"'h6alth, dttd 'Wfell-
being have actually thrown him
back on himself more than be
fore . . . The sluttishness of a
society whose ideal seems to
be unlimited consumption of all
possible goods and services is
the reason for ‘success’ of writ
ers who paint America as an
unlimited supply of sex, travel,
liquor -—• and lonely vearners.”
This is our time. Words by the
billions, pictures by the hun
dreds and still we fail to com
municate with our fellow man'.
We feel a dumbness in our ag
ony. Sometimes I suppose that
I am the only person in the
world agonizing in my ability
to articulate and reach out of
mv prison of flesh and pi'ide
and selfishness. The loneliness
and isolation qf our times was
shown in That exhibit by the
visionaries s OT : ’bur age. It is held
in distortion by most of today’s
novelists. I recoil a hundred
times a day from this degrad
ing, humanehumaness of man
and his created world. Yet with
every breatlr f take I thank God
for a faith .that tells me who I
am and vtnere I am going —
even though it is the lonely
way. The world today is like
the world as it marked its first
Advent. Will it recognize the
Image of God that is held up
for all to see and know and
love? Man is not alone. There
is hope where there is God.
Among the “proofs” cited by
those who maintain that the so-
called religious issue would be
much less important politically
iruthe forthcoming Presidential
campaign than it was a few
decades ago is U - X£
the success of
Roman Cath
olic candidates
for office in
the election
of 1958.
In that year
seven Catho- 1
lies were elec
ted state governor — Democrats
Edmund G. Brown in Cali
fornia, Michael V. DiSalle in
Ohio, Foster Furcolo in Mas
sachusetts, J. J. Hickey in Wyo
ming, David L. Lawrence ■ in
Pennsylvania, Stephen L. R.
McNichols in Colorado and Re
publican Christonher Del Sesto
in Rhode Island.
STATE ELECTIONS
In most of these states ,it is
pointed out. Catholics form a
small percentage of the popula
tion. In onlv two — Rhode
Island and Massachuetts'— do
Catholics constitute more than
half of the population. In Colo
rado and Wyoming the Catholic
population is only 16 percent
of +he whole.
If Catholics can be elected
to the highest state office in
such overwhelm in glv Protestant
states, so the argument runs,
why should any one fear that
adherence to the Catholic Faith
would militate against a candi
date for President next Novem-
By JOHN C, O’BRIEN
ber?
The answer is, of course, that
the issue of separation of
church and state, which seems
to worry so many non-Catholics
in relation to the Presidency, is
not regarded as relevant to the
excercise of the functions of a
state chief executive or to the
exercise of the legislative func
tion by members of Congress
and state legislatures.
Nine Catholics, all Democrats,
were elected to the United
States Senate in 1958, bringing
the total number of Catholics
in that body un to 12 as com
pared with a total of four after
the election of 1924. Ninety-one
Catholics were elected to the
House in the election two years
ago as compared with 32 in
1924. In fact, Catholic repre
sentation in Congress and in
state legislatures has been in
creasing steadily for the last
two or three decades.
But before we leap to the
conclusion that the waning of
religious bias evidenced in the
elections of state and legislative
officers applies with equal
force to the election of a Presi
dent of the United States, con
sideration should be given to
public opinion polls showing
how voters feel about putting
a Catholic in the White House.
In a poll taken in the early
summer of 1959. 68 per cent of
those participating said they
would vote for a Catholic for
President. In a similar poll
taken in 1940, 62 per cent dis
claimed a prejudice strong
enough to deter them from vot
ing for a Catholic Presidential
candidate.
On their face, these samplings
of voter opinion would seem to
indicate a recession of preju
dice, but not to a significant
degree. Moreover, for several
reasons, the usefulness of such
polls as guides to the influence
of religious bias in Presidential
elections is open tQ question.
Only the more fanatical bigots
are willing to admit to bigotry
publicly, because bigotry in this
country is frowned upon. Even
from an anonymous pollster,
many Americans would seek to
hide their true feelings. Some
may even disguise their true
feelings from themselves. Con
sidering this lack of frankness
on the part of an unknown
proportion of the people can
vassed, the extent of preiudice
probably was substantially un
derstated in the poll findings.
No one has yet raised the
snobbish objection to the candi
dacy of Senator John F. Ken
nedy that was raised against the
candidacy of Governor Alfred
E. Smith in 1928 by William
Allen White, the Kansas news
paper publisher — that Smith’s
candidacy endangered the
“whole Puritan civilization
which has built a sturdy, or
derly nation.”
But the issue of separation
of church and state, which con
cerns many non-Catholics who
are relatively free from anti-
Catholie bias, is being pressed
with greater vigor than in 1928.
¥
rmtlWnr Wharlwi 1 *
front the Sfector J
Pi'dises 'Dynamic'
U. S. Catholics
HONOLULU, Hawaii, (NO—
A Philippine Senator has prais
ed U. S. Catholics for their
“dynamic” practice of religion.
Philippine Sen. Francisco
Rodrigo said he would like to
bring the intensely practical
spirit of U. S, Catholicism back
with him to the Philippines.
Philippine Catholics have a
more “emotional” attitude to
ward religion, he explained. “A
happy mixture of both would
be ideal.”
Sen. Rodrigo made his com
ments in an interview here af
ter a two-month tour of the
United States.
The Senator, a former presi
dent of Philippine Catholic Ac
tion, said he was impressed by
the ability of American women
to carry on., efficiently a wide
range of activities inside and
outside the home.
“If I had six hats, I’d take
them ail oil to them,” he said.
While making a campaign
speech, a candidate for politi
cal office sought to discover
the denominational sympathies
of his audience.
“Mv great-grandfather,” the
candidate began, “was an Epis
copalian (stonv silence), hut my
great-grandmother belonged to
the Congregational church (con
tinued silence). My grandfather
was a Baptist (more silence),
but mv grandmother was a
Presbyterian (still frigid sil
ence). But I had a great-aunt
who was a. Methodist (loud an-
nlause). And I have always fol
lowed the religion of mv great
aunt, loud and continued cheer
ing).” He was elected.
We have to hand the politican
his “A” for psychology, even
though he gets an “F” for flat
tery. Like hypocrisy, flattery is
a sin related to lying. It may
win elections and sometimes
tickle our vanity. But flattery
will never please God, because
it’s an untruth.
Then what about giving
praise and paying compli
ments? And thanking persons
for little things? Wouldn’t these
be forms of flattery? No, I’d
sav they are forms of nieeness.
The niceness that warms our
Savior’s heart because it’s real
ly charity in action.
Good souls might wonder
where we draw the line. For
tunately, we have a yardstick
that’s easy to read. If you knock
yourself our pouring on t h e
praise, if you sound off against
your convictions, if you lay the
tribute on thick to gain an ad
vantage for yourself — then
simmer down, friend. That’s
flattery.
If. on the other hand, your
kind words are meant to en
courage someone in his work —
then, God bless> you, it’s nice
ness. Or kindness, or charity.
The salesman might be
sneaking over the line when he
says to the housewife at the
door, “Good afternoon, young
lady. Is your mother home?”
He knows the lady looks old
enough to be his mother. But
I’d vote for the salesman’s ac~
auittal before the tribunal of
justice, because there’ll be a
new spring to the housewife’s
steps as she goes about her
humdrum jobs.
Elwood, five years old, proud
ly shows mother his painting.
Mother mutters distractedly
without taking her eyes from
the TV*screen, “Yes, dear, that’s
beautiful . . . I’m busy now.”
And only a few words of ap
proval would have made El-
wood’s day a success. I’ll bet
Michelangelo would never have
become Michelangelo if his mo
ther had acted like Elwood’s
mother.
Grandma is 90 this year.
What’s the harm in telling her
she doesn’t look a day over 60?
Sure, it’s stretching the point.
FLATTERY VS. NICENESS
But grandma will feel like 60
even though she knows you’re
full of blarney. She probably
doesn’t look more than 80, any
way.
The family cook works for
several hours giving her all to
your dinner. So it’s not a Dun
can Hines masterpiece. You can
tell her how good the peas are,
or the potatoes, or the butter.
If anv statement would make
you feel guilty of periury —
then tell her how nice she
looks tonight. No court could
proved you lied about that.
The little woman comes home
with a new hat. Chances are
the husband, remembering who
always wins these battles, won’t
try to force her to return the
monstrosity. Then why should
n’t he tell her how lovelv, how
chic, how so very becoming the
thing is. The enthusiasm costs
him little, but means a lot to
her.
An elevator operator’s life is
not an exciting one. He never
gets anvwhere — just up and
down. It takes about a second
to sav “thank you” as you sten
off. After he has lifted you 17
floors, your one second of ap
preciation will give him a 17-
volt lift.
These things apply to us
priests as well. Little Speck
drags himself out of a warm
bed to serve Father’s pre-dawn
Mass. It might be necessary to
suggest that Speck’s Latin is
making Cicero spin in his
grave. But it’s just as necessary,
I believe, to thank Speck for
his superhuman feat of even
being there before the rooster
crows.
Most of us are guilty of un-
niceness because we try to be
mean. Only those trying to
break into the “Saturday Eve
ning Post” are desirous of ac
complishing The Perfect
Squelch. It’s just thoughtless
ness that makes the un-nice-
ness rate so high.
This failure to say the kind
word can have tragic results,
too. A woman seeking a divorce
explained her reasons this way:
“We’ve been married 15 years.
All that time I’ve kent this
house and got his meals and
mended his clothes. He never
found fault with me. But in
all that time he never once
said, ‘You’ve done a good job’.”
That’s it. We take everyone
for granted. Wives are supnos
ed to keep house, employees
are supposed to work hard,
children are supposed to take
orders, and elevator operators
are supnosed to go un and
down. So we don’t bother to
say, “You’ve done a good job.”
There’s a new religious sect
in California without much in
the realm of doctrines. But it
has a catchv motto: “It’s nice
to be nice.” That is catchy, and
if they practice what they
preach they’ll catch many fish
with just that bait.
We should have almost a mo
nopoly on being nice, what with
our insistence on genuine love
■ of neighbor. Perhaps the flat
tery vs. niceness problem has
thrown us. We’re afraid of
sounding insincere.
It’s time we threw away
those fears. I’m sure our good
Lord will forgive us if we step
over the line into flatterv on
occasion. Because the jovful
glow in someone’s eves when
we offer an unselfish compli
ment or word of nraise will
more than make up for a dozen
flattering phrases.
HOSPITAL
GIVEN $344,000
SEATTLE. Wash., (NC) —
Providence Hospital has receiv
ed a grant of $344,312 from the
John A. Hartford Foundation,
New York, to set up a center for
the study and treatment of
heart disease.
®1IttUrtfct
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Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe. Georgia. Send
notice of change of address to P. O. Box 320, Monroe, Georgia.
REV. FRANCIS J. DONOHUE , REV. R. DONALD KTERNAN
Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition
JOHN MARKWALTER
Managing Editor
Vol. 40 Saturday, February 6, 1960 No. 18
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
GEORGE GINGELL, Columbus President
MRS. DAN HARRIS, IVTacon Vice-President
TOM GRIFFIN. Atlanta Vice-President
NICK CAMERIO, IVTacon Secretary
JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta Treasurer
ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta Auditor
JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta Executive Secretary
MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta Financial Secretary