Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4—THE BULLETIN, May 28, 1960
Apathy of American Voters
THE BACKDROP
One of the reproaches often
aimed at the American people
is that so many of them fail
to exercise their franchise in
elections to choose officials of
goVernment at all levels from
the Presidency
on down to
city alderman.
While we
bdast that we
have one of
the highest
percentages of
literacy in the
world and an
unparalleled saturation of the
principal media of information
—newspapers, radio and tele
visions—a shocking percentage
of the qualified voters show a
negligible interest in govern
ment and seldom go to the polls.
VOTING ABROAD
The voting record of the
American people in national
elections ranges from a low of
24 per cent of the citizens of
voting age in 1904 to 63 per
cent in 1952. Off-year elections
ahd local contests attract even
fewer voters than the Presi
dential elections, while some
primary elections pull out only
a token vote.
By contrast, voting in other
countries has reached such
ranges as 93 per cent in Italy;
86 per cent in Germany; 87 per
cent in Turkey and 80 per cent
in Denmark. In some countries
voters are required by law to
exercise their franchise unless
they have a sufficient reason for
FAKERY FOREVER
The new assistant in the
optical-goods store was being
instructed by the proprietor:
“Now, son, we want to get a
fair and honest price out of
every customer. After you have
fitted the
glasses and
t;h e customer
asks, ‘What’s
the charge?’
you say, ‘The
gharge is t e n
dollars.’ Then
you pause. If
t-h e customer
doesn’t flinch, you say, ‘That’s
tor the frames; the lenses will
be another ten dollars.’
, “Then you pause, and again
you wait. And if the customer
doesn’t flinch, you say, ‘Each.’ ”
This kind of salesmanship is
^specially hard on the country-
boy-in-the-big city buyers like
ijiyself. I wouldn’t be so foolish
to buy the Brooklyn Bridge, of
course. But I have yet to read
that seven-volume set of “North
American Snakes” that someone
convinced me was essential for
every learned man’s library.
; This subject is very timely
now that exposing fraud is so
popular. Some TV-addicts were
almost broken of the habit when
they learned that their quiz
heroes were really making faces
in boxes because of guilty con
sciences. And now we find that
we liked “Hound Dog” and oth
er ditties only because* a disc
jockey was paid to play it
enough times to make us think
it was a song our mother used
to sing.
Most of us, however, do not
get the chance to be first-class
frauds. We perpetrate our hum
ble, unknown worlds.
If I'm not mistaken, one of
the sins crying to heaven for
Vengeance is defrauding widows.
It’s true that the old-fashioned
h e 1 o d r a m a—complete with
hustachioed villain casting
Vidow out into the cold—has
Sone out of style. But, let’s face
A, there are still businness-suit
villains all around who would
he quite willing to cheat wid
ows, orphans, the aged, the in
firm and poor, struggling colum
nists.
We know that lying is wrong.
F ra ud is also wrong because it’s
acting ou { a i] e . The fault doesn’t
violate the commandment to tell
the truth as much as it does the
gonirnandment to be just. Cheat
ing is stealing.
object that is stolen most
often these days is time. A boss
J)ay s his employees, let’s say,
for 40 hours of work. He might
expect a few hours to be lost in
coffe e at times. But defrauding
the hoss of many hours, and
therefore many dollars, is a very
comrn Q n form of deception. Es-
By JOHN C, O’BRIEN
absenting themselves from the
polls. But in many, where vot
ing is optional as it is in the
United States, far larger per
centages of qualified voters par
ticipate in elections than in this
country.
Rarely in the last 40 years has
so large a proportion of the
population of voting age as 60
per cent voted in a Presidential
election. In the elections of 1936
. and 1940, the cast vote was
slightly more than 60 per cent
of the potential. In those years,
it will be remembered, an ex
ceptionally popular Presidential
candidate, Franklin D. Roose
velt, was seeking re-election.
But in the election of 1920,
only 49 per cent of the citizens
of voting age took the trouble
to go to the polls; in 1924 only
48 per cent; in 1928 and 1932,
56 per cent and in 1948, 55 per
cent.
Participation by voters in
elections has varied widely
among the states. Census esti
mates of voting in each state in
1940, as a percentage of the
adult population, indicated vot
ing interest raged downward
from 83 per cent in Utah and
West Virginia to 10 per cent in
South Carolina.
Twenty states had voters per
centages of 75 to 83 percent; 17
had percentages of 50 to 75 per
cent; five states were in the 25
to 50 per cent group; six states
had less than 25 per cent of
their potential voters at the
polls.
pecially if the boss is rich old
Uncle Sam.
Suppose you’re selling your
car. It’s a nice looking model
and the engine purrs like a kit
ten. The only trouble is that oil
squirts out whenever you make
a left turn. So you decide to sell
it. And your tears of sorrow so
choke you up that you can’t tell
the buyer about this defect.
That’s robbery.
Then there’s the average class
in the average all-American
school. There’s bound to be
someone who suffers from eye-
strain from looking too hard at
others’s papers. There is the in
genious type who puts his crib-
notes in his shoe, under his
watch-crystal, or in fine print
on the back of his hand. Cheat
ing on tests is a favorite past
time of young students; it’s a
fact. And it is but one type of
fraud so common today.
I should mention that stealing
jokes is all right. They are a
part of the cultural heritage that
belongs to everyone. And most
of them were stolen from Adam.
Marie Antoinette used to regale
the French court with some of
the lemons I use in this column.
Another frequent fraud is the
automobile—d a m a g e business.
Have you ever noticed that in
every accident it’s always the
other fellow’s fault? Both par
ties are always driving under
the speed limit, are wide awake
and sober, and can pinpoint the
other driver’s error that caused
the accident. The one who is
lying or just kidding himself is
being downright dishonest.
Then the gentlemen take their
cars to be repaired. If the me
chanics overcharge, it’s all right
because “the insurance takes
care of it.” And adding to the
bill with kickback to the motor
ist can keep him from having to
pay some himself because of the
deductible-type provision. Plain
fraud.
The excuses advanced for this
conduct are similar to those
offered in defense, of towel-
thievery. Hotels lose towels
(and silverware and blankets)
bacause the guest figure “they
expect you to take these things.”
It’s funny, though, that these
guests never check out with
these pilfered items in plain
sight. They know it’s theft.
Lest some worry too much
about fraud, however, it should
be added that we’re all allowed
some good old certified cheating
on occasions. Ladies, for in
stance, have the traditional
right to cheat on their ages.
They’re all 39. It certainly
makes 1921 a booming year for
baby goods; but that’s a prob
lem for the laides to solve.
I think some canned laughter
on television is all right, because
most of the programs need it.
'NATIONAL VOTERS' DAY'
For years party leaders and
citizens groups have expressed
grave concern over the apathy
of so large a percentage of the
American people. “Get out the
vote” drives have been initi
ated from time to time by the
national committees of the two
parties and civic groups. But
only the efforts of labor unions
have achieved a measurable de
gree of success.
With a Presidential election
only a few months away, mem
bers of the Senate Judiciary
Committee have been seeking to
enlist interest in a movement to
designate a national voters’ day
to increase voter participation in
elections. Senators Alexander
Wiley, of Wisconsin; Kenneth B.
Keating, of New York and Jen
nings Randolph, of West Vir
ginia have sponsored a resolu
tion to designate the first Tues
day after the first Monday of
November each year as “Nar
tional Voters’ Day.”
Such a device has been tried
out in the state of Connecticut
with gratifying results. Gover
nor Abraham Ribicoff, of that
state, reported that designation
of a special voters’ day increas
ed the percentages of voters
casting ballots in recent elec
tions considerably above the na
tional average. In the 1952 elec
tion, for example, 93.4 per cent
of Connecticut citizens of vot
ing age went to the polls, in
contrast to a national average
of 63 per cent.
They’re not really that funny,
and the laughter makes them
seem more amusing.
Every husband has the right
(and duty, if he knows what’s
good for him) to rave happily
about his wife’s new hat, or
about the purple yellow Christ
mas tie she gave him. And
when you see your neighbor’s
new baby, you needn’t say,
“Cheer up, they never look hu
man for the first few months.”
It might be cheating, but it’s
charitable cheating in these
cases.
Aside from these cases, how
ever, we should be on our
guard against fraud—in our
selves and in others. It is sin
ful—stealing or lying. It may be
true that fakery is forever. But
it has no part in the true Chris
tian way of life.
Weekly Calendar
Of Feast Days
(N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE)
SUNDAY, May 29—Sunday
after the Ascension. Generally
this date is the feast of St. Mary
Magdalen of Pazzi, Virgin. She
was born in 1566 and entered
the Carmelite convent in Flor
ence at the age of 18. Despite
poor health, she was tooted for
her practice of self-denial, hu
mility and patience. She served
twice as mistress of novices and
once as superior. She died in
1607.
MONDAY, May 30—St. Joan
of Arc, Virgin. The Maid of
Orleans was born in 1412 in
Domremy, Lorraine, the daugh
ter of a peasant. When, she was
17, while tending her father’s
sheep, she heard supernatural
voices commanding her to take
up arms and lead the French
army against the English in
vaders of her country. Her suc
cess enabled King Charles VII
to be crowned at Reims.. Joan
was captured by the Burgun
dians and given to the English.
Tried before an ecclesiastical
court, she was sentenced to be
burned alive at the stake. The
sentence was carried out May
31, 1431. Her case was retried
in 1456 and she was declared
innocent. She , was beatified in
1909, cannonized in 1920 and
declared patroness of France in
1922.
TUESDAY, May 31—Mary,
Queen of the Universe. This
feast was instituted by Pope
XII on October 11, 1954. He
directed the feast to be com
memorated throughout the
world each year on May 31, ahd
that on the same day the conse
cration of the human race to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary be
renewed so “that there may
arise an era of happiness that
will rejoice in the triumph of
religion and in Christian peace.”
WEDNESDAY, June 1—St.
Angela de Merici, Foundress.
She was born in 1474 at Desen-
zano on Lake , Garda in the
Diocese of Verona. She devoted
herself to the education of girls
(Continued on Page 5)
Pa t ience, Sa m!
JOSEPH BREIG
Why Not
“Have you ever noticed,” in
quired Ade Bethune, “the tone
of voice in which people gene
rally talk about anything re
ligious?”
Well, have you? .
It is a hush
ed, pietistic
tone. Or it is
apologetic. Or
it is a voice
that seems to
come out of a
sepulcher.
You notice
it on TV and
on radio when, for instance, a
Mass is broadcast, or an audi
ence is being conducted through
a famous old cathedral.
You observe it often when
somebody “gives the prayer” at
a public assembly.
YOU t)ETECT IT in the em
barrassed hesitancy with which
religion is discussed — if it is
discussed at all — when you
have company in your home, or
you’re company in somebody
else’s house.
Yob hear it also in movie
shorts which are turned out
with the intention of promoting
religious vocations.
The announcer almost always
talks as if he were overwhelm
ed with awe — and as if you
should be overwhelmed, too.
Pi> kind of burning bush,
Mount Sinai note is struck.
AS ADE BETHUNE remark
ed, a lot of people have never
learned to take religion natural
ly, as a normal part of life.
It is talked about as if it were
something extraordinary, and
extremely private and personal.
Yet I think that most people
are a lot more religious than
their friends and acquaintances
think they are.
It’s been my experience that
if you turn the conversation off
handedly in that direction, you
often discover unexpected spi
rituality.
Sometimes it is astonishingly
deep spirituality, too.
Say Cod?
Most of us don’t know enough
about theology to realize how
religious we really are — and
how much we would enjoy be
ing even more religious.
MISS BETHUNE is one of
those who enjoy it immensely.
From early girlhood, she’s been
studying the relation between
the liturgy — the Church’s wor
ship of God —- and art and ar
chitecture.
Probably you’ve seen some of
her drawings or paintings, or
her stained glass windows.
She first became known
through her illustrations for the
Catholic Worker.
I met her nearly 20 years ago,
when she was doing what I be
lieve were the first murals she
ever painted for a parish
church.
In intervening years, she has
become a consultant to pastors
and architects in designing and
decorating churches. She gives
lectures on art. and the liturgy,
and operates St. Leo Shop at
118 Washington St., Newport,
R. I., distributing religious art,
both directly ' and by mail
through a catalog.
Ade says the reason a lot of
religious art is syrupy is that
some artists, like some people,
don’t feel at home with religion.
They can paint or sculpt oth
er things without going sugary,
but they can’t quite imagine the
Virgin Mary (for example) as a
real live person.
We ought to get over this ill-
at-ease feeling about religion.
I think I can illustrate in this
way: have you ever heard some
body referring to God as “the
Man upstairs?”
The chap who does that does
n’t mean to be irreverent. He is
trying to gover his embarrass
ment — either because he’s not
at home with religion, or be
cause he thinks the other fellow
isn’t, or both.
What in the world’s wrong
with saying God, when you
mean God?
Pope Calls Oatholis Press
Esieiiallf lecessary Today
WASHINGTON, (NC) — His
Holiness Pope John XXIII has
called the Catholic Press espe
cially important and necessary
today when forces of evil twist
the printed word in an effort
to overthrow the foundations of
the Christian religion.
The Pontiff said he derives
great satisfaction from knowing
that great numbers of the faith
ful are “being nourished on the
wholesome food of Catholic
reading material, dedicated to
the service of truth and contain
ing suitable religious instruc
tions.”
The Pope’s comments were in
a message sent to the golden
jubilee convention pf the Cath
olic Press Association here.
The Pontiff’s statement was
addressed to Bishop Albert R.
Zuroweste of Belleville, 111.,
Episcopal' chairman of the Press
Department of the National
Catholic Welfare Conference
and honorary president of the
press association.
Pope John’s message follows:
We have learned with pleasure
that the Catholic Press Asso
ciation is shortly to celebrate
the golden jubilee of its founda
tion, and We gladly take this
occasion to address to you a
word of fatherly greeting.
During these 50 years the asso
ciation has indeed rendered
signal services to the Church in
the North American continent,
and it is due largely to its ef
forts that the Catholic Press has
shown such a remarkable in
crease both in the number of
publications and in their circu
lation.
This achievement is a motive
for legitimate pride on the part
of the association. It is also a
source of much satisfaction for
Us, and We are greatly com
forted by the knowledge that
such considerable numbers of
Our beloved children are being
nourished on the wholesome
food of Catholic reading ma
terial, dedicated to the service
of truth and containing suitable
religious instruction.
The apostolate of the Catholic
Press is all the more necessary
-find important today when the
forces of evil are making in
sidious use of the printed word
in an endeavor to subvert and
overthrow the very foundations
of the Christian religion.
Therefore, while We cordially
felicitate the association on the
consoling success that has at
tended its valiant efforts, We
would exhort it to even greater
zeal in the pursuit of its noble
objectives.”
Theology
For The
Layman
(By F. J. Sheed)
Colum^ 5S
FAITH
By baptism we are incorpo
rated with. Christ, built into that
Church which is truly His Body,
so that we liye in Him and He
in us. We still live with our own
lives, but now we have another
life in us, His.
By our nature
as men we
are a union, a
compound, of
material body
and spiritual
soul. Our body
still has its
natural powers
—the use of the five senses, for
example, the activities of organs
and limbs;: so has our soul-
intellect by which we know,
will by which we love and
choose and decide, imagination,
emotions.
But now we have a higher
life as well, with higher powers:
it is in us because we are in
Christ. We must look at this
life more closely. It would be
well to re-read Articles 27 to 30
before continuing. For those
who have not kept them or
never saw them, some of what
is said there will be repeated
here.
That a life higher than the
natural should be called Super
natural is instantly obvious.
That it should be called Grace
—a word meaning free gift—
becomes obvious after a min
ute’s reflection: For it is wholly
new. There is no smallest seed
of it in our nature, nothing in
our nature that could develop
into it.
The life of earth is a prepara
tion for the life of heaven. And
the life of heaven involves see-
(Continued on Page 5)
SHARING OUR TREASURE
Couple Helps To Win
80 Converts
B? REV. JOHN A, O'BRIEN, Ph, D,
.(University of Noire Dame)
Have you ever heard of a
couple who were instrumental
in leading 80 people into the
Church? Probably not. But
such is the achievement of Mr.
and Mrs Charles Cline, 1432
Girard St., N.W., Washington,
D. C. It shows what faith,
zeal and love can do, when.
Catholics roll up their sleeves
and really pitch into the work
of spreading the Faith.
“About five years. ago,” re
lated Mrs. Cline, “we decided to
organize a Neighborhood Club
for Negro children. , We had
learned that many were becom
ing delinquent and that few of
them were being reached by
any Church. So we joined St.
Augustine’s parish, where 95
per cent of the people are Ne
groes.
“With the encouragement of
Father George Joyce, we estab
lished the club to combat de
linquency and bring Christ into
the lives of these youngsters.
We started by bringing a small
number into our home, where
we instructed them in the cate
chism and Bible history. The
youngsters passed the word on
to others, and soon we had a
booming organization.
“Before long some of the par
ents were coming with the
children. With the help of vis
ual aids we held the interest of
young and old, and gave them a
fairly good grasp of our holy
Faith. Then we would bring
them to Father Joyce who
would complete their instruc
tion in the Inquiry Classes he
was conducting.
“Among the more striking
conversions was that of Joe
Carver, the tough leader of a
gang of teen-age ‘hoods.’ Joe
came one night to see what
these meetings were all about.
Charles and I treated him like
all the others. When he learned
more about the life of Christ,
much of his cockiness left him
J
and he became genuinely inter
ested.
“Charles had little talks with
him after class, while I offered
my Communion each morning
for his conversion. The trans
formation began when Joe got
down on his knees and said the
rosary with the others. Joe now
brought others of his gang to
the meetings, and soon they laid
aside their switch blades for
rosary beads.
“After months of further in
struction Father Joyce received
Joe and five of his pals into the
Church. It was indeed the zen
ith of a miracle of grace. I was
at their. Baptism, but I could
scarcely see because of • the
tears of joy, which filled my
eyes. Those youngsters have be
come staunch Catholics and
they are bringing more and
more of their families into the
Church.”
“Yes,” added Father Warren
White, O.F.M., Cap., of the Ca
puchin College in Washington,,
“under the double impact of the
conversion of their children and
of their own attendance at the
Inquiry Class, dozens of parents
have embraced the Faith. By
their kindness the Clines have
won the hearts of these people,
who were thus well disposed to
open their minds to the truths
of the Catholic Faith. The
Clines have shown them that
the doors of the Catholic
Church are, open wide to people
of every race and color.
“Charles and Agnes Cline
joined a dominantly Colored
parish in order to recruit Negro
families more effectively for in
struction in their own home and
in the parish Inquiry Class.
This is an apostolate highly
commended by the pope, and is
dear to the heart of Christ. If
we had more apostles like the
Clines, we would win converts
not by thousands but by the
millions.”
J ottings...
(By BARBARA C. JENCKS)
/ thank Thee, O Divine
Redeemer, that not content with
having come upon the earth for
our sake, Thou didst institute
this adorable Sacrament in order
to remain with us until the end
of the world. Give me the grace
to receive Thee worthily in life
and at the hour of my death.”
• TODAY marks an im
portant milestone in my life,
the beginning of my only real
achievement. Today marks the
twelfth anniversary of my first
Holy Communion. Today I can
not conceive life without this
event. I could not survive with
out it. It is an anniversary I
keep especially in my heart
along with my baptism on the
feast of St. Michael the Arch
angel. As the years pass, it
means more and more to me.
I could not survive today’s
world or even my own day
without daily receiving this
Food for my soul. I have a
journal which I keep and on one
of the pages, I have written
this: “Going to Mass seems to be
the only reality of my day. It
seems to be the only part of it
with real purpose and sense of
achievement. If I did nothing
all day but go to Mass, that day.
would be good. Yet going to
Mass fortifies me for the day.
No matter what happens, I try
to see it in the divine light. If
my students do not seem to be
learning what they should. If
a word of humiliation and re
proach is spoken or I receive
bad news. If I am in physical
pain If I am sad or joyous all
reverts back to that moment of
moments.at the altar of Gol. I
am strengthened and comforted.
sometime I might realize the
truth of a prayer she said every
day. It was this: “Dear God, no
matter where I am or what I do
or who I am with, help me to
remember that the most neces
sary thing for my soul is to re
ceive you daily in Holy Com
munion.” I have learned the
truth of her simple prayer.
Every day of my life is an im
portant day, a feast day, an an
niversary, a cause for celebra
tion because. I begin it at the
altar of God without Whom I
could not survive one hour.
This is the season of ordinations
and first Communions and it is
, good time to think upon this
wonderful gift of Christ and His
promise that He would never
leave us orphaned and that He
was to dwell on our altars even
unto the end of the world.
There is nothing more real in
this world. Christ through the
love of all men is with us day
and night in' the Sacrament of
His Divine Love. Finding out
this truth is my greatest achieve
ment in life.
® the SPIRITUAL DIREC
TOR of Notre Dame students
edite a daily newspaper on
campus. The article printed be
low is from this bulletin. It is
especially appropriate for me
today and for all who remember
back to that day long ago when
they approached with awe the
altar of God Who does indeed
give joy to our youth.
WHEN YOU MISS
ONE COMMUNION:
Consider what you lose , every
morning that you miss Holy
Communion:
1. A personal visit with Jesus,
Author v of all spirtiual energy
and of all holiness;
2. A special increase of sanc
tifying grace, which makes your
soul more pleasing to God;
3. A quota of sacramental
grace, which entitles you 'to
special help in times of tempta
tion and in the discharges of
your particular duties;
4. A precious opportunity of
having all your venial sins
wiped away;
5. The special preserving in
fluence which each Holy Com
munion confers against the
fires of passion;
6. The opportunity of having
remitted a part, or all, of the
temporal punishment due to
your sins;
7. The spiritual joy, the
sweetness, and particular com
fort that comes from a fervent
Holy Communion;
3. A part of the, glory'that
your body might enjoy at its
resurrection on the Last Day;
9. The greater degree of glory
you would possess in Heaven
for all eternity;
10. You may dose: (a) com
plete victory over some fault or
passion; (b) some particular
grace long prayed for; (c) the
(Continued on Page 5)
©ff? Mnihtln
416 8TH ST.. AUGUSTA, GA.
Published foitnightly by the Catholic Laymen’s Association
Georgia, Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Reverer
Bishop of Savannah; and the Most Reverend Bishop of Atlan
Subscription price $3.00 per year.
• PERHAPS, I need the
Food of the soul mdre than oth
ers. Perhaps I could never sur
vive the big and little bumps of
life without the Eucharistic
fortification. , Today, I kneel
down and thank God a thousand
times for having singled me out
as a partaker of His Body and
Blood. Perhaps a public decla
ration of my thanksgiving is dis
tasteful to some. There are
many who do not believe in this
great Mystery. There are many
while believing do not ; avail
themselves of the privilege of
this Mystery. When I was a new
Catholic, I received a letter
from a friend who is now a mis
sionary nun and she wrote that
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 KIERNAN
Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition
JOHN MARK WALTER
Managing Editor
Vo] - 40 Saturday, May 28, 1960 ' No. 26
ASSOCIATION
GEORGE GINGELL, Columbus
MRS. DAN HARRIS, Macon
TOM GRIFFIN, Atlanta
NICK CAMERIO, Macon
JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta
ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta
JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta
MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta
OFFICERS
: President
Vice-President
__— Vice-President
—:—-— Secretary
Treasurer
-- — : Auditor
— Executive Secretary
Financial Secretary