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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