Newspaper Page Text
6
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
DECEMBER 29, 192S
THE BULLETIN
The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen's Association of
Georgia.
RICHARD REID, Editor.
Member of N. C. \Y. C. News Service and of the Catholic Press
Association of the United States and Canada.
Published semi-monthly by the Publicity Department with
•he Approbation of the St. Rev. Bishops of Raleigh, Charles
ton. Savannah, St. Augustine, Mobile and Natchez.
1109 Lamar Building Augusta, Georgia.
Subscription Price, $2.00 Per Year.
FOREIGN ADVEItTISIN G REPRESENTATIVE
S. T. Mattingly, Walton, Building Atlanta, Ga.
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1928-1929
P. H. RICE, K.C.S.G., Augusta President
COL. P. If. GALLAIIAN, K.S.G., Louisville. Ky„
ADMIRAL WM. S. BENSON. K C.S.G., Washington, D. C.,..
BARTLEY J. DOYLE, Philadelphia
Honorary Vice-Presidents
). J. 11AVERTY, Atlanta First Vice-President
J. B. McCALLUM, Atlanta Secretary
THOMAS S. GRAY, Augusta Treasurer
RICHARD REID. Augusta Publicity Director
MISS CECILE C. FERRY, Augusta Asst. Publicity Director
Vol. IX. DECEMBER 29, 1928. No. 24
Entered as second class matter June 15, 1921, at the Post
Office at Augusta. Ga., under Act of March, 1879. Accepted
for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section
1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized September 1, 1921.
Authorities On Catholic Belief
The following letter from the Catholic Laymen’s
Association published in a recent issue of The Macon
Telegraph is reprinted here not to acquaint otir read
ers with the position of Catholics on the points in
volved, for that had been emphasized dozens of times
in these columns, hut to direct attention again to tlie
untenable, absurd position of anti-Catliolics who in
sist that they and not Catholics are the ones who
know what Catholics believe, and who continue to
attribute to Catholics beliefs which have been re
pudiated by Catholics from the Pope down. The let
ter follows:
“To the Editor of The Telegraph:
“Your issue of Nov. 19 carried a letter from Rev.
Rascom Anthony in reply to my letter in your issue
of Nov. 8 in which I stated, in reply to a previous
letlcr from Dr. Anthony, the authoritative teaching
of the Catholic church, as promulgated by the arch
bishops and bishops of the United Slates and approved
by the pope, repudiating the alleged claim, attributed
to her by Dr. Anthony, that she is ‘a form of civil
government having heaven-born rights over ail govern
ments.’
“On previous occasions, in correcting similar errors
by other persons, we have had published in The Tele
graph the authoritative statements of loyalty, devo
tion and undivided civil allegiance to the govern
ment of onr country, made and published by the iw-en-
hishops and bishops of the United States on divers
occasions since the foundation of our Republic, and I
should he glad to repeat them here except that it is
asking too much of The Telegraph to do so unless by
special request. Should anyone he interested enough
to request these statements from our office, we shall
gladly furnish them and we will reprint them in The
Telegraph at any time desired. \Ve only refrain now
in order not to impose upon the intelligence of those
readers who are already familiar with these official
utterances of the Catholic hiearachy of America.
“iii liis recent letter, Mr. Anthony endeavors, by
isolating certain utterances of popes from their con
texts, to show that the Catholics of America do not
know what Catholics believe. Everyone must know
what lie believes, as lie only believes what he knows he
believes. He does not believe what someone else,
imagines lie believes. No one should attempt to put
into (lie mouth of another a belief whieli the other lias
disowned. That is a rule of common sense. It is a
rule of fair play. 11 is the only rule by which persons
living together as neighbors can maintain the relation
of friends.
“The Catholic hierarchy of America has time and
again repudiated the erroneous assertion that the Cath
olics of America owe any civil allegiance to Rome or
that the pope ‘has any authority or power over them’
in respect to purely civil affairs. Every Catholic pre-
lale and layman in the United States speaking on the
subject lias personally reiterated that statement in
spoken and printed word, notably Bishop England, ad
dressing the House and Senate presided over by Presi
dent Adams in 1826; Bishop Hughes, addressing that
same august body some iwenty years later, and Arch
bishop Ireland, Cardinal Gibbons, Senator Ransdeli,
both Senators Walsh, Governor Smith. The Catholic
Laymen’s association lias lime and again reiterated and
published in perhaps half the papers of Georgia state
ments declaring in unmistakable terms that Catholics
recognize no civil obligations toward tlie pope, hut in
ail affairs belonging to the state give their undivided
allegiance to the country in which they live.
“Now it comes to this simple questions: Whose
statement of Catholic belief is to lie accepted, that of
Catholics or that of non-Catholics? We leave the
answer to your readers. We have stated Catholic belief
On the point Mr. Anthony raises. We are ready to state
It again to anyone interested. We shall not enter into
a controversy with Mr. Anthony or anyone else. We
Merely slate what Catholics believe for those who
may wish to know, and we shall be content with that.”
The New Year
“Turn backward, turn backward, 0 Time in thy
flight” is a vain petition. The past is hopelessly
gone. Next Monday at midnight another year will
join the long procession whose record is written for
ever. Nothing can change them, nothing improve
them.
Twelve months ago the year 1928 was before us.
It gave us a blank sheet upon which to record our
deeds. Any achievement was possible then. Now
that chapter is finished; no power in the world can
alter it. The creation of thousands of new worlds is
possible; the dotting of an “i” or the crossing of a
“t” in the story of a year gone by is not.
A year from this time it will he as impossible
to change the record of 1929 as to still the restless
tide of the surging sea. But today all things are
possible for us in 1929. We cannot alter the story
of this and previous years; we can make the coming
twelve months conform to the ideal which we should
like to recall was achieved in former chapters of
our book of life.
This ideal should be a spiritual one, witli its roots
in the realization of the end of man, the reason for
which God created him. If we have not furthered
this end during tlie year we have lived it in vain;
it has been worse than useless to us. Since man is
composed of body and soul it is proper that he sur
vey his material as well as his spiritual progress and
chart his course for the next year accordingly, hut
since the soul is greater than the body as eternity
is to time, it is tlie welfare of the soul that counts.
That 1929 will bring a realization of all their fine
hopes, whether in the spiritual or material field, is
The Bulletin’s New Year wish and prayer for its
readers.
Mrs. Jack J. Spalding
The death of Mrs. Jack J. Spalding of Atlanta re
moves from Georgia one of its most beloved women;
it interrupts a beautiful companionship of fifty-one
years of marriage which was an inspiration to all
who came in contact with it.
A year before her death, to the day, Mr. and Mrs.
Spalding observed the golden anniversary of then-
marriage, an occasion made more memorable by the
fact that on that day Mr. Spalding was named a Knight
of St. Gregory by the Holy Father. In the interven
ing twelve months Mrs. Spalding saw this honor con
ferred on Mr. Spalding by Bishop Keyes; she wit
nessed the awarding of the Laetarc Medal to him by
Notre Dame University; she was aware'of other dis
tinctions which honored her as they did Mr. Spalding,
■ft was a happy climax to a beautiful life, the end of
which leaves her vast circle infinitely poorer.
Mrs. Spalding was not born a member of the
household of the faith, but once embracing it she
was an example to others through her devotion and
zeal, as evidenced especially by her attendance at
retreats and her charities. May she rest in eternal
peace.
The Church and Democracy
Among the erroneous views about the Catholic
Church common in non-Catholic circles is the one
which regards the Church as an undemocratic institu
tion. As a matter of fact, there is no more democratic
institution in the world than that in which, at a time
when democracy was but a dream in political fields,
“there was no peasant so humble that he might not
become a priest and no priest so obscure that he
might not become Pope of Christendom,” as Woodrow
Wilson pointed out years ago in his “New Freedom.”
A study of the lives of the Bishops of the Catholic
Church from the Popes through the ordinaries of the
American Dioceses, all ot which are under the direc
tion of churchmen whose recommendations were not
birth or wealth hut deep spirituality and gifts of
learning and leadership, should convince the open-
minded of the democratic spirit of the Catholic Church.
Few will make that study, hut they can pondel* on
these words of the Presbyterian Woodrow Wilson:
“The only reason why government did not suffer
dry rot in the Middle Ages under Hie artistocratic'
systems which then prevailed was that the men who
were efficient instruments of government were drawn
from the Church—from that great Church, that body
which we now distinguish from oilier church bodies
as the Roman Catholic Church.
“The Roman Catholic Church, then and now, was
a great democracy. There was no peasant so humble
that he might not become a priest, and no priest so
obscure that he might not become Pope of Christen
dom, and every chancellery of Europe was ruled by
those learned, trained and accomplished men — the
priesthood of that great and then dorpinant Christ
Church; and so what kept, government alive in the
Middle Ages was this constant rise of the sap from the
bottom, from the rank and file of the great body of
the people, through the open channels of the Roman
Catholic priesthood."
Dixie Musings
The department wishes you all ihe
blessings and happiness the New
Year can bring.
It isn’t often that we disagree
with Editor Shopc of the Dalton
Citizen, but when he agrees with
Johnny Spencer of the Macon Tele
graph that cranberry sauce is con
siderably overrated and asserts that
“it isn’t one grade above chit’lin’s,
and chit’lins’s belong out in the
back lot,” we rise to record our op
inion that he doesn’t know his ber
ries. ~
We read that the Gulf of Califor
nia is drying up. Won’t some friend
of William C. McAdoo impress on
him that this is carrying Prohibi
tion too far?
The problems of the church arc
a ranking topic of discussion among
our Protestant brethren these days,
'the Catholic Church seemed to lie
sailing along serenely, undisturbed
by insurmountable problems, but
now Editor Joseph Quinn of Bishop
Kelley’s Southwest Courier in Okla
homa discovers one. “Doubtless the
greatest problem in the Catholic
Church today,” he learnedly muses,
“is where to put your hat.”
Editor Quinn was soon informed
by one Oklahoma priest that “your
exposition of the hat problem does
not pertain to my parish. The
shieks don’t wear hats; the young
married men stand in the back of
the church and tlie old married men
go up front where they can place
their hats in an empty pew.” This
solution of the problem is worse
than the problem itself.
In the previous issue of The Bul
letin reference was made to visits
Governor Smith paid to a few Ca
tholic institutions in the South dur
ing his sojourn here. In James
Costin’s “Current Comment ’ column
in the Pittsburgh Observer we note
a story of another such visit, told
by Bishop Toolen about the Gover
nor’s visit to the Catholic Female
Orphan Asylum at Mobile. The
children lined up and filed by to
shake hands witli him. Some time
passed and still the little ones came.
By the time Governor Smith had
arrived at the conclusion that the
Mobile insttiution was about the
largest of its kind in the country,
judging by the number of orphan
girls there, lie recognized some faces
he had seen before. But he gave no
hint of the recognition; the young
sters after shaking his hand were
resuming their places at the end of
the line and filing by for additional
greetings from the distinguished
visitor.
By the way, the mayor of Plains,
Ga., who opposed Governor Smith
in the recent election was defeated
for re-election by a local merchant
and hanker who ardently supported
the Democratic nominee, the Daw
son News reports.
And Governor Smith, with the.as
sistance of Senator Pat Harrison of
Mississippi, defeated “Bobby” Jones
in a golf matcli in Atlanta. Senator
Harrison kept score.
President-elect Hoover’s visit to
South America started S. E. Bayleps, a
Cartersville civil engineer, musing on
his experiences on the Southern con
tinent, according to Milton Fleet-
wood’s Cartersville Tribune-News. Of
Lima, the capital of Peru, “a Catho
lic city,” Mr. Baylcss says: “It is
400 to 500 feet above sea level, has
more than 200,000 inhabitants, and
as a whole is very ancient and
quaint. Its cathedral, in which the
bones of Pizarro, the Spanish con
queror, are interred, was finished in
1522. Lima‘had its clubs, newspap
ers, race tracks and dudes before
Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth
Bock.” There are missionaries from
the United States who hope to “Am
ericanize” this city, more than a
century older than the oldest cities
of the North American colonics. We
wonder if the South Americans ever
talk about “Americanizing” us.
Some Catholics arc expressing the
hope that Mr. Hoover will not ap
point a Catholic to his cabinet on
the ground that such an appoint
ment after some of the incidents
in the recent campaign would be an
insult to Catholics, Catholics have
seldom been so insulted, and per
haps they can stand it once in a
while.
The Texas Knights of Columbus
Historical Commission, cooperating
witli St. Edward’s University, an
nounces tlie coming publication of
a booklet, “Martyrs of the South
west.’ Other brochures of this kind
will follow. Preserving Catholic his
torical facts would be fine work for
Knights of Columbus in every stale;
it should appeal especially to Fourth
Degree Assemblies.
At Ihe Catholic Student Leadership
Convention in St. Louis, attended by
1400 delegates from Catholic univer
sities, colleges and high schools,
resolutions adopted included one de
signed to meet the evil of intemper
ance, particularly among young peo
ple, and advocated “the means em
ployed by the Catholic Church and
encouraged through the granting of
special indulgences—namely the tak
ing of the Total Abstinence Pledge.”
The Dixie Press
THE CHURCH IN POLITICS.
Millen, Ga., News.—Whatever else
the election showed, it demonstrated
that the Catholic Church is not in
politics. It likewise demonstrated
that the Protestant churches are.
ANTI-CATHOLIC INFLUENCE.
Dalton, Ga., Citizen.—The Fellow
ship Forum, the dirtiest sheet in
America to he granted mail privileg
es, claims that it defeated Govcronr
Smith all by its lonesome. This we
doubt. It may have influenced cer
tain of the morons, but not many in
telligent people were influenced by
its dirty fight.
ELECTION AND SANTA CLAUS.
The Sandersville, Ga., Progress re
marks that “since the presidential
election is now a matter of history
there is another candidate entering
the arena whose election will be un
animous. Democrats and Republica
will all vote for Santa Claus.” But the
Dalton Citizen disagrees: “Brother,
you are wrong. Heard a fellow tJie
other day say he had ‘hcarn tell that
Santa Claus is a d—n Catholic’ and
that he no longer believes in him.”
MR.- HOOVER AND THE POPE.
Crawfordviile, Ga„ Democrat.—
l^st reports from the Pope stated
that he was bragging albout Herbert
Hoover being his personal friend
and that he once had his picture
made with him. Maybe he wasn’t as
much interested in the election of
Governor Smith as many tried to
make us believe.
THE SPIRIT OF TOLERANCE
Forsyth, Ga., Advcrtiesr.—It is the
opinion of Mr. Ego that ihe Catho
lic Church had shown a fairer and
more tolerant spirit in connection
witli the campaign than had other
churches.
AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE.
Folkston, Ga., Progress.—It must
have been somewhat of an unpleas
ant surprise to those Democrats who
voted for Hoover because of Gover
nor Smith’s Catholic affiliations to
read tfie news story from Europe
quoting the “Pone of Rome” as being
highly pleased with the election of
Mr. Hoover. The Pope is also report
ed to have proudly displayed a pho
tograph showing himself and Mr.
Hoover, which was made in war
days. This .... would sent to in
dicate that the “Catholic-haters” vot
ed for the wrong man, after alt.
“IS THIS ANOTHER PERIL?”
Charleston, S. C., News and Couri
er.—If the president of the United
States, the vice-president, the secre
tary of state, the secretary of the
treasury and the secretary of war,
these five, should die in office, the
attorney general would become pres
ident, and we see by tlie papers that
among others discussed for portfol
ios in Mr. Hoover’s administration
is Col. William J. Donovan as the
successor to Attorney General Sar
gent. It is time to ring in an alarm.
Surely Mr. Hiram W. Evans will see
to it that “none hut Americans are
put on guard.” Who knows what
would happen if William J. Donovan
were appointed attorney general?
Can one fail to see the hand of Pope
Pius XI in that? Remember, Air.
Hoover has a personal acquaintance
with the Pope.
THE SEASON OF GOOD WILD
Butler, Ga., Herald.—The season
for sowAig is with -s. l.et us pre
pare to scatter seeds of kindness,
sow abundantly that we may reap a
large harvest of true happiness, and
have our garners overflowing with
peace and good will, and we can
heap our measure witli malice to
ward none and charity for all.
CHRISTMAS. NOT XMAS.
Calhoun, Ga., Times.—Don’t write
it “Xmas.” It seems like sacrilege
and a desecration to write our
Christ’s name with an X.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
Greensboro, Ga., Herald-Journal.—•
Atheists are to make a fight on llie
Bible. All the church people who
believe in the good bool; had belter
get together and quit scrapping
among themselves.
The Dalton, Ga.. Citizen, adds:
“And also it wouldn’t be a bad idea
to "<>t the political parsons out of
politics and hack to chasing the
devil.”
ALL RIGHT, BUT—
Walton (Monroe. Ga.) Tribune.—
We are told that Mr. Hoover is the
only American president-elect who
ever had his picture taken with the
Pope of Rome. Also, that the Pope
is taking great pride in exhibiting
a picture of himself and Mr. Hoo
ver taken together. Which is ner-
fectly all right, barring the 10,000,-
000 lies told about A1 Smith during
the late million campaign.
CONDUCT OF CATHOLICS
Haziehurst, Ga., News—We are
not Catholics by a long shot, but if
tlie Catholics had played as much
h 1 in Georgia during the past
twelve months as the Protestants
have we would have some ground to
jump on the Catholics.
These Catholic students agree with
the Church in the though) that tlie
best way to try to reform tlie world
is to start on yourself.