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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
MAY 31, 1929
THE BULLETIN
The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s
tion of Georgia.
Associa-
RICHARD R EJD, Editor.
Member of N. C. W. C. News Service, the Catholic
Cress Association of the United States, and the Geor-
gta Press Association.
Published semi-monthly by the Publicity Department
with the Approbation of the Rt. Rev. Bishops of Ra
leigh Charleston. Savannah, St. Augustine, Mobile and
Natchez.
1409 Lamar Building, Augusta, Georgia.
Subscription Price, $2.00 Per Year.
FOREIGN ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
S. T. Mattingly, Walton Building Atlanta, Ga
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1928-1929
Augusta President
COL. P. H. CALLAHAN, K.S.G., Louisville, Kv,.
•^D^C^k WM. S. BENSON, K.C.S.G., Washington,
BARTLEY J. DOYLE, Philadelphia
t V ' W Honorary Vice-Presidents
J. J. HAV ERTY, Atlanta First Vice-President
J. B. McCALLUM, Atlanta Secretary
THOMAS S. GRAY, Augusta Treasurer
Au susta Publicity Director
MISS CECILE O. FERRY, Augusta
Asst. Publicity Director
Vol X
May 31, 1929.
No. 10
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.
A Body Blow at Prejudice
The Supreme Court of Georgia by a unanimous
decision delivered a body blow to race prejudice in
this state recently when it reversed the Superior
Court of Bryan County which refused to grant a new
trial to petitioners who sought in vain to have jury
lists of the county revised on the ground that Jews
were omitted from the list by agreement of the jury
commissioners.
The petitioners contended that three of the six
jurors were disqualified by law, being county offi
cers, and that one of those qualified was absent, hav
ing withdrawn because the commissioners were not
proceeding impartially, but the chief ground of the
complaint was based on the charge that “hatred,
malice, and religious prejudice entered the minds of
the jury revisers’’ as a result of which they excluded
from both grand jury and traverse jury boxes all
Jews living in the county, although they qualified as
taxpayers and had before served as jurors.
In the proceedings in the Bryan County superior
court a verdict was rendered for the defendants, the
jury being charged by the court that while the com
missioners could not exclude Jews as a class or be
cause of race or other prejudice, they could exclude
any person individually for the usual reasons ob
taining in such cases. After the verdict of the jury a
motion for a new trial was denied, and the case was
appealed to the Supreme Court.
In its unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of
the state, after recalling the omission from the jury j
lists of the Jews mentioned in the case, including
some of the largest taxpayers of the county, de
clared: “Wealth is not the criterion of honesty and
intelligence; but where such taxpayers were admit
tedly upright and honest and represented large in
terests in the county affairs, such omission would
appear to constitute an unwarranted disregard of the
considerations imposed by law.
“It appears that a motion was made and unan
imously adopted that all Jews were to be omitted,
though it is further shown that only four persons
were thus affected. Some, at least, of these appear
to have been upright, honest and eligible persons,
and one of them was the third largest taxpayer in
the county. There is also some evidence tending to
show personal prejudice against one of the Jew’s. On
the other hand, the reviserS testified they did not ex
clude any Jews because of racial or other prejudice.
Conceding this without question, the adoption of the
motion to exclude all Jews, regardless of their qual
ifications, shows in itself a gross abuse of the re
quired legal discretion; we cannot escape the con
clusion from the evidence in regard to a number of
ether names that their qualifications were arbitrarily
decided.” ,
“Under undisputed evidence in this case,” the
Supreme Court further said, “the jury commissioners
who revised the jury lists inl928 for Bryan County
acted under gross misapprehension of their official
duty. Such act goes to the very" root of the jury
aystem as a branch of the administration of justice.
It would be difficult, if not impossible, to overesti
mate the importance of having our jury lists made
»p in a spirit of absolute fairness and in adherence
to the law. If trial by jury ever fails, it will likely
be due to causes which are apparent in this record.”
This decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia
accelerates the decline of racial and religious preju
dice in the state.
the whole effort to put in government control of edu
cation is an effort to kill al denominational schools.
Catholics’ and everybody else’s.”
The Bulletin has from time to time quoted other
Protestants and Protestant clergymen on the meas
ure, Bishop Candler of Atlanta among them. To say
that only Catholics are opposed to it is erroneous, to
say the least. ?The Catholics'who are active against
it are acting as citizens and not as Catholics, just as
Dr. Wilbur is acting as a citizen
Protestant.
and not as a
“What a lucky man Al Smith is,” Monsignor Bel-
ford writes in the Nativity Mentor. “If he had been
elected he would have been held responsible for the
reconciliation of the Vatican and Italy, the Mexican
Revolution and the wet Fourth of March.”
Opposition to Centralization
It is frequently asserted that the only opposition to
the proposed Department of Education in charge of
a member of the Cabinfet comes from Catholics.
In this issue of The Bulletin appears an account of
an address of Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of
the Interior in President-Hoover’s Cabinet, in which
he takes a strong stand against the centralization
and standardization of education involved in the Plan,
Dr. Wilbur, a noted educator, came to the cabinet
from the presidency of Iceland Stanford University.
In the March 28 issue of Manufacturers’ Record,
published at Baltimore, Rev. J. W. Gillon, pastor of
the First Baptist Church, Shawnee, Okla., writes:
"Now I am writing to urge you to continue the dis
cussion of the federal control of education. Up until
the present time church people with the exception of
the Catholics have had little to say about it and the
Catholics have had to fight the battle alone. In this
case the Catholics have sense and are right. I am
glad to have you join the ranks of those who are
against this educational scheme. You may think that
I exaggerate the matter when I tel] you frankly that
Realizing on a Sacrifice
The annual convention of the Catholic Press As
sociation serves the double purpose of bringing the
editors of the Catholic publications of the nation
together for exchange of thought and of directing
the attention of the readers of Catholic papers t 0
the extent and calibre of the Catholic press in
America. f
A feature of the convention is the reports of the
Episcopal Chairman of - the Department of Press
and Publicity of the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, the Rt. Rev. Philip R. McDevitt, D. D.,
Bishop of Harrisburg, and Justin McGrath, direc
tor if the N. C. W. C. News Service, both of which
center on this News Service, to which The Bulletin
and 80 other Catholic periodicals, the bulk of them
In the United States, are subscribers. To provide
this service for the Catholic press in the United
States for the present year w-ill cost $83,259.52, ac
cording to the estimate of expenses submitted by
Mr. McGrath at the convention, the Catholic news
papers paying about $63,000 of this amount and the
Bishops of the United States the remainder.
This news service is the only one of its kind and
scope in the religious world today; it ranks in
newspaper circles with the great secular newspapei
agencies. It has correspondents in every section or,
the United States and in the capitals and great cen-
ters of population in Europe and throughout the
world. In addition there are feature and cut serv
ices provided by the same agency, the total expense
perhaps being in the neighborhood of $100,000 an
nually.
The expenditure of this sum of money yearly to
provide news and features for the Catholic press
of the nation is an indication of the importance
which the Church attaches to the Catholic press.
This amount is expended to bring the news of the
Catholic world to the Catholics of the nation, to
inform them on their faith, to advise them of at
tacks, to provide them with the information to meet
such attacks. Those who subscribe to, pay for ana
read Catholic publications make the great sacri
fice involved in providing such a comprehen'sive,
reliable and authoritative source of Catholic news
worth while. But it might as well never be made as
far as those Catholics whj/ do not patronize ana
fead Catholic newspapers are concerned.
We therefore ask the members of the Catholic
Laymens Association of Georgia and subscribers
to The Bulletin to extend the influence of the
Catholic press and increase the results of the sac
rifice of the Bishops and the Catholic periodicals
of the country in providing such an effective news
service by influencing every possible Catholic to
support and read Catholic newspapers and maga
zines, starting with the Catholic newspaper of theli
own territory.
Dixie Musings
Since the previous issue of The
Bulletin the work of the Catholic
Laymen’s Association has been the
subject of two discourses by an of
ficial of the Asosciation to the
clergy of the Diocese of Harrisburg,
by invitation of the Rt. Rev. Philip
R. McDevitt, D. D., Bishop of
Plarrisburg; the talks were ma’de
at Harrisburg and Shimokin, Pa.
Through the interest and courtesy
of Bishop McDevitt, the work of
the Laymen’s Association was the
subject of a third address at the
convention banquet of the Penn
sylvania State Council, Knights of
Columbus, at Lancaster, Pa. Such
interest in the work of the Lay
men’s Association on the part of
the distinguished and scholarly
Bishop of Harrisburg is a source of
great encouragement to the mem
bers and officials of the Association
and makes them more anxious than
ever to make their efforts worthy
of the confidence reposed in them.
Dixie Press
FATHER NICHOLAS MURPHY
Two year# ago Savannah was
host to the Catholic Press Associa
tion, which met last year in New
York and this month in Cincin
nati. With the sanction of the Rt.
Rev. Bishop of Raleigh, an effort
is being made to have the next con
vention held in Asheville; a cordial
invitation from Bishop Hafey was
read at the convention. Very Rev.
Albert Smith, editor-in-chief of
the Baltimore Catholic Review, and
Vincent Fitzpatrick, managing
editor, invited the convention to
the Maryland mbetropolis, but
when they heard that Asheville was
in the field they promptly and gra
ciously let it be known that they
would yield to North Carolina. The
convention city is selected by the
executive board, which meets m
Chicago in January, Two years
ago the Catholic editors were
charmed by Savannah, Georgia and
our Rt. Rev. Bishop. We trust
they will come to Asheville next
May for a similar experience at the
hands of Asheville, North Carolina
and Bishop Hafey.
“Heflin says a pop bottle fired at
him hit a man in front of him,” ac
cording to Bill Biffem in the Savan
nah Press. "That’s what happens
from the Senator being so narrow.”
We suppost that when Senator Hef
lin reads that the Cardinals beat ’he
Yankees (in an exhibition game), he
is tempted to desert the ideals of the
Confederacy.
Columbia, < S. C.) Record—Rev.
Nicholas A. Murphy, pastor of St.
Peter’s Catholic Church of Colum
bia, this week celebrated, or rather
his congregation celebrated, the
twenty-fifth anniversary of his
ordination to the priesthood-
Twenty-five years ago the much
beloved and distinguished Colum
bian came to America from his
native Ireland and began in Green
ville, S. C., his service as a min
ister of the Gospel. In various parts
of the Palmetto state also has he
served, and the record is that he
has served well.
Father Murphy is i popular Co
lumbian. He is loved and ad
mired by men and women of all
creeds and of no creed. To know
him is to love him. It was only an
gasy and natural expression of the
feeling in the hearts of a united
people that prompted the jubilee
celebration at St. Peter’s this week.
Twenty-five years of usefulness
to mankind and to the state! SoufE
Carolina has advanced much in that
quarter of a century, and Father
Murphy has kept step with the
progress; in fact, has had much to
do with making that progress.
The Record joins its voice with
many others in congratulating
Father Murphy on his silver jubi
lee and its record, and in wishing
him many happy returns of the
occasion.
SIGNIFICANT WORDS OF
PRAISE
(Greensboro, Ga., herald-Journal)
President Hoover has words of
praise for Al Smith. Probably be
scared Herbert more than he d)<3
any body else.
"One dollar spent for lunch lasts
five hours,” writes Roger Babson, the
noted business statistician. “One dol
lar spent for a necktie lasts five
weeks. One dollar spent for a cap
lasts five months. One dollar spent
for an automobile lasts five years.
One dollar spent for a waterpower or
railroad grade lasts five geneva tions.
One dollar spent in the service cf Gcd
lasts for eternity.” How many of
us ever thing of it in that light?
HOOVER AND SMITH
Millen, Ga., News: Herb. Hoover
wrote this. It might be copied in
a lot of Georgia newspapers.
The White House, Aprli 24. 1929.
The Rev. Charles L. O’Donnell,
President, the University of
Notre Dame. 1
Mr. dear Dr. O’Donnell:
I have your letter of the 22d, in
forming me that the Laetare Medal
from the University of Notre Dame
will on the 5th of May be awarded
to Governor Alfred E. Smith.
I am glad you have thus given'
me the opportunity to join in con
gratulations to Governor Smith for
the honor which you confer upon
so distinguished an American and
to the university for its public
spirit in honoring so great a public
servant.
Yours faithfullv.
HERBERT HOOVER.
These beautiful May days remind us of Dr. O'Mal
ley's beautiful conception of the season; “Every
spring God rewrites the Book of Genesis.”
A bishop of the “Liberal Catholic
Church” spoke in Atlanta recently.
The real liberal Catholic Church ,s
the Roman Catholic Church, which
surpasses all others in the practice
of the corporal works of mercy, as at
tested by its orphanages, hospitals,
homes for the aged and other institu
tions of charity in practically every
Catholic Diocese in the world.
Church Contributions
Statistics in the annual report of Dr. Harry S.
Myers of New York, secretary of the United Steward
ship Council, reveal that twenty-five of the leading
evangelical denominations of the United States and
Canada, with a membership of 23,267,767, contributed
a total of $532,368,714.80 for all purposes during the
past denominational year; of this sum $402,682,961.82
went for congregational expenses and $92,325,775.47,
or nearly one-fourth as much, was contributed for
denominational activities outside the local churches.
This is a grand average of over twenty-three dollars
per member. %
The contributions of the Presbyterians was $39.11
per member—not per family, it will be noted. The
Protestant Episcopal Church received contributions
of $38.(^9 per member. The Methodist Episcopal
Church gave $24.81 per capita. Since this is the
average, there were naturally many contributions
larger and smaller. Where there are several mem-
A North Carolina man has started
legal prt^ceedings to Regain possession
of his daughter “who was taken into
a New York Roimm Catholic convent
and unnecessarily adopted.” It’s a
sad cases, this taking of a daughter
from her father. It occurred, accord
ing to the story, dated from Eden ton.
N. C.. in 1909. The girl was, accoi cl
ing to the story, adopted from the
convent in 1914. Now, twenty ye'-*rs
after the girl is said to have gone to
the convent and fifteen years after
the adoption, the father first in indig
nation. Perhaps the assertion m the
stor.y that the foster-mother of flit-
girl in the case is reputed to be worth
27,000,000 and that the girl is her
heiress may account for the belated
interest of the father, if such he be.
fit might also be copied in a lot
of newspapers ..outside Georgia in
states where Governor Smith was
not consider “so great a public ser
vant.” as in Georgia'—Ed. The Bul
letin).
To the assertion that the defeat tt
Governor Smith for the presidency
was an answer to the prayers against
him, one of our Georgia exchanges in
quires if the prayers against his
nomination were not as fervent and
as numerous.
A copy of the Dublin Standard, re
ceived at the office of The Bulletin
recently from the Irish capital, car
ries a story about General Malone and
his addresses to the Catholic Lay
men’s Association of Georgia. His
messages to the association well de
served the world-wide publicity they
received.
, ^ ~~..—percent. Eight
bers in one family, the total is several times theses .years ago President Harding received
sums.
If Catholics will fi^je out the average contribu
tion for their respective parishe’s, they will in most
cases find that they contribute less per capita for
religious purposes than their non-Catholic brethren
who are church members. This despite the fact tHkt
on their contributions their pastors and their Bishops
support parish schools and many other activities
which are ordinarily not part of the expense of a
Protestant congregation or Diocese. Catholics might
well meditate on these figure*. . L „ ,
A speaker at a Knights of Colum
bus Communion breakfast in New
York early in May said that the prin
cipal reason for Governor Smith’s de
feat for the presidency last fall was
tiie fact that he was nominated by
'he Houston convention and not the
one at Kansas City. Governor Smith
polled forty percent of the total v-ote
cast, President Hoover fifty-seven
percent, and three percent was scat
tered. Four years ago Mr. Davis
polled but twenty-nine percent, Mr.
Coolidge fifty-four, and Senator La-
Follette seventeen
CATHOLICS AND THE FLAG
Charlotte, N. C., Observer: No
home institution pays more consis
tent respect for the flag than does
the Catholic School domiciled on
O’Donoghue Hall, convenient to
The Observer’s editorial windows.
The flag is “up” on all occasions
and the young folks seem to regard
it as a religious duty to see to the
orderliness of its flying. A day or
so ago trouble fell upon them. The
tackle at the top of the tall pole in
front of the building got out of
order. It was “stuck,” and therb
was no athlete in the school cap
able of making the repair climb.
A council of war resulted in a call
upon Chief Palmer, of the Fire De
partment, and in a short time a big,
red truck came alongside, the ex
tension ladder was run up and the
trouble was adjusted in a jiffy.
And ' while this was being done,
bouquets of boy and girl faces fill
ing each window indicated that
school was recessed during the
ceremony. And of course, as the
truck drove away with its contract
completed, the firemen were re
warded with a rousing round of
cheers.
sixty-one. Governor Cox thirty-four
and a half, and four and a half per
cent of the vote was scattered. Gov
ernor Smith increased the vote of the
Democratic party from the twenty-
nine percent of Davis and the thirty-
four and a half percent of Governor
Cox to forty percent of the popular
vote. He increased the Democratic
vote by six million over its 1920 max
imum. Despite the opposition of the
forces of bigotry, Governor Smith
made a better race than any other
Democratic candidate would have
made. Now that the passions aroused
to fever heat during the campaign
have cooled off, it might do sonic good
to study these figures and draw non-
political conclusions from them.
REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM
Macon, Ga., Telegraph: The ab
surdity of Protestants doing away
with religious symbols common to
both Catholic and Protestants,
largely inherited from the Catho
lics, is apparent to everybody ex
cept Heflin. If the senator from
Alabama wants to wipe out all
traces of Rome, let him now pro
pose the prohibition of the cross in
public worship; the abolition of all
cardinalates and bishoprics and
priestly orders; the prohibition of
all figures and images of divinity;
the abolition of all saints’ days,
such as Valentine and Christmas;
and the prohibition of cathedral ar
chitecture.
CATHOLICS AND ‘
INTOLERANCE
Adel, Ga., News: We heard much
about the intolerant attitude of
Catholics in the last election but if
our observation counts for any
thing there are many Protestants
in this country who would rule with
an iron hand if they only could and
who take advantage of every op-,
portunity to gain places of promi
nence and to put those of the same
faith in position. We see it in
state positions, in county and in
towns. It is not uncommon in
some communities for outstanding
people to be denied position mainly
because they do not subscribe to
certain things. It is pitiable. ,