Brave Men Needed by C. M. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jul 2, 1914

“Brave Men Needed”

By C. M. S.

GOVERNOR GLYNN of New York was present at the meeting of the alumni of Georgetown (Catholic) University, Washington, D. C., on the evening of June 15, and made an address before that body. It was the occasion of the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of that university. No report of his speech was published, but the following reference to the address appeared in the Washington Herald of June 16:—

A hint from Governor Glynn of New York that the Catholic Church would be subjected to persecution until its adherents “band together and show, instead of the teeth of the lamb, the fangs of the lion,” was the only serious expression last night at the smoker of alumni of Georgetown University.

The recent activity of such organizations as the Knights of Columbus and the American Federation of Catholic Societies gives no small hint of what is meant by Governor Glynn. The Catholic laity are being made to feel that the church is being persecuted, and the hierarchy, through the priesthood and such official laymen as the governor of New York, is urging upon the people the necessity of banding together for defense against persecution. If there is any church in the world that cannot legitimately raise the cry of persecution, it is the Catholic Church,—a church which claims a membership of 16,000,000 in the United States, and is asking for and getting for its membership public office and public patronage on every hand; a church which asks for and gets the presence of Presidents, governors, judges of the Supreme Court, and other high functionaries at its public services; a church that is given every facility for carrying on its worship unmolested and conducting its public processions with the most adequate police protection; a church that has every possible liberty to teach, to preach, and to print all phases of its belief in the most open and free manner; a church that, through threat of the boycott, controls in a large degree the utterances of the press. If there is any church today that is entitled to raise the cry of persecution, it is not the Roman Catholic. And still the cry of persecution is continually heard from that source, and the laity are urged to band themselves together to resist persecution. One is compelled to doubt both the sincerity of the cry and the expressed purpose of the banding together.

In the April 25 issue of the Jesuit journal America appears an editorial entitled “A Call to Men.” The article is so written that one might at first glance think the writer was appealing for recruits for missionary work, for men who would give themselves to the work of rescuing souls from sin; but a different purpose underlies the article, as a close reading will show. We quote:—

Brave men are needed in every age. They were needed two thousand years ago; they were needed one hundred years ago; they were needed fifty years ago; they are needed today. The reason of this need lies in the necessity for a solution of problems which threaten society. These problems change with the ages. Sometimes they are thrust upon a country from without; sometimes they grow from within, taking substance and form from the uncontrolled passions of men. Their sources therefore are many, but the origin of their solution is one—brave men.

Brave men are men who have the courage of their convictions; men who hold fast to principles in the face of the enemy, in the teeth of adversity; men who will not sacrifice right for power or wealth or fame or popularity or any other trumpery. . . . Any vagabond can be impure, grasping, irreligious. Only a real man can be pure, generous, religious. All these demand a battle. Victory belongs to the brave alone. . . . Where will we look for brave men? Are they in our ranks? If so, why are their tongues silent? Why are their pens idle? Why do they sit idly by without protest, while the fabric of our society is smitten hard on every side? Why do they watch listlessly godless sociologists busy patching the superstructure of the state, while its very foundation is shaken by social evils? Do they smoke their cigars and sip their wine seven nights a week while their brothers in the faith, the children of the poor, are falling into the traps of wolves? If there are brave men in our ranks, why does the Ozanam Society call upon them in vain for help? Why is the church the object of insidious, organized injustice? Brave men, where are you? Do you exist?

That this call is a call to physical action on the part of laity and clergy is shown by the way in which it was interpreted by members of that church. In the issue of America dated May 9, appeared an article entitled “More Brave Men Needed.” It was occasioned by the article previously quoted, and is over the signature of James A. McFaul, Bishop of Trenton, who was the originator of the American Federation of Catholic Societies. The article begins with the following letter:—

To the Editor of America.

Brave men are not wanting, but bravery without direction is almost useless. Leaders, when such arise, will find a ready army of brave men. If each of us should assert himself, chaos such as Protestantism presents would be the result. Tell us what we shall do? “The most archaic map is more helpful than a general direction to turn to the left.”

JOHN P. DOHERTY, Scranton, Pa.

It will be noted that the author of the above writes from Scranton, Pa., the place from which went out the inspiration for that “brave” act of demolishing a Baptist church building at Carbondale, Pa., because the Baptist pastor permitted a Scranton lecturer to speak from his pulpit against Romanism. The writer indicates that the hierarchy has but to command and he is ready to do its bidding.

Bishop McFaul, commenting on the letter and on the article which drew it out, says:—

The article of last week, “A Call to Men,” is very opportune. It is true that there are many brave Catholics in this country, but we should have more of them; more men of strong convictions, men willing to make sacrifices for principle. See the zeal of the bigots, and how they are uniting against us.

The leadership is not wanting. Every pastor of a parish is to some extent a leader of his people.

The bishop then speaks at length of the American Federation of Catholic Societies and the work it is doing “for the promotion and maintenance of Catholic interests, civil, social, and religious,” and then says:—

Leadership is not absent. Some of the most eminent laymen of America, under the guidance of the hierarchy, are engaged in the movement. It has been advancing slowly, certainly, and intelligently in the accomplishment of its purposes. Why is it that so many Catholics stand idly by watching it? Why are they so indifferent? Evidently there is a dearth of just that element of bravery to which “A Call to Men” points. . . .

What we need, above all things, today is an enlightened laity, possessing correct ideas on modern problems; men so well informed that they are ever ready to defend by word and deed the doctrines of the church. . . .

Yes, we need brave men, and we need these brave men to be united. . . . The federation offers them a magnificent opportunity to battle for the right prudently and safely.

No doubt it is expected that emphasis will be placed upon the word “safely,” for “brave men” are so accustomed to making safely a condition of their service in great undertakings. Yet it is a fact that where Catholic mobs have attacked and beaten lecturers recently and have attacked and destroyed Protestant churches, they have done so “safely.” The perpetrators of these brave deeds have not been brought to judgment for their acts. That there is organization behind these acts is shown by the fact that they are taking place in different parts of the country, that the perpetrators are shielded from the penalty

which others would suffer for such deeds, and that the daily press, through fear of the boycott, dares not publish the facts in reference thereto or give any of the details.

These facts and conditions indicate plainly enough what such calls for “brave men” mean; and wherever such acts are committed as the attack on Mr. Spurgeon in Colorado and the wrecking of the Baptist church at Carbondale, we may justly surmise that the “leadership” has been furnished, and the “brave men” have responded to the call.

Mr. Doherty declares that “leaders, when such arise, will find a ready army of brave men.” There is no doubt whatever that he means a real army equipped as such. The farmer and gardener exercise with the implements of husbandry, the spade, fork, rake, and scythe. The blacksmith busies himself with the bellows, the sledge, and the anvil; and so of other industries. The work a man proposes to do is indicated by the implements he drills with. The Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the League of the Cross Cadets, and other Catholic military organizations drill with sword, rifle, and bayonet. The work which they propose to do may also be indicated by the implements with which they exercise.

These calls for “brave men,” these violent demonstrations of religious zeal, the federation of Catholic military societies into a great organization numbering between two and three million members, and the warlike aspect and maneuverings of these bodies, indicate to the thoughtful mind that Rome, in her set purpose to “make America Catholic,” does not intend to rely upon the preaching of the word to bring it about. The times are truly ominous. With Protestantism so nearly asleep as to be willing to drop the very name Protestant, and with Romanism claiming the world and preparing to take possession of it, we may know by the light of God’s Word that we are in the time of this world’s harvest. The work given us to do must be done with zeal and earnestness and without delay. Avenues of operation once freely open are now closing, and there is no prospect of a better time than the present for giving this message. Let us work while it is day, for soon the night cometh.

C. M. S.