A GOVERNMENT LOAN TO CUBAN PRIESTS.
By Editor
Some of the papers are affirming that the United States Government has loaned money to the Catholic clergy of Cuba to support them until they can become self-sustaining. It is sincerely to be hoped that the report is not true. And if it is untrue, the government should lose no time in denying it. The evil of such a deed is not because this money is loaned to Catholics. The principle is just the same, and it would be equally bad if it was loaned to Protestants. And if it is actually true that the United States Government has made such a flagrant departure from its original principles, there will surely be a storm of protest against it on the part of the nation that will compel the reversal of the action. But if a prompt protest does not come that will speedily reverse this order of things, the powerful American nation will soon complete her ruin. And when this nation meets her ruin, all the rest of the world goes with her. There are things taking place in America to-day that should lead the most giddy to sober reflection. Reformatory!—The report of the Preston School of Industry, a California State reformatory institution, says: "The cadets in the educational department are doing well, as are those in the military school, but guns are needed for drilling." The idea of drilling bad boys to the use of guns is a novel idea of reformation. The gun is one of the things to which they naturally gravitate, and is often the thing from which they need to be reformed. There is much ado about the Christianity of the present day. In the name of Christianity men are put in jail in some places as a consequence of their obedience to the law of God. In the name of Christianity greatly-increased army and naval facilities are urged as a necessity of further enlightening the world. In the name of Christianity destructive wars are carried on. And for the reformation of unruly boys guns are put in their hands and they are taught the use of them. It is a logical coincidence, however, that the same Legislature that will be asked for an appropriation to this end will also be asked to pass a Sunday law.