Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

Jan. 11, 1893.A FAMILT PAPEE.—President Harrisou haa issued a proclamationThe 'Week.pardoning polygamists who have abstained from pluralmarriage since Nov. 1st, 1890. They must now—The French Ministry has had to face another motionof no confidence. The attack was made for theobey the law of the United States, and trangressor,^will suffjr the full penalty of tha law.purpose of overthrowing the government, but the—The electors of President and Vice Presidenttimely exposure by M. Eibot Premier, led tj the defeatof the agitators in the Chamber of Deputies by ameet at the several state capitals on Monday to gothrough the legal form of election. It is interestingvote of 353 to 91. This vote shows that the Eepublicto note the result since all doubtful cases are decided.Of 444 votes in the Electoral College, Cleve­ii safe, despite the recent scandal in which almostevery prominent man in France is more or less involved.Public attention centres on M. Andrieui,land will receive 276, Hiirrison 144, and Weaver 24,giving to Cleveland an absolute majority of 108.the deputy and ex-prefect of police, who is supposed to—Norway is the scene of a politieal agitation for itslead the conspiracy a-jaiust the government, and whogreater independence in the foreign policy of Soandanavia.The popular demand for a separate consularis said to posness evidence that bribes were given toover one hundred me mbers of the National Legislature.system has been sanctioned by the Parliament on the—John L. Woods, Cleveland, O., gave $125,000 asground of the different commercial policies of the twoa Christmas gift to the Medical College of the Westernkingdoms, Sweden being protected while Norway isEeserve Uuiversity. John D. Eookeleller has givena Christmas gift of $1,000,000 ol gold bonds bearingflve per cent interest, to the University of Chicago.—A great explosion has taken place in Dublin. Theofflce ofthe detective force, and the apartments of Mr.Morley, Chief Secretary ef Ireland, adjoin ihe courtwhere it took plaoe. The evidence points to the factthat the explosion was aimed atthe detective force andintended to gratify personal malice; yet suspicionarouses the idea that its soene suggests political significance, A detective named Lyntt has been killed,—The postmaster has concluded conventions goinginto effect from Jan. 1st, to establish an exchange ofpostal money orders between the United States andthe colonies of Bermudas and South Australia.—-The Law Society of Ontario, Canada, has adopted& resolution admitting women to practice law. Anywoman who can qualify is now free to practice in theprovince,—It is reported that an epidemic similar to the oneat .Homestead during the strike has been prevalentamong the employees of the Apollo Iron and SteelCompany, at Apollo, Pa,, for two months past.During that time 300 have suffered from symptoms ofpoisoning and three died.—Several new cases of typhus fever have been discoveredin New York city in the Division street tenements.Some cases are reprrted at the hospital, ofpersons taken ill suddenly and applying for admission,—The new year began with a day of ^reat severity,Eain fell in great torrents. Since the year began agreat snowstorm has visited most of the country. Inseveral parts the snow is some feet deep At St,Louis the Mississippi is covered with ioe from shoreto shore, all navigation being for the present suspended.It is said that the Ohio, Monongahela andAllegheny rivers have been frozen over for the firsttime during many years.—The Cunarder Umbria arrived in port on Sabbath,nearly six days over due. Her delay was occasioned bya broken shaft. Much anxiety wag felt for her safety.Captain McKay refused help from a passengersteamer,preferring to repair in mid-ocean with plentyof sea water to drift into port. The risk of bawling in aheavy sea is very great, owing to sudden break of thehawsers, and the good Captain has maintained thereputation of the Company that has never lost a life onthe ocean.—The President has proclaimed a definite arrangementof commercial reciprocity with Sau Salvador,the arrangement to take effect ou and atter Dec. 31,1892.—A new year reunion at Barcelona, Spain, held by1500 anarchists predicted a reign of terror and bloodshedin Spain during the year. The leader declaredhe meant to inaugurate '93 by a baptism of blood.—The coal miners in the Laer district of Germanyhave begnn a strike. A large force of military hasbeen ordered out as the strikers number about 22,000.The soldiers are instructed to enforce order withoutmercy for the strikers.free trade. The king, however, has refused his sanction.But this only increases the demands of the of the constitution, bnt suoh interpretations implyEadicals for more full independence.loyalty to the constitution. It is here that the weaknessof the position of the Prohibition party is most—Au agreement has been made by commissionerswith the Turtle baud ot Chippawas to add to the publicdomain, a large tract of Indian lands. It awaits the constitution. It is the province of the peopleapparent. It is not the province of a party to amendthe ratiflcation of oongress. The tract lies N. W. of back of all political parties. Yet we cannot assumeDevil's Lake, in N, Dakota, and contains about 10,000. the position that the Prohibition party has no justification.000 acres. The sum agreed as a condition of IndianWhen we survey the position of affairs, werelinquishment is $1,000,000. The Chippewas will be see that the firstpostulate of American politics is this,glad ot the money as they are very poor since thedisappearance of the buffalo, recently several appropriationsthat every male over 21 years of age has the right to,and would be untrue to his citizenship did he not,being needed to help them.exercise the right of voting. Now, if that axiomisREVIEW OF THE WEEK.After six years' ostracism from the Catholic priesthood,Father McGlynn has been restored to his priestlyfunctions by Mgr, Satolli, in name of Pope LeoXIII. His restoration is doubtless a victory for theLiberalism of American Catholics. Father McGlynnhas been defying the malignity of Eome and identifyinghimselt with the anti-papal, and yet he is fieelyforgiven without any apology. Two lessons are containedin this incident : 1. How strange a comminglingof elements is to ba found in the Mother Church,Papacy will rather open its arms to receive a toe thanpermit its unity to be sacriflced. It will forgive onewho has branded it with infamy so as to enclose himin thft bosom of the Holy Church, Eome has alwaysmaintained its unity at the expense of consistency.Some of the purest and best spirits of the dark ageswere permitted to flnd shelter in the cloisters of thePapacy ; since the vilest of characters were toleratedside by side with them in the priesthood and even onthe Papal curia. Today a Protestant in sentimentand feeling like McGlynn, and a political reformer ofthe most revolutionary kind, willbe tolerated becauseEome has no power to fight against reason and truth.2. Another lesson is that Eome's policy is guidedby expediency. In profession she accepts the wordof God and the tradition of the fathers— but in practiceshe accommodates herself to the changing circumstancesof time and plaoe. She will encouragethe Irish priesthood to beoome political firebrands,because Catholicism in Ireland is likely to gain bythe maneuvre. She will excommunicate a priest mAmerioa because he has intermingled with politicswhioh do not savor of the Holy See, She will enterinto intrigue with governments, and send envoys tostates for the purpose of including secret confederaciesand promoting her own interests. Eome's historyfrom beginning to end is a history of vacillationguided by expediency. We regret that a man ofindependent thought, of profound culture and ofOatholic feeling, should so far side wfth Eome's inconsistencyas to bury his ideal of manhood beneath thebushel of Eome. Yet we caunot but believe that sixyears of manly service in the cause of righteousnesswill bear fruits m Father McGlynu's future life.Ditbing the last four years the Prohibition partyhas added 23,009 to its vote. In the light of suchprogress, the question arises, what is the true positionof the Prohibition party? We are inclined to assumethe attitude ot Christ toward the man castingout devils in his name, yet not following afier him,"He that is not against us is on our part." The Prohibitionparty does not come up to what we regard asthe high Ohristian platform of true Political Principles;yet when the question is asked. What is to becomeof the party? we do not venture to say it willdisappear.A political party exists, according to the constitution,for the purpose of directing the machinery ofstate. It oomes into existence undei^e constitution.Por the purpose cf preserving and executing the constitution,it firstaccepts it, and promises to administerit accordingly. The existence of two or moreparties implies that there are different interpretationsassumed, as it is by the large majority of citizens,then to be a true Christian oitizen no one oan possiblyevade the conclusion, that he is in duty boundto attach himself to the Prohibition purty. There arefour great parties, excluding the socialist section thatnumbers but few, all over. In three of these there isno moral question at issue. Each party is grabbingfor political power,, on the basis of some party purpose,aside of all moral issues. The Prohibitionparty has distinct moral issue, the Temperanoe Program.So long as Christians then accept the positionthat they must as citizens exercise the franchise, inright of conscience they ought to be ranged on thoside of Prohibition.The fallacy lies in the political postulate underlyingall political action. The inconsistancy and weaknessof the Prohibition position lies in this, that thebasis upon whioh they rest their political action is nottrue Political Philosophy. We do not quarrel with,but rather heartily approve, the principles of Prohibition.We dispute that which lies behind the existenceof the Party, That is, we stand on the basis ofPolitical dissent. Constitutional amendments of amoral and Christian nature, must be introducedaltogether outside political parties, not merely becauseit is beyond the province of a party to take upsuoh amendments within the limits of the constitution;but because in a question of citizenship a trueChristian cannot vote under an immoral constitution.The question is, does this not suggest a method ofreform, based on the principle that, independent ofall political parties. Christians should unite in dissentfrom all immoral issues, so as to unite that peoplewhich flrstformulated the constitution in convention,and by national vote, into a Eeform organization?To organize on such a basis, is to carry out the truephilosophy of what is good in the present constitutionof the United States, It is to appeal to this onlypower that bas any right or interest in the reform ofthe existing constitution on moral and Christian principles.To organize on such national lines as to indicatethat the joint vote of the people would be, that itdoes not accept of the constitution but dissents fromit, is the preparation for the second vote that introducesthe Christian and prohibitory amendments.Such a prinoiple is consistent and praiseworthy, andimplies no complicity with the evils at present existingand tolerated by the constitution.