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The Commoner.
VOLtJME 8, NUMBER 4
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Echoes From the Late Unpleasantnes
THE ACTIVITY OF SOIIARF
Editorial In the Catholic Sun, Syracuse,
New York;
There are some things that can not be dis
cussed with propriety before a general election.
The proprietors of this journal, the general
manager of this journal and the present edi
torial writer all sincerely believe that a Catho
lic paper should never engage in partisan poll
tics. Every man, woman and child familiar with
the course of this weekly knows absolutely that
it has never done so under the present manage
ment, and a knowledge of this fact certainly
must have Influence in leading its readers to
believe that It never will. Owing solely to the
fact that party politicians have a way of seiz
ing every little straw and turning it to the ad
vantage of some candidate or party we have
kept silent several weeks about a' matter which
certainly deserves the attention of the Catho
lic press, now that the election is over, and its
protest can not be mistaken for partlsanism.
This matter Is the pernicious activity of
E. li. Scharf, who calls himself the manager of
an alleged Catholic news agency at Washing
ton. Our readers are familiar with 'the name
of this man for this journal ha3 used some "of
hf matter from time to time. It would have
used xnoro of it were it not for the fact that
Scharf raw proper to make Ills syndicate a sort
of official mouthpiece of the republican party-ran
Instrument for boomfng that party, if ".we
may speak plainly. That settled him wlthus,,
Because we wished to hold this Catholic weekly
to Its main purpose and eschew politics we cut
Scharf's communications out, tossing them into
the waste basket. We have reason to believe
that many other Catholic weeklies in the coun
try did In like manner.
Nothing daunted, however, Scharf became
singularly active during the recent campaign.
Ho sent circulars over the country in the interest
of the republican party, wilfully and malicious
ly misrepresenting Bryan in-these communica
tions. We charge this firmly, being cognizant
that he had already been made aware, nearly
a year ago, that his statements were baseless.
Ho was aware of this from indisputable evidence
kindly laid before him by James K. McGuire
of Syracuse. His charge in a "private and con
fidential" letter sent to Catholic editors, was'
that when Mr.' Bryan was in congress he was
opposed to the Catholic Indian contract schools,
and voted for an amendment "to inquire Into
and investigate the propriety of discontinuing"
them. It was shown to him very plainly that
known friends of the Catholic church voted for
that very amendment and afterward did investi
gate -the said schools and defend them. It is
simple matter of history that the schools were
destroyed by the votes of republican senators.
Scharf was made very cognizant of this, yet
during the recent campaign, pretending to act
for the Catholic church, he circularized priests
and bishops of the church, reciting that vote
of the democratic candidate, although he posi
tively knew that it was one in which such
staunch friends of the church as the late Sen
ator Vest and D. B. Hill and numerous others
had concurred.
Now what we object to is this: Such po
litical blatherskites as Scharf are doing the
church a gross wrong when they attempt to
draw her into partisan politics one way or an
other, and they should be made aware of the
fact irrespective of how their feelings may be
hurt. Scharf is not representing the bishops
and archbishops of this country; he is covert
ly seeking to gain power and cash for Scharf,
drawing the same from the party in office. Ho
represents nobody except Scharf and is never
likely to do so. His whole record proves this.
Some years ago he began tinkering with the
United States senate, claiming7 to represent the
Catholic church. His blundering got the church
criticised and then and there ho was disavowed
bjr Cardinal Gibbons. His circulars bore for
awhile (as maybe they do yet) "the statement
that he was "late of the Catholic university."
The university disavowed him, showing that he
was never a member of its faculty, despite his
Ph.D. In the late campaign ho evidently set
himself to selling the church to the republican
party. The, church in this country is not in
the possession1 of Scharf. Moreover, his claim
that his syndicate service is taken by more than
100 Catholic newspapers is a fraud. When he
first began Jt was moderately popular. It cer
tainly Is not now. Scharf's own absurd and
uncalled-for political activity has killed his
golden-egged, goose.
But if this were all even it might be tol
erated, and Heaven know3 it Is bad enough to
put the church before the American people with
Scharf as its secret business agent. There is
a menace in allowing such fellows to pose as
custodians of the church's policy and represent
atives of her Interests. It is this: The socialist
journals of this country have been claiming for
weeks that the Catholic hierarchy of America
some time ago traded off the American Catholic
vote to Mr. Taft In order to compensate him
for his good work done in the Philippines. The
Infernal activity of this man who, on numerous
occasions, has pretended to represent the
church, actually makes capital for the socialists.
Henceforth the Appeal to Reason will be citing
Scharf's activity in proof that Its statements
were true. They are not true, but Scharf's
claims will make them appear so. For this rea
son above all others it is time for the Catholic
press and the bishops of the church to put
Scharf where he belongs. The church is not in
politics. Scharf is. and he means to make it
pay. Such men deserve severe condemnation
and, for one, we hope Scharf will receive it.
Let ushear no more of him for ar couple of
decades.
AS A REPUBLICAN PAPER SEES IT
The following editorial is taken from the
Boston: Herald, a republican paper:
(From the Boston Herald, November 4.)
Another thing is clearv even at this hour.
The attempt to force sectarian Issues into a
presidential campaign has been literally over
whelmed. Mr. Taft was bitterly attacked for
his Unitarianlsm, and attacked by organizations
within the Protestant body. The folly of this
procedure was unspeakable, and It is significant
that the adherents of a Christian church which
is the antithesis of the one to which Mr. Taft
belongs are among the most hearty supporters
of the republican victor. For any one can see
that Mr. Taft's handling of the church question
in the Philippines has won for him a great body
of Roman Catholic support. How futile then
for those overzealous persons, chiefly of the
middle west, to have railed against him as an
un-Christian man! We take the unusual vote
of Boston to mean that the Catholics here were
warm in his support. Three hundred more
votes would have given him the city, notwith
standing the fact that Mr. Vahey obtained here
a plurality of between eleven and twelve thou
sand! The unusual vote of the city of New
York must have a similar meaning, and other
great centres of population Indicate similar
cause and effect. If the facts are as we suspect
them to be, they must find general recognition.
"THE BANKERS VICTORY"
Following is an extract from an editorial in
the American Banker:
"We can feel, therefore, that the bankers
have won a victory in this campaign. The mil
lions whom Mr. Bryan desired to save evident
ly do not see any need for salvation in that par
ticular direction. They have demonstrated very
forcibly their disapproval of that most danger
ous thing, making of our banking problems po
litical issues. We may feel that for some time
to come, this question will not arise again in
the very shallow and dangerous form which has
beset us recently.
"There are other things which appeal very
strongly after the counting of the votes. The
laboring men voted, not as a body, but indl-
?" ," T not ,n th( Pwer oi Mr. Gomp
ers tb swing the working classes according to
his will or his prejudices, and he probably real
izes nbw how much real force and power ihe
jority of the working metf very evident? did
not dare to profit by an injustice and the in
junction question was Ignored pointedly It
would not be at all a bad idea for the labor agi
tators and the outspoken friends of the 'work-
Ing man to find out from the great mass of our
sensible, sound and straightforward workers
what benefits they really require before t'aey
start to passing laws and demanding legislation
for them."
MR. BRYAN AT THE UNION SCHOOL
BANQUET
(Address of the Hon. William Jenning3
Bryan. at the Union school banquet of the Ne
braska State Teachers' Association, city audi
torium, Lincoln, Wednesday, November 4, 1908.
Over 1,000 teachers participated in the banquet
and about 1,500 teachers were in the galltrfca
for the after dinner speeches. Mr. Bryan was
given a signal ovation by every person in the
auditorium rising and giving him the Chautauqua
salute.)
Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen: I
am glad to participate in this meeting even
though my stay with you must be brief. I appre
ciate the invitation that brings me here and
the companionship which I have here with the
officers of your association, with Chancellor And
rews of our state university, with Governor
Sheldon, and with other invited guests. Pro
fessor McBrien says that he is Introducing me
to the most magnificent audience I have ever
addressed anywhere in the world. In introduc
ing in those words he has precluded me from
entering into a joint debate with him. I will
not dispute, even after election, that this is a
splendid audience. In fact, I am very proud
of Nebraska's system "of education and of the
Nebraska teachers. I really feel more at home
among teachers than you might suppose. While
I have had no actual experience as a school
teacher, I have from my youth had in anticipa
tion a closer association with educational work
than I have yet been able to enjoy. It is still
a part of my life plan to come into more inti
mate contact with students and thus have a
larger share in the direction of student life.
I appreciate the work of the teacher, for
the teacher shares with the parent the responsi
bility of developing character and planting the
ideals which control life. More and more does
the value of the Ideal grow upon me. Give a man
bread and he will hunger again, give him clothes
and his clothes will wear out, but give him
an ideal and thatideal will be with him through
every waking hour, lifting him to a higher plane
in life and giving him a broader conception of
his relation to his fellows. To get the child
to take a firm hold of a well-rounded conception
of life is the greatest work of those who deal
with the young. So many lives are aimless,
purposeless and without plan. A preacher once
presented this thought in a sermon built upon
the text, "What then?" Taking a child in school
he asked the question. The child answers by
describing the plans which he has for school;
and what then? The college follows; and what
then? The preparation for some particular
work; and what then? The development of that
work until it has been tried out and its results
garnered in; and what then? The latter years
when one enjoys the fruits of his toil and waits
for the lengthening shadows; and what then.
Thus did the minister pursue his questioning
until he had completed the outline of a life and
the preparation for eternity. And one can not
follow this course of reasoning without conclud
ing that no ideal is high enough for a noble
life that is not high enough to be seen from
both sides of the river that separates, time from
eternity.
It will be a part of your work to cultivate
individual ideals, and the thought that you must
constantly Impress upon the child Is that ne
must measure life, not by what he gets out or
the world but by what he puts into it. I
ceived a letter some time ago from a' little
boy in a western state. He said that he ex
pected to be president some day and that his
brother was going to be a justice of the supreme
court. I try to, answer children's letters, even
when I have not time to answer the letters oi
grown people. For the older people know tnac
I am busy and might excuse me for not answer
ing, while thd children would never think ot
that. I told this little boy that I hoped he mIgnB
realize his ambition and that bis brother mlgntj
also, but that before either ,ol them was om
enough to hold any high office they would coin
learn that. it was more important that tnej
should do something for others than that otner
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