"THE CHURCH AND THE WORKER"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 6

"THE CHURCH AND THE WORKER"

Sir—l obsorvo tlmt in his vary interesting nrticlc on the abovo subject, appearing in your issue of July 20, Archbishop Redwood speaks highly of the magnificent stand taken by Cardinal Manning iu relation to ljboiir problems. Will yon kindly permit me to supplement tho Archbishop's claim that the Chlurch is "now, as always, the refuge of the oppressed, and the protector of laltour," with tho views of I he eminent Cardinal referred to, as given by Purcell in his "Life of Manning"? On pago 71t, volume IT, Pureel 1 says: "Cardinal Manning bus left: on record, us evidence of the indifference or apathy of Catholics in iregard to social movements and philanthropic reforms, the fact that tho name of no Knglisli Catholic is to be found among the. records of thfe great social reformers of our times, beginning with the abolition of slavery in the West Indies by Wilberl'oree,- the great philanthropist. All tho great social and philanthropic reforms down to our own nay were tho work of Nonconformists or Anglicans. Hut, Cardinal Manning added, tho names of Ci-.tholies, on the other hand, are to be found as opponents l-> almost every social movement or reform of tlia day." This statement is borne out by the following extract from a scries of autobiographical notes, written in the summer of 1800 by Cardinal Manning:— "All tho great works of Oiaritv in England have had their beginning out of tho Church. For instance, the abolition of the 6lavc trade and of slavery, and tho persevering protest of tho Anti-Slav-

cry Society—not a Catholic, so far as I know, shared in this. The whole temperance movement—it was » Quaker that mado V. Mulhow a. total abstainer. Catholic Ireland and Catholic England havo until now done little for temperance. Tim Anglican and Dissenting ministers are far more numerously total abstainers than our priests. • The Act of Parliament to protect animals from cruelty was carried by a non-Catholic Irishman. The Anti-Vivisection Act also. Both wero derided, to my knowledge, among; Catholics. The Acts to protect children from cruelly were the work of Dissenters. On these three societies (hero is hardly n. Catholic name. On the last, mine was for a , loni,' time, the only one. So, again, in fhfl uprising against the horrible depravity that destroys young girls— multi-. liulos of ours— l was liter.illv denounced by Catholics—not one camo forward. It' it was ill done, why did nobody try to mcntl it? I might go on. There arc endless works for the protection of filiop assistants, over-worked railway and tram men, women and children ground down by sweaters, and driven to starvation; wage upon the streets. Not one of the works in their behalf was supported by us, hardly a Catholic namo is to be found in their 'reports." The foregoing are the words, Sir, not of a rabid I'.P.A. member, but of a great, dignitary of the Catholic Church.— 1 am ' CtC " PERCY J. COSSUM. Marion, .My 31. ; ''