“PATH OF DECADENCE.”

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3346, 26 November 1919, Page 5

“PATH OF DECADENCE.”

MORALS OF AUSTRALIANS. DENUNCIATION BY PRIEST. H SYDNEY, bv. 13. A‘gloomy"view of social conditions in Australia was taken on Sunday by Monisignor O’Reilly, who, in a public address at Goulburn, reminded his audience that forty years ago Archbishop Vaughan warned ‘Australians that if religion were excluded from the State schools the result Would be a crop of infidelity and immorality. He had said that if they wanteddzo keep Christianity alive amongst themselves, to keep a sense of maidenly delicacy and modesty among their girls and ' Womenfolk, they should cherish the principle of Catholic education. Archbishop Baughan, he Went on, was a true prophet. The divorce courts were a. proof of it. A thousand cases were listed for hearing the other day in New South Wales. Was there 6 any~man who pretended to be a good Australianiwho was satisfied with the present condition of morality in this States, as revealed in the divorce courts. ’ “We are rapidly becoming a disgrace to civilisation,” he proceeded. “Look at the decline in the birthrate and the flystmatic iniquities at the back of that blot on civilisation. The time is rapidly Coming when that will happen to "5 Which happened to France, 21 country which cast off the Church.” Our 9 birthrate would be lower than our deathrate, and the nation would be on the Path of decadence, which. unless it retraced its steps loads to national extinction. ' The dressing of the women was be°°ming ".I°_l‘e and more an intolerable. ‘ 393-U531-Minty’ Women were anxious to take off as man? clothes as the police wouldallow. The women who Zwent to balls and theatres and moved; in so-called modern society wen; ap. pearing in such a condition that any man with a spark of modesty coud not yisit them without feeling ash-Imea_ Be/couldenot help thinking. that some I 9f_3thei>men who .came back blinded irftomp the -fgront had compensations.