OCR Text |
Show "TOLLE! LEGE!" (An Open Letter.) k To Mr: S. A. B s, Editor, etc. Dear Sir: . Wc desire to acknowledge due receipt of your communication ostentatiously dignified, in the form of a title, by the words of the great St. Au-guslin, Au-guslin, which is also made to serve the convenience conveni-ence of a caption for our dutiful reply. At the outset, we desire to assure you of our willingness though -we find it a -trifle difficult to take you as seriously as you seem to take yourself. 4 ivrg-;" As your communication is in 1 he form of print, we will adopt the same convenient form for the rejoinder you so frankly bespeak. You say: "I have put these points before you simply and clearly, and. I ask you. do you agree with -the views here expressed Have I stated aught of which you can not entirely approve; If I am wrong ip any way. I shall thank you if you will point out wherein I have erred. Do not hesitate hesi-tate to write me; be frank with me, as I have been frauk with you." Once more, "ergo": You are wrong, fatally- wrong, both in manner and in substance; wrong, ridiculously wrong, in general and in particular, as well. First and foremost, you were stupidly,4)rutally (considering- its probable effect upon your own devoted de-voted head) wrong in perpetrating the noisome, i.udloJorous thing at all. That it embodies several self-evident and pertinent truths, is hardly a mitigating miti-gating feature, since these were patent to all -who cared to know, and have repeatedly found utterance utter-ance under less obnoxious circumstances. Secondly, you are egivgiously in error in gravely grave-ly presuming to suggest, by obvious implication, that your preposterously pretentious though not altogether demeritorious journal be given the "right of way" over all other Catholic publications. .Not to. take into consideration the possible and impossible whims of the interested publishers, such a course would imply a grievous yea, a very grevious wrong to the Catholic readers of the land. ' (You see, friend B., how heroically determined deter-mined we are to take you seriously in very sooth.) So much for the general aspects of the case presented by your rein.vJL.ablc communication. As to the particular blunders and transgressions transgres-sions embodied therein upon these wc must touch lightly lost we trespass unwarrantably upon the good will of our readers. Speaking of Catholic weeklies, you remark, in oracular diction: "It is doubtful whether they" the subscribers. "read them. Why; Because they are not interested in them." Now, dear sir, if you really care to inform yourself juu the subject which you rashly essay to so gijbly discuss, we would be plea.-ed to afford you an opportunity for so doing in the manner indicated in-dicated by the following proposition: If you will make. known by a personal application-in writing, of course to us, that, you arc desirous of communicating commu-nicating with any reasonable number of the subscribers sub-scribers to this paper with a view to ascertaining just how interesting and entertaining they find same, and will agree to publish their replies in your journal for the enlightenment of the public, we will promptly furnish you with the names and addresses of the number desired, in the order in which they appear upon our books. If at least four out of every five of such subscribers do not express a cordial, cor-dial, appreciation of their paper, we will confess our error, and will publicly announce the fact that you are possessed of vastly greater acumen of intellect in-tellect than we are now disposed to accord you in our minds. So much for the essence of your fatuous fatu-ous contention. And now let us, for a moment, consider your method of arriving at (to yourself) a conclusive deduction. Commenting upon your observation: "It is doubtful whether they read them.". you proceed pro-ceed as follows: "This is a deplorable state of affairs, af-fairs, but it illustrates my contention, namely, thai, Catholics do not read Catholic papers." Xot one iota f.f basis for the dogmatic dictum thus portly enunciated save your own problematical and tentative ten-tative premises; and it is this sort of slovenly argument ar-gument that you have the presumption to ask us to endorse, either by positive declaration or indifferent indiffer-ent silence! Verily, friend B., this is just a trifle too ludicrous not to excite one's risibilities. On a par with the immediately preceding is your statement: " since we have established estab-lished that they" the Catholics "read just as much as rion-Catholics:" with naught upon which to base your assertion save your unsupported conjectures! Pray carefully observe, Mr. B., that we do not question the fact which, by the way, 'we honestly, doubt that any intelligent and fair-minded person per-son would be disposed to challenge but we do protest pro-test against the circulation of such grossly defective defect-ive reasoning for Catholic apologetics. Fortunate, indeed, is it that the editors of the contemned Catholic weeklies are far Jess obtuse to the demands de-mands of modern thought. Otherwise the cause of Catholicity, in so far as it is dependent upon reasonable rea-sonable demonstration, mus't be in a deplorable plight, in very truth. This should suffice to afford you ample matter for conscientious reflection as to the folly of publishing pub-lishing broadcast groundless assumptions iu the guise of demonstrated fact. There is, however, just one more point of grave import in your communication, to which we would f direct your attention and earnestly urge you to be warned lest your false assumptions lead you into grievous error. You quote, as au example of the pernicious literature which you would fondly supplant sup-plant in the Catholic home, the utterances of a notorious no-torious intellectual quack and religious infidel. Now, fond sir, you are sadly in error in this particular par-ticular instance. The writer quoted is a man of a unique and pronounced individuality a strikingly original character. When we add that he is also a man of extraordinary intellectuality and literary ability, we have described a personality that possesses pos-sesses a peculiar fascination for all inquiring minds. Compared to the mental stimulus afforded by his writings (which by the way carry with them the impress of his interesting personality) naught that you have thus for produced in your journal or are likely to produce, can for a moment be com-sidered com-sidered ah acceptable substitute. Tis, assuredly unfortunate that this is so, but the wise man willt accept the facts of human nature as he finds them and deal with' them accordingly.' For Catholics who deliberately harbor in their bosoms so deadly a viper, quite a different antidote than that which you propose must be applied, if they are to be saved. As well offer the inveterate opium fiend or drunkard drunk-ard a harmless dose of physic. If there is any cure at all for such unfortunate victims" of moral depravity de-pravity or. recklessness, the remedy, to be efficacious, must be a drastic one. Ve regret, perhaps, that our time and space will not admit of entering into this problem more exhaustively in this connection, but a hint to the wise should be sufficient. And now, dear sir.let us assure you that, whilst j much that we have written may seem unduly se- j vere and a trifle ill-natured, it is all meant in a most kindly spirit. Our justification for the method employed is the fond hope that it 'may prove all the more efficacious for our purpose, which is to open your eyes to the folly of precipitantly rushing into print in the role of egotistical mentor of the Xcstors of Catholic journalism and urging upon them a novel and a dubious not to say a most chimerical expedient. The writer docs not, of course, class himself among these, but he flatters himself that even he is competent to proffer you some fatherly and wholesome counsel, basing his presumption on the strikingly juvenile tenor of your communication. Above all, then, would we counsel you to devote your unmistakable talents to a field in which you hove really achieved a brilliant and commendable success, namely, the business c,nd of your valuable journal. If you should be so fortunate as to secure, se-cure, from among the more able'editors of the Catholic weeklies, one who would undertake to supply sup-ply your readers with really sound and meritorious literature, you might confer upon .-your f0f.),0)0 readers a really valuable and lasting benefit. We are convinced that your readers are entitled to the undivided services of the best editorial ability you '.-.re able to command. The time might then come when we should deem it safe and expedient to urge upon our readers the exclusive merits of your publication. pub-lication. In the meantime we supect merely suspect, sus-pect, mind you that the best interests of the Catholic home may be more positively served by the regular advent of its local Catholic weekly and such purely secular journal or journals that would be esteemed for just what they profess to be, and nothing more nor less. And now, with all due apology to our readers in tfenerrj, permit us to subscribe ourselves, as we feel in duty bound and by nature inclined sver your sincere well wisher Even one of the obscure and insignificant Catholic weeklies. P. S. If you are determined to write aught for publication, why not confine yourself to topics that do not demand exact and logical demonstration, a process fraught with no little arduous application on the part, even, of the -trained intellect; In dissertations of a superficial or of an essentially dubious or vague tenor your admirable and scintillating scin-tillating style must if we are at all competent to judge prove very acceptable and entertaining to your more or less fortunate readers. Assuredly, Mr. Baldus, a publication which, avowedly purports to typify, in an eminent degree, the standard of excellence in Catholic literature thought and diction should not .bo jusny rcpre- j hensible on the score of marked inferiority, in respect re-spect to the one; nor, as' relates to the other, of a flagrant disregard of the accepted rules of logic. Hence our earnest solicitude in urging you to spare no effort nor expense in elevating the standard of your journal even to the highest point attainable. This is justly demanded in the sacred interest of the Faith, as well as by a proper regard for the natural and reasonable sensibilities of your co-re-hgionists although your publication is of but a quasi-religious character. |