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Show POPULAR CONFIDENCE IN "PRIESTS. The innate consciousness of the common people peo-ple in the integrity of the Catholic priesthood is something that bigotry fails to overcome. Persons of all creeds, and of no creed, recognize this quality qual-ity of the church. Instinctively they feel that in a priest's promise they can put confidence; that what he says to them is stamped with honesty. His presence allays disorder and prevents panic. So it is that when public order is threatened, it is the priest, rather than the police or military, to whom the authorities appeal. It was so at one time in Butte during the A. P. A. riots. Good Father De Siere appeared amid the mob and his kindly admonitions ad-monitions did more to disperse it than anything else, for the fire hose, previously turned on it, had no appreciable effect. We find another example of the people's confidence con-fidence in our priesthood presented during the late financial panic. It happened at St. Louis. Three of the savings banks were besieged be-sieged by depositors. They were solvent banks, but the depositors heard something and acted upon that something. It is easier to put out a fire started by dynamite explosion than it is to stop a "run" on a bank. None of the heavy financiers of St. Louis could do it. The people had lost all confidence in financiers, and this was one reason why they would rather have their dollars in hand than take chances on the bank;' this was the chief reason of the panicky run on the savings institutions. So, instead of sending for a Rockefeller or a Morgan or a Schwab to come to their rescue, the bank directors sent for Archbishop Arch-bishop Glonnon. Ho came and spoke to the depositors. Every word he uttered was as good as a huhdred cents in a dollar to the people who listened. They turned away without drawing their accounts, and those, who. already had withdrawn their savings" turned them back again into the bank. The banks were saved; and another lesson is given the American people of the conservative, con-servative, saving power of the Catholic church in all things pertaining to government and society. a . |