THE CATHOLrC HOUR

A GENTLEMAN OF THE
COMMUNITY

BY

DR. GEORGE F. DONOVAN
President of Webster College

ftUG 281946

The ninth in a series of addresses by prominent Catholic laymen

entitled ‘^THE ROAD AHEAD,” delivered in the Catholic Hour, broad-
cast by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with the
National Council of Catholic Men, on August 4, 1946, by Dr. George F.
Donovan, President of Webster College, Webster Groves, Missouri.,

After the series has been concluded on the radio, it will be made
available in one pamphlet.

National Council of Catholic Men

Washington, D. C.



A CENTELMAN OF THE COMMUNITY

At the outset of this talk, one

is proud and happy to give pub-

lic and sincere thanks for the

honor of participating in the

Catholic Hour, a radio program

that is a significant and out-

standing network contribution to

the religious and intellectual

thinking of our country!

Today, the position of man,

the single member of society, has

been challenged as never before.

He is often regarded as a non-

entity on the local scene, espe-

cially in our cities, which,

through the industrial civiliza-

tion, have more or less swallow-

ed up the individual man. Even

our national life bears witness to

m economy that tends to the sup-
pression of the average Amer-

ican and to the removal of his

personal identity, particularly

in the practice of rights and

privileges which are and should

be common to all our fellow-citi-

zens and this deprivation has

often been carried out through

policies of segregation and dis-

crimination.

On the world fronts, the past

great World War II has led to

the death of millions of men and

women and to the suffering of

countless others. North Africa,

Normandy, Okinawa, the Philip-

pines, and other and similar sites

bring to mind the great sacri-

fice in numan life. We have

seen the rise of false gods under

the forced decrees of Nazism,

Fascism, and Communism.

Even here at home, indiffer-

ence to a belief in a Supreme Be-

ing has and does hold sway. Man

doubts and denies God. This eval-

uation of man and his relation-

ship indicates without argument

that his dignity has been shat-

tered and the pieces of that

broken humanity have been

thrown down to the ground and

smothered in the gravel and dust

of contemporary forgetfulness

and selfishness.

That picture, desolate and dis-

consolate, does not present the

whole truth. It is not the final

word. In its place there is, and

has been, and will be, a hope for

man in his efforts to improve

himself, to aid his fellow-man to

attain happiness, and to estab-

lish order and peace in the world.

In this series of four discourses,

I propose to answer, in a posi-

tive and constructive way, the

challenge hurled at man, espe-

cially against his dignity. One

may look toward this dignity and

see an inspiring, respectful and

hopeful future.

Man possesses certain qualities

which give him a dignity enjoyed

by no other earthly creature. He

possesses an intellect whereby he



can come to a knowledge and un-

derstanding of life itself, and a

will with which he may choose

between what is right and what

is wrong. He possesses a soul

which is made to the image and

likeness of God, and which is

destined to live for all eternity.

A man so endowed possesses

dignity. And now let us go ahead

and examine this human pattern.

That dignity of man has of-

fered freedom to the slave-man,

has brought destruction to the

dictator and has given hope to

the segregated and under-priv-

ileged member of our democracy.

There are four steps in this

process by which it is hoped that

the principles of justice and

peace among our fellowmen and

among nations may be finally es-

tablished. The individual man

on the local scene, the human

being as an American citizen in

the national field, man as a world

citizen, and man as a citizen of

God's kingdom, represent the

four main areas of this discus-

sion. There are four relation-

ships, man and his neighbor, man

and his country, man and the

world, and man and his Creator.

In this talk, I plan to discuss

the first of these subjects, ‘‘Man,

as a Gentleman of the Commun-

ity."

History recalls with tradi-

tional respect the democracy of

the Greek city-state, the justice

of the local medieval guilds, the

republican practices of the Swiss

cantons, and the direct and im-

mediate action of the New Eng-

land town meeting. Through

these political channels the indi-

vidual citizen of such a com-

munity had the right to raise

his voice for or against local

measures and proposals. In that

atmosphere freedom of speech,

of petition, of assembly, freedom

from want and fear existed en-

tirely in some instances and in

a partial degree in others. Free-

dom of religion, the right to or-

ganize politically and economical-

ly, the right to conduct a busi-

ness, to own property, to educate

one's children according to the

conscience of the parent—these
freedoms came later and, in the

history of the United States,

they have become an essential

part of local village and town de-

velopment.

Yet, along the way terrible

mistakes were made. Disgrace-

ful public health nuisances, es-

pecially in growing factory and

mill communities, unsatisfactory

working conditions, inadequate

housing, excessive tenantry, an^

many other problems were pres-

ent to plague and retard the

growth of the community. Sel-

fish individuals and a soulless

system stified the solution of

many of these community evils.

How, much of this backward



situation has been changed. Com-

munity planning, the vision of

understanding leaders, the grow-

ing appreciation of the right of

the individual to follow his con-

science, the growth of collect-

ive bargaining between workers

and employers—all these develop-
ments are fundamental. They

are inherent in the natural and

constitutional rights of Ameri-

cans everywhere from a village

on the coast to a mining town in

the interior. These rights are

recognized as desirable, essential,

and just for the happiness of the

individual and of the commun-

ity.

Such a progressive and helpful

change exerts considerable and

favorable influences toward a

fuller recognition of the dignity

of man. When the American

citizen walks down a street of his

town to the ball game on a Sun-

day afternoon, to the motion pic-

ture theatre on a Friday eve-

ning, or to Church on Sunday

morning, it is because of these

practical principles that he is

able and proud to hold his head

erect when he realizes that he

possesses those factors which

make him a true and a complete

American citizen. A guaranteed

annual wage, based on fifty-two

weeks a year; the ownership of

one's own home
;
security against

long unemployment and old age;

proper clothing and nourishing

food for the family; the right

to provide equal educational op-

portunities for the children—all
these help to make a man a

gentleman of dignity in his own

community.

Despite these improved and

recognized conditions, there are

still remaining many things to

be done in the local area, espe-

cially, if the spirit of democracy

and the right understanding of

the spirit of justice are to be *

preserved. Voting, holding public

office, access to educational facil-

ities, frequent conferences be-

tween employer and employee,

and other procedures are impor-

tant and essential. But for the

healthy growth of American life,

we must have cooperation among

the principal groups on the local

level, especially in the economic

field, if man is to have his rights,

and thus live in accordance with

his true dignity.

Our rapidly developing indus-

trial economy suggests the for-

mation in a community, where

possible, of a local economic

council composed of representa-

tives from four principal units:

labor, management, the consum-

er, and the local government.

Such a local economic council,

composed of representatives of

the four groups, would meet to

discuss such matters as prices of

consumer goods in the commun-

ity; wages; working conditions



and hours; taxes on manufactur-

ing company property; the qual-

ity and the service of the in-

dustry. Such an organization,

formulated on a cooperative basis

and similar to metropolitan

groups of the present day in

medical and hospital services,

would be a safeguard against po-

litical or economic domination

by one or more groups. It would

be active and constructive par-

ticipation in the responsibilities

which affect all local citizens.

The operaton of such a council

would reflect these characteris-

tics :

First: It would be democratic

because all four principal groups,

the employer, the employee, the

public, and government are rep-

resented and have something to

say.

Second: The interest is very

complete because the whole com-

munity is included, not just capi-

tal alone, or labor, or any other

group but all four are partici-

pating. It would be limited to

the local area, just the com-

munity itself. Outside factors

and problems could best be de-

termined by economic councils

organized on state, regional, and

national bases according to the

scope of economic life.

The council would be a prac-

tical demonstration of neighbor-

ly cooperation, all interests work-

ing together for a common ob-

jective—the good of the local
area. The council would stress a

greater and more equitable dis-

tribution of wealth among all

occupational groups. The gov-

ernmental participation would be

at a minimum, and then merely

for the purpose of coordinating

the procedure and technique of

cooperation.

This economic council is an

example of local citizens working

together for the love of their

fellowman. With this ideal in

mind it is not difficult to visual-

ize greater aims including the

giving of greater glory and hap-

piness to the community, the na-

tion, and even to God Himself.

Such a cooperative program

might easily be extended to oth-

er fields such as medicine, den-

tistry, nursing, mining, transpor-

tation, retail establishments, and

other manufacturing industries.

It would give added life and

prestige to the dignity of man.

Man as an individual in the

sight of his fellowman would not

be regarded as a one-sided figure

or be totally disregarded but

would be looked upon as a re-

sponsible individual with rights

as well as obligations.

Some years ago, as a boy, I re-

call attending a celebration in

connection with the one hundred

and fiftieth anniversary of the

Battle of Lexington in Massa-

chusetts. One of the speakers



very proudly declared on that

memorable occasion that he

would never want to go down in

history as a Massachusettsan, or

as a Virginian, or as a native

of any commonwealth of the

« Union, but as an American.

Translating this thought to the

community and to the dignity of

man, one might say, in compar-

able fashion, ‘T do not want to

be regarded just as an employer.

just as an employee, or just as a

member of a local government,

or as a consumer, but I want to

be looked upon in the pages of

history and by my fellow-citizens

as a protector and defender of

human rights, and as a gentle-

man of the community.’’

The dignity of man then would

make our community relations

what they ought to be—and may
that day come with God’s help.



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THE CATHOLIC HOUR
1930—Seventeenth Year—1946

The nationwide Catholic Hour was inaugurated on

March 2, 1930, by the National Council of Catholic Men

in cooperation with the National Broadcasting Company

and its associated stations. Radio facilities are provided

by NBC and the stations associated with it; the pro-
gram is arranged and produced by NCCM.

The Catholic Hour was begun on a network of 22

stations, and now carries its message of Catholic truth

on each Sunday of the year through a number of sta-

tions varying from 90 to 110, situated in 40 states, the

District of Columbia, and Hawaii. Consisting usually

of an address, mainly expository, by one or another of

America's leading Catholic preachers—^though some-
times of talks by laymen, sometimes of dramatizations

—and of sacred music provided by a volunteer choir,
the Catholic Hour has distinguished itself as one of the

most popular and extensive religious broadcasts in the

world. An average of 100,000 audience letters a year,
about twenty per cent of which come from listeners of

other faiths, gives some indication of its popularity and

influence.

Our Sunday Visitor Press

Huntington, Indiana