SCIENCE IN BONDAGE" 95 



good reason can be given for the request. I can 

 understand the kind of person who says : " Ex- 

 actly, locking up the truth ; why not let every- 

 body read just what they like ? ' : To which I 

 would reply that every careful parent has an 

 Index Prohibitorius for his household ; or ought 

 to have one if he has not. I once knew a woman 

 who allowed her daughter to plunge into Nana 

 and other works of that character as soon as she 

 could summon up enough knowledge of French 

 to fathom their meaning. The daughter grew 

 up and the result has not been encouraging to 

 educationists thinking of proceeding on similar 

 lines. The State also has its Index Prohibitorius 

 and will not permit indecent books nor indecent 

 pictures to be sold. Enough : let us again clear 

 our minds of cant. There is a limit with regard 

 to publications in every decent State and every 

 decent house : it is only a question where the line 

 is drawn. It is obvious that the Church must 

 be permitted at least as much privilege in this 

 matter as is claimed by every respectable father 

 of a family. 



We need not pursue the question of the Index any 

 further, but before we leave it let us for a moment 

 turn to another accusation levelled against Catholic 

 men of science by anti-Catholic writers, that of 

 concealing their real opinions on scientific matters, 

 and even of professing views which they do not 

 really hold, out of a craven fear of ecclesiastical 

 denunciations. The attitude which permits of 

 such an accusation is hardly courteous, but, 

 stripped of its verbiage, that is the accusation as 



