The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-16 00:00:00

CATHOLIC TEMPERANCE
DEMONSTRATION.

In London, on Monday, in celebration of the anni-
versary of Father Mathew's birthday a temperance
demonstration of the Roman Catholic League of the
Cross was held at Exeter Hall, under the presidency
of Cardinal Manning, who was supported amongst
others, by the Rev. Lord A. Douglass, Right Rev.
Monsignor Weld, Canon Bamber, Canon Johnson,
D.D., the Bishop of Amycla.
Cardinal Manning, who, on rising, was received
with loud cheers, said that the League had twenty-
four branches, which ere very vigorous and very
prosperous. During the year 1,200 meetings and
two public demonstrations had been held. The
number of persons who had taken the pledge
for the first time was greater than in any
previous year. Speaking- to fathers and mothers,
his Eminence said it was not the practice
of the League to allow any child to take the
plecl4e without the consent of their parents, whom he
now urged to give their consent. Some people said it
.was not well to let children take the pledge. It was
too soon and too early; they did not understand what
they were doing. But was it more difficult to make
a child understand the necessity of not drinking
'.alcohol than it was to make him understand the vows
of its baptisnr? Children were able to understand the
baneful effects of intoxication. He had heard people
say that children would not keep the pledge when they
grew up. In his opinion they were more likely to
keep iE than grown-up people, for the children had
never tasted and had never been tempted. (Cheers.)

At the conclusion of the Cardinal's address, the
Rev. Father Pa,dbury moved the first resolution,
which was to the effects-that upon this, the 90th anni-
versary of the birth of Father Mathew, they com-
memorated with joy and thankfulness the glorious
work to which the great apostle of temperance gave
his labours and his life, and seeing how much the con-
tinuance of this work was needed, in this and other
countries, each one was determined to promote it to
the best of his power.—Father Nurnane seconded the
motion, which was carried unanimously.
The Rev. Father Ryder moved the following reso-
lution :—" That by reason of the many public and
private inducements to intemperance, no merely
general resolution for the promotion 3f temperance and
total abstinence will suffice, and, therefore, in every
possible way—by obtaining through legislative
action, by the social and domestic influence of
personal example, and especially by the careful
instruction and training of the young in the prin-
ciples and practice of total abstinence—we must endea-
vour, and we will endeavour, to destroy the intemper-
ance whic'l impoN erishes and vitiates our country, lays
waste the homes, and is daily ruining for this world
and the next thousands upon thousands of our people."
—Mr. A. M. Sullivan, M.P., in seconding the resolu-
tion, remarked that the present Government was
pledged to carry out temperance reforms; and he ex-
pressed his opinion that the duty of every Parliament
was to assist the moral efforts of the people. (Cheers.)
He Wearied of hearing men say as an excuse for con-
serving evil and the cause of crime that men could
not be made sober by Act of Parliament. Men could
be made sober by having the cause for temptation re-
moved from them.

A large number of persons took the pledge before
the meeting separated.