The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-10-04
CATHOLIC TEMPERANCE uHIoHs.
THE FORTHCOMING CONVENTION AT CHICAGO.
Tho Principles, Growth, and Prominence of thu
Church Abstinence Societies.

| Church Abstinence Societies. -'
! New York worldl
The fourth annual National Convention
of the Catholic Total Abstinence Societies
throughout the country is to be held next
Wednesday, 9TH inst. at Chicago. It viii
be composed of delegates atlarge from each
State and diocese, and special delegates
from each parochial society. Forty States
and Territories are represented in this
catholic organization. 1t extends, also,
iar into Canada, having branches in Mon
treai, st. Johns, N. B.. ; Prince Edwards
Island, and elsewhere Archbishop Pur-
cell, of Cincinnati, is personally a member
OF one OF the union societies lately estab-
Natchez, Miss, has also enrolled his name
as q pledged member to encourage his peo-
| pie. A 1ourisbing branch union has iust
been founded in the archdiocese of San
Francisco, the credentials being signed BY
rchbisbop Allemapy, and Archbishop
director of q strong union in Louisiana.
Arch bishop McCloskey has sanctioned the
Metropolitan Union of this city, which
branches into Troy, Elmira, Ogdensburg,
and the other chief points Of this State.
Bishop Loughlin has diocesian union of
600 members in af1iiiation with the Grand
Union. The Pennsylvania Union, num-
! bers 100 societies of go 600 mem-
| bers. The State of Massachusetts has
| as many more, and in fact every State
in the country shows solid army engaged
in this Catholic crusade against the "drink-
ing habits of society,"" There are about
two hundred Thousand individual members
in societies, some not aggregated in the
union, but all pledged against strong drink.
Those belonging to the Father Mathew
are not allowed to partake of any kind of
| spirituous liquor. Added to the Father
Mathew platform is the religious obligation
| of each society to approach the sacraments
in body generally four times year.
The coming convention derives much
where manifested in the movement by the
Catholic hierarchy and clergy of the coun-
try. Among the distinguished prelates
from whom expressions of approval and
encouragement have been received during
the past few days by the Genera! Commit
tee of the Union are Archbishop Purcell,
of Cincinnati Archbishop Lynch, of Tor
onto; Bishops Dwenger, of Fort Wayne,
Gibbons, of Richmond, Becker, of Will
rningtop, Corrigan, of Newark, and many
Others high in the Catholic order. In
letter just received of the committee here,
sent by Archbishop Purcell, he announces
himself as practical teetotaler of at least
ten years experience, aud strongly sua-
talns the present movement. He adds:
If the Union could include in its ranks all
those who are victims of intenperance or in
danger of becoming so. it would be work
only second to the romulgation aud estab-
lishment of Christianity but while all this
cannot be hoped for, owing to human frailty,
from the thraldom of strong drink would be q
glory and triumph for the Union from month
to month or from year to year myself have
years have totally abstained frem drink,
though doing my work in the vineyard and il
causes me very little Inconvenience now.
The present strength of the Union is
nearly 500 societies, spread all over the
continent. The national officers of the
societies are composed OF the leading mem
bers of the Church.
The growth in membership has been very
remarkable during the past few years.
The following figures will show the con-
tiDued prosperity
From the first convention held at Baiti-
more, 1872, to the second convention held
at Ciev Gland in October of the same year,
there was gain of l9, 900 members. From
that to the third convention in New York,
in October, 1873, there was a gain of 20,-
600. From October 1873, to the forthcom-
ing convention, the pro rata gain will be
SC, 900 members. The following figures
will chow the increase by months since
January l. 1874:
January, societies with. aooo
s6rIAry' ls societies 2OS
April i3 societies with. 20eo
T ~ eocIeties VIII EzOO
une, lU societies with lS0O
August 20 societies with 5000
These figures show gain in seven
months of ninety-seven societies, with a.
600 members, making an average of more
than 1000 a month of new recruits added
to the army of Catholic teetotallers.
large number of distinguished clergy
men are already appointed as delegates
from the several Diocesan Unions. The
Chicago societies are making very elaborate
for the convention, State and
City committees being hard at work. It