St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-27
THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE.
Meeting of the Father Matthew Society
Addresses by Peter 0'Leary,
London, and Bishop Ireland.

London, and Bishop Ireland.
The hall of the Father Mathew society, at
he Cathedral, contained good sized audi
ence yesterday aftern DON to hear the temper
ance address of Mr.. Peter O'Leary, the dis
tinguished London orator.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
James Dillon, president of the society, and
prayer was offered by the Rev. Father Shan
ley. Among those present was the Rt. Rev.
Bishop Ireland and several prominent mem
bers OF the laity.
The speaker was introduced to the audi
ence by Thos. D. O'Brien in neat speech.
In commencing his address he. said the
Earl of Beacons1eld had described public
speaker as a man who required great force of
character and more than ordinary attain
ments; he should have personal magnetism,
an unlimited vocabulary and knowledge and
belief in his subject that should enforce
conviction on his bearers. The speaker eX-
pressed regret that he could not fill the bill,
but he would endeayor to give some Incl
dents from his experience. He then spoke
of his recent visit TO Graceyille and he gave
an interesting description Of this fourishing
colony. He had concluded that there was 10
influence outside of religion that had such
tendency to elevate the man socially, NOR
ally, intellectually and physically as temper
perance. He then narrated an episode that
had occurred in London, of man who had
been kicked out of a saloon after his money
was gone; he described his wretched home
and the poverty and restitution of his family
while drinking, and then contrasted it with
the happy domestic circle after he had re-
formed.
The speaker then spoke Of the benefits of
education which he described as the applica-
ton of mechanical principles; he illustrated
this part of the subject by comparing the
growth of knowledge to the growth of u
seed; once tine grain of seed was sown
it was sure to fructify and bear fruit.
No man could tell how large the grain of
seed was until the proper appliances of edu-
cation had been soyn; il remained with each
man whether be sowed the grain of seed in
the saloon or groggery, to bear discord, dis
sension and misery, or in the school house
and academy. Each man should eldeavor to
set before his children the good example.
1t remained with the father whether or not
the grain OF seed possessed by his boys and
girls bore good fruits it remained with them
whether they became good and hoGored citi-
zens or outlaws and ouscasts of society. The
modern brewer, he said, reminded him of
the historical heron; these men held out
| their hand to take the money from the
poor working man, from the father, and
blaekleg and Outcast alike, and too often
they sought to propitiate by erecting some
temple to the alteration of the Almighty.
The speaker did not believe in raising a
i fho Of nd
and poverty. In this connection
| ne related a number of anecdotes.
! He did not believe in the teetotler who
stayed away from the saloon in order to not
| set bad example and who took his nips in
! private at home.
He then described the motives that some
| times sctuated men not to drink, saying that
! he believed in the selfish motive; he
! did not drink because drink did not
| improve his intellectual capacity, because it
did not improve his mental force, because ii
did not build up his physical energies or in
crease the strength OF his muscles, and be-
cause it did not induce to his happiness or
! prosperity. Alcohol was poison; it was the
most volatile of all poisons. A description
was here given of the pernieious
effects of alcohol on the brain and nervous
system.
The speaker refuted the idea tnat the Irish
were n mcrcurial people; if they had been
they would not have fought their oppressors
and maintained tGeir principles with the per
sistency they had; he believed that il the
Irish people abstained from drink for ten
years English rule will would be at an end.
An eloquent description was here given of
the sufferings of Ireland and a just eulogy
was paid TO the illustrious men of the race
vino had left their impress both on thu pages
Of American. French and Irish history. The
motive power of money was then described;
it was hard to accomplish much unless a man
had some Of the root OF all evil in his pocket,
but If a man gave it to the saloon keeper and
the brewer the real power and benefit OF
money was gone and it became a terrible
power for evil.
After the speaker had concluded, vote of
thanks was extended him for the eloquent
and able address.
BISHOP IRELAND.
A brief address was then delivered by
Bishop Ireland. He congratulated those
present on the encouraging reports from the
OLD World: he believed with the great patriot
Alex Sullivan, now deceased, that temper
| ance solved the national question. This
was a great country; Ireland free and sober
was Ireland free, and in this country
ireland sober was Ireland prosperous.