St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-16
CATHOLIC SOCIETIES.
Remarks by Hon. ]. w. Willis, Bishop
Ireland and Others.


The second Of the series Of the winter
meetings Of the Catholic Temperance sccie-
ties OF ST. Paul was held at Pfeifer hall last
evening, a large audience being present,
the exercises being of marked and unusual
interest," and promising new life for total
abstinence in This city for the future.
The enjoyable and interesting programme
was opened by aduet on the piano by two
young Misses, the daughters Of Patrick
Flynn. John W. Willis, Esq, was intro
duced, and after remarks for the course,
which reflected great credit to his head and
heart, closed with the prediction that the
total abstinence reform, in the near future,
would become the ruling power or force in
our land.
This was followed by a we'll received song
BY Mr.. Mickey, after which Bishop Ireland,
just returned from the plenary council of
Catholic bishops, Of the United States at
Baltimore, took the platform and was re-
ceived with an ovation of applause, showing
how warm place he has in the hearts Of the
citizenship Of st. Paul.
! After speaking at length Of the high salts
faction it had given him to read
Of the meetings and activity Of his people
in the Temperance work during his absence,
in the 81. Paul newspapers which were sent
10 him, he said that in all the places he had
visited IL had made him glad 10 observe the
/ strong hold total abstinence had gained with
the people. Societies were springing up
everywhere among the Catholics in cities,
towns, villages and hamlets, dram selling
and drinking was becoming disreputable,
/ and the influence and honor Of total abstain
| ing was asserting itself in the church aud
| the world with power. The Catholic people
were at last getting out of the woods, increas-
/ ing in temporal as well as spiritual prosper
/ ity, and the day was going by when as a rule
/ they were only 10 be hewers OF wood and
! drawers OF water. The last political cam
I paign had shown that Irishmen were capable
of making their political choice without the
aid OF the rumseller, and that he could no
longer put their votes in his pocket aud
boast that he owned them A new spirit had
been born in the Irishmen Of the country,
that of independence OF thought aud act and
/ it would bring him respect and honor from
ali Americans. Slavery OF man bad been
repudiated in this great republic, and the
slavery Of the dram shop and rum sellers
would leave next in order.
/ In the meeting Of the bishops at Baltimore
/ they had recognized the total abstinence
work and invoked blessings upon it, as we'll
/ as denounced the selling of rum by Catholics
/ as 4 disgrace, as also the desecrstion Of the
Sabbath in its sale on that day. This high
/ council OF the Catholic church had pro-
/ nounced it no longer a decent means Of live
/ libood for a Catholic to sell beer
and whisky and hereafter, whatever may
have been before, the Catholic saloon keeper
had got to occupy back seat in Gods house.
Bishop Ireland closed bis most eloquent re
marks with an appeal 10 his hearers for per-
sonal work for total abstinence, aud to re-
member that if they each would go for one
poor fellow enthralled by drink and save
him, the divine promise had been giver that
by one such act of saving soul they would
save their own.
Father Stanley was led 10 the platform BY
Bishop Ireland, be having manifested a dis
/ position TO hide away. But with his genial,
I good-natured way OF not INJECTING speech
bis remarks were very magnetiZing. After
referring to the letter to the Catholics 10 be
issued by the plenary council of bishops at
Baltimore, as II touched upon the total abb
stinence question, he asked the men and
women Of the audience to come forward and
take the pledge in support of this action OF
the bishops, whereupon over fifty
persons went forward 10 the plat
form and received the pledge by repeating II
verbally from his lips. After this had been
done be asked bis goodly company TO make
themselves felt In the work By joining either
of the several Catholic Temperance societie:
Z in the city.