The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-08-30

us are vice, cowardice, deceit, malignant
cunning, and defiance of all that Is lawful,
lust, or reputable among men Along the
wei. beaten track that has been pressed by
the tireless feet of men In this crusade
whose example we are proud to initiate, we
see recovered the wrecks Of ruined homes;
we hear the glad laugh of childhood in the
homes where the fathers coming once 81
fenced childish glee we see the bloom OF
health and Joy restored 10 the cheek OF
fond wives whose lives We're ebbing out in
anguish over the ruin Of the idol OF their
hearts fondest devotion; We see souls re.
deemed, heaven rejoice, and the heart OF
the church, our spiritual mother, beat fond
" that her hayward children are restored
again TO the benign influence OF her al
lection and love.
The statements which cOmprehended
the objects sought for by the Union will be
read by every lover of mankind with inter
est
We hold as a fixed conviction that those
appointed to make and enforce the laws
are guilty of criminal negligence in the
performance Of duty when they fail to take
cognizance of the f0UHt0tHS Of crime and
the sources of pauperism. Enlightened
patriotism, as well as common sense, teach
that every reasonable precaution should be
adopted 10 impede the growth Of crime,
and, rs far as possible, to prevent the com
mission Of punishable otfenses. Obvious
ly it is just and necessary to brand as crtn,-
tHaIs those who weaken and destroy the
physical manhood of the people by poison
Gus authorizations. The men who impOv-
erish homes, employ cunning methods to
get the money that should be spent for
food, and send forth from their saloons in
furiated drunkards-the record Of whose
crimes is Il disgrace to our country-deSeroe
no Dr0tection for their Cile deedS Lawless
men of this kind in business that fosters
incompetence cannot be restrained by NOR
al suasion. The strong arm IF the Idlc Is
needed to control the vast multitude who
refuse TO come within reach of the moral
influence eXerted by religious training.
Hence, in all questions that directly bear
on the moral welfare of the people our con
victons urge us to the vigorous fultillment
Of our civic duties. We dread the effects
Of apathy and Indifference concerning laws
which affect the well being of every indi-
Does not that sound like prohibition
The resolution further declares that, I'VE
are fully convinced that the enormity of
drunkenness is not fully realized" They
deplore the conduct of those who through
selfish motives or cowardly silence have
failed to denOunce the vice, and especially
do they deplore the fact that Catt0licS are
found in the business that fosters this evil
A motion was introduced and fully dis
cussed, as follows:
Res0loed, That while recognizing moral
suasion as the basis of temperance work,
we nevertheless declare our confidence in
legal restriction of the liquor traffic as a
means tending to the advancement of that
work. Such restriction may be in the
shape of high license or prohibition, as
seems best to us III our capacity of Catholic
Temperance citizens We emphasize the
fact however, that we cannot countenance
or encourage the liquor interest much less
vote for it.
The following comments on the proceed.
ings of the convention are from the ". "
G. Adoocate, of Chicago. They are Sc
wholly our own views that we copy them
entire and hope they will interest many of
your readers
The great event of the session was the
mass meeting in Central Music Hall on the
evening of Aug. T. The auditorium was
filled to its full capacity, numbers standing
in the galleries and on the main floor
Among those present were many Protest
ant temperance workers. 1t was an audi
ence of grand, earnest men and women
On the platform were seated large mum.
Der of the Catholic clergy of Chicago and
the MISUNDERSTANDING Feehan of Chi
cago; Archbishop Elder, of Cincinnati
Bishop Ireland, of St Paul; Bishop Spaul
ding, of Peoria, and Bishop Watterson, OF
Columbus, Ohio Archbishop Feehan, for
the first time came out decidedly in favor
of the movement in his opening address as
the presiding officer. Bishop Ireland, of
St Paul who is already well known to our
readers as an apostle of temperance, deliv.
cred radical, eloquent temperance
speech, full of fire and 90, which attracted
the warm applause of the vast audience
He advocated teetotalism but this was not
all He earnestly plead for the execution
of the present existing laws in favor OF
temperance He declared that Flaw, as II
has been administered in America, has
been brought down to the service of alco-
hol Laws created for the benefit of the
liquor traffic have been permitted to oper-
ate in full force, while those abridging il
and working contrary to its interests are de
clared dead letter Whatever just and
fair laws were passed should be permitted
to 90 as far as the protection of the people
demanded to follow. There We're laws on
the statute books prohibiting the sale of
liquor to minors and drunkards. The rum
power was going too far in the violation of
law and overriding the popular will, and
some day the people would rise up in their
might and tell il to stop, and itwould stop"
This sentiment was greeted with loud APP
plause, such as to thoughtful man meant
but one thing, the final destruction of the
rum power. Bishop Ireland declared that
one great mission of the Catholic Total Alb,
stinence Union was to teach freshmen to