St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-20
TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETIES.
Singing Address by Rt. Rev. Bishop
Ireland.
Organizing for Vigorous Temperance Work
Next Winter.

The Catholic Total Abstinence societies OF
Ramsey county met in semi-annual meeting
at the rooms OF the Father Matthew society,
In the cathedral, at O'Clock yesterday after
noon, there being a large attendance.
Several of the societies made reports and
several did not the secretaries of the latter
being absent. At the close of the reading OF
the reports that had been received, Bishop
ireland, who was present, made a
very spirited address relative to the lack OF
public spirit which seemed to be creeping
into those organizations which had done such
valiant work in the past, as illustrated by the
decline of the Father Matthew society from
$50 to 104 members, the Crusaders to seven
ty-fve members with only fifty in good
standing, and with no reports at all from st.
Joseph's society, the League of the Cross and
the Knights.
This fight against intemperance was
one which must be constantly
kept up, for resistance to evil
was life more pure in which there
was no rest. The vigorous work for
temperance being carried on by the Protest
ants of st. Paul and the Young Mems
Christian association, as elsewhere, put the
GOODNESS and lack of zeal of the Catholic
temperance societies in the back ground u
their shame when they had been such
pioneers in the work in the past. There was
no reason why the Catholic temperance
societies of Ramsey county should not now
number 1000 strong when there was the
machinery, the intelligence and the means
right here among our people to have it so,
and when the church of the country was
coming up so grandly in union in this work.
+ he felt that the cause of the back-sliding
in the societies of Ramsey county was mainly
attributed to their failure to place their best
! men at the head Of their affairs as officers.
Ii an army went to battle without their best
men for generals or leaders it would be de-
teated as a natural sequence; and so it was
with societies to insure its growth, life and
success, and their stability and onward pro-
! gress, their intelligence, skillfulness and
faithfulness must be selected for leadership
with the greatest care.
He closed by suggesting as means OF
bringing back the several societies to their
pristine vigor the coming winter that Preifer's
hall be secured for fortnightly Monday
evening meetings of the members of all the
societies to be known as the county meetings
while the several societies should hold their
own meetings on the alternate Monday even
ings in their own halls. Then that officers
should be chosen by all the societies fol
these fortnightly meetings at an adjourned
meeting of this county society, to be held al
the Father Matthew rooms on Sunday after
noon, November 2, at 3 p. m, through a
committee to be appointed at that time, the
duty OF which officers should be to secure
speakers and entertainment of such merit
and attractiveness as to call out large audi
ences of the Catholic people on all oc
casions. To meet the expenses OF these
meetings the mere pittance of five cents adj
mission should be charged to pay all ex
penses and make the gatherings self support
ing.
Bishop Ireland's remarks were received
with much enthusiasm, and his suggestions
promptly taken up and acted upon, giving
an unmistakable earnest that the Catholic
people of st. Paul are going to engage in 6
winters campaign of faithful and vigorou!
temperance work such as we doubt has evel
been seen in our city.