Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-12
CATHOLICS AND PROHIBITION.

| The fourteenth annual meeting of
the Catholic Total Abstinence Union,
which met at Chicago on the 9Th, was
composed of 575 delegates, 200 of
whom were clergymen. The total
membership reported was 80, iI6, an
increase within the year of 2.44S.
Within the past week there have been
addresses delivered by bishops and
arch-bishops, which in radical express
sions cqualled anything ever uttered
by prohibitionists. But one society
is reported from Kansas. and that
from htchison.
The session of "Wednesday evening
was presided over by Archbishop
Feehan, of Chicago. and the first
speaker introduced was Bishop Ire
land, of st. Paul, who made Il power
ful address. He took strong ground.
He said
moral suasion was in the very front
ground of battle But there were
other methods also. Opponents of the
cause were So shorisighted they saw
nothing else; but. though toia! alb
stainers gave il all the prominence it
should be given, they were prepared
10 appeal to the laws of the land. The
law as had been administered in
America had been brought 10 the
service of alcohol. Men engaged in
the liquor traffic had been able TO Sc
cure the passage of laws in their inter
est, and to make n dead letter of laws
directed against them. The laws
should be rcmodeled. It was Useless
to work among men who were so weak
they had no desire for reformation.
The weakness Of Il great portion
of mankind made legislation in their |
behalf necessary. The laws TO be |
passed on the subject should go as far
as The need of the citizens demanded. |
There were. Inanv dead-letter laws. |
The church, as well as the sta,e. APP |
proved of the laws forbiddng the |
sale of liquor 10 babitual drunkarlS. !
and also OF the law for the proper OBJ I
servancc of the Sabbath. Every OPP
portunity should be taken TO have !
those laws enforced The liquor men /
were bold: they had gone far and |
were striving to 90 further. Soon
would come the cry, halt! aud then
the traffic would be stopped. The
freeing Of the people from the DONNA
ton of the saloon element was the
mission of the Catholic Total Absti-
nencc union: The union should teach
how the ballot could best be used.
The ballot was a strong weapon. BY
it the liquor power had been enabled
TO continue in supremacy. BY il the
downfall of that power should be ac.
RI. Rev. Bishop Spaulding was more
moderate in his views. but said:
Whatever views one might hold as
10 the proper attitude of government
toward incompetence, there should not I
be two opinions, the speaker thought.
among honest and enlightened men Is
TO the duty of the civil authority to
force sellers 10 associate themselves
for common criminals aud violators of
the law. So long as saloon Keepers. in
defiance OF law, sold their wares on
or nj forbidden hours to min
prs and druukards. so long would all
good citizens have The right to employ
political means TO suppress The illegal
traffic. and if other remedies failed to
Try what effect prohibitory legislation
would have. The chief argument
which could he brought against pro-
SO far as the speakers knowl-
edge of the question extended. were:
First. that such laws were inopera-
i've. failed To produce the intended et-
feet, 10 which he replied: If so, then
hose who opposed such laws would
ret their liquor. but if by chance it I
happen that prohibition proved effect
We. then drunkenness would die out
md three-fourths o. the crime and !
poverty which disgraced the country !
would disappear. The second argu-
negt rested on the objection that il
he principal underlying prohi- ,
,l,ion were carried TO its ultimate
it would change govern
nont into the most odious Of tyran-
lies. Ia which he would reply: Pre-
'isely what distinguished y statesman 1
rom doctrinaire. The trainers of the
american constitution from The auth
,rs of the reign of terror, was the i,
that political principles
we're not always 10 be pushed 10
heir ultimate consequences; that
'rac,ice and speculation were not
he same thing. and consequently il
ia not follow, because one was pro-
that. therefore. lac ought 10
e in favor of n law 10 forbid women
he luxury of tight laciDg, The polii- o
al axiom. the will of the people was
he supreme law, would, if insisted
pom. Justify all possible iyrrannies, Of ,
fhich the majority might approve and
las ii taken in logical and not
raetical s,,lisc. in contradiction with 81
reedom of conscience. which was the
asis of civil liberty. Ii the end of all
oliticsl agitation was 10 strengthen 4,
loralisy, which was the only secure :
,unaatiou of fee government. then
he speaker would never be able to un-
erstand WIZ crime should be sur ?
ounded br !; holy wall and declared Il
sacred asylum into which the law c,
s...t.s