The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-11-03
The Catholic Total Abstinence Union.
fW & II IL

II is, perhaps, a recent thing that the Catholic
Church has been a door of hope for the
temperance reform, but now in America and Eng
land members of that Church are among the most
jealous workers in the temperance cause In this
as IN everything else they do they seem to work as
Catholics and among Catholics and though they
never forget that they members of that Church.
they have themselves invited Protestant clergymen
to JON them III an effort TO suppress the liquor
traffic
The fifteenth annual convention of the Catholic
Total Abstinence Union of America, was held in
New Haven, Conn, in the early part of September.
The sessions were held in Carll's Opera House
Delegates present from all parts Of the Union.
Alter prayer was read by Father CleaTy, and the
preliminary business was done, the convention
adjourned to st. Mary Church where devotional
exercises were held. Immediately following the
Mass procession was formed containing upwards
OF Two thousand men. including many dignitaries
OF the Church and accompanied by eighteen bands
OF music. The streets through which the process
SION passed were crowded with people who greeted
warmly the army of Catholic total abstaintrs In
the evening mass-meetIng was held in the Opera
House with addresses by distinguished clergymen
ana others. II was great success III numbers and
enthusiasm ms Is learned from the report of the
convention IN the National Temperance Adr0cqte.
The Right Rev. Bishop McAiahon, presided and
delivered the opening address, then followed ad-
dresses by several priests and laymen They speak
with that boldness which characteristics Catholic
reformers The Union makes no compromise with
the liquor interest, nor has il any word of encour-
One Of the priests, Rev. Mr.. Barns, said in the
course of bis address The saloon is the recruit
ing Office of the devil Of basphemy and of infdel
Iiy. In tho saloon the infidel can find his most
ardent admirers, and the Church Of God It's most
malignant opponents. 1t is the duty, therefore of
all who love God aud the Church to oppose the in
huence of the saloon. j know there are some who
Will accuse me of e1aggeration, but let NE tell
them that my experience as a priest has brought
home to me the conviction to which / have given
utterance, and hardly day passes that does not
bring me corroborative evidence of its simple and
unadorned truth. All! 1t was glorious day for
the cause when the bishops assembled at the late
Plenary Council at Baltimore, recognizing tie
fearful extent of the evil of ntemperance. sent
forth their mandate TO the pfiests Of the country
to induce all OF their hocks that may be engaged
IN the sale of liquor TO abandon as soon AS thew
can the dangerous traffic and to embrace n more
becoming way Of making living Resolutions
were adopted a part OF one beng ~ The Catholic
Total Abstinence Union Of America, assembled in
Its Fifteenth annual convention aiiirms that the
bond which unites its members Is hatred of the
vice of intemperance. The prevalence of this vice
has hlled our souls with horror Ii destroys the
NigOT ut the human frame, u desolases the Christ
ian home, it is breeder of crime of nearly every
Kind. and Is the greatest Of the causes of poverty
and insanity. But the supreme wickedness of in
Temperance Is that II attacks the human reason
itself. IL j the object Of the divine wrath because
the Christian virtues Of faith, hope and charity by
which we know God aud aspire to eternal union
with Him, can be but profaned or blasphemed by
soul whose reason Is unsettled by drink; because
He who is the father Of the orphan and the Judge
of the widow stands forth as the avenger of the
drunkards wife and aittle ones. Therefore to re-
form the drunkard, to prevent the young from
acquiring fOndness for drink and 10 proclaim the
perl and shame Of selling drink are our purposes
And these purposes we pursue in the spirit OF our
Lord Jesus Christ and in union with His holy
Church, always set king and following the direction
of the hierarchy and priesthood congratula.
tory telegram sent from the National WGman's
Christian Temperance Union was received with
loud applause. The membership of the Union is
1885,. Tie significant thing about all this to a
New Engiander Is the fact that this Total Abstin-
ence Union Is composed Of members from the class
which has always been the very backbone of the
liquor Interest IN America, tine Irish Catholics