The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-16
TOTAL ABSTAINERS, ALL.
MEETING or THE PROVINcIAL
COUNCIL, 4. Il. b.
A Larger Union Proposed-The Unex-
pected Resignation of President
Downs Calls Forth an Earnest Pro-
test from His Friends.

a Larger Union PfOpOSeu-Ine UneX-
pected Resignation of President
Downs Calls Forth an Earnest Pro-
test from His Friends.
A meeting was held yesterday at St
Michael's Hall by the Provincial Coun-
Gil, L. A. B. Society. This council is COM
posed Of delegates from score or more
societies in New York, Brooklyn, Jersey
City and Hoboken, and those present at
the meeting represented about four
thousand persons who are devoted to q
life of total abstinence.
The officers of the council are:-Presi-
dent. w. II. Downs, Brooklyn; vice presi-
dent, George Henry, Hoboken; treasurer,
George Mckinney, New York, and tenn
porary secretary, James Sheridan, Brook
lyn.
President Downs opened the meeting
by prayer and then called for reports
from delegates. Mr.. Henry said that, so
far as Jersey was concerned, the Catholic
were preparing for grand demonstra
ton, to take place on the first Sunday in
October, at st. Mary's Academy, Hobo
ken. On that occasion Father Donovan,
one of the orators of the New Jersey
Union, would address the societies pre-
cCAbs nc dsAcl tUt uCItHdttS 1IOLl INGW
York and Brooklyn to have their societies
attend in a body.
Delegate McCape, a venerable gentle
man with snowy hair and a long, white
beard, reported for Jersey City that lee
ture would soon be given, and that Mgr.
de Concilio was determined to make a
feature of temperance work this fall and
winter.
A UNION PROPOSED.
Several similar reports from other dele
gates were received and then President
Downs asked what the council should do
to make union of all the societies in
the Arch diocese. He said that the
Archbishop had authorized Mgr. Pres
ton to act in the matter After consider
able discussion it was decided that the
delegates should obtain the names of at
least ten priests willing to aid in estab-
fishing the union, and after that TO get as
many more priests as possible to assist
the movement.
President Downs told the delegates
associated with him five other priests,
and that all were workers for the tenn
perance cause and abstainers, too.''
He added that in Brooklyn priests and
people were beginning to take an interest
in the work of total abstinence. The
president did not believe in the order of
The Legion of the Cross, which simply re-
quires member to pledge himself not to
treat or be treated, but admitted that it
was stepping stone toward total abb
stinence, though that was all. He said
that he had during the week received
two applications for young men belong
ing to the society. One came from a
groceryman, and the other drygoods
merchant. He gave the names and
addresses and said that if the delegates
knew any total abstainers wanting these
positions to send them to the stores. He
concluded his remarks by saying that
Provincial Council was daily getting
stronger, and if the members only worked
as hard in the future as they had in the
past the council would soon be power
for doing good.
THE PRESIDENT RESIGNS.
He then rendered his resignation as
president of the council, giving as his
reasons, bad health and the opposition OF
some ouside lodges to be the cause. This ac-
tion was unexpected by many delegates in
the room and they shouted mo, no."
Nearly all the delegates said that they re-
GREETED this action and they believed that
ii the resignation was accepted it would
injure the cause of temperance very
much, for Mr.. Downs had been the presi-
dent of the council since it was founded.
After considerable discussion COM
promise was effected which gave Mr..
Downs three months leave of absence to
recuperate his health. At the expiration
of that time the regular election of Off
GERS will take place.
The delegates from Father Mathews
Society No. 5. of New York, asked the
council to admit the society to member
ship, but their request was not granted
because the society had no spiritual direc-
tor, and this the constitution OF the coun-
ell made imperative. One of the three
said the society had been established for
twenty-five years and never had spirit
ual director and never would. Although
all its members are Catholics, yet the
society is open to all beliefs. When kindly
but firmly told that No. 5 could not be
admitted under these circumstances the
three delegates angrily withdrew.
The next meeting will be held at the
rooms of st. Columbia, Twenty-fifth
street, New York. where book will be
ratified off, the proceeds to go to the Coun-
oil