Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-18
HIGH LICENSE IN BALTIMORE.
Cardinal Gibbons Presides at a Mass
Meeting-BishOp Ireland's Address.

The great Catholic mass meeting at the
Academy of Music in Baltimore last night In
favor of high license crowded nearly 1000 peo-
pie into an auditorium whose seating capacity
is 1000 and turned nearly 1000 away 1t was
successful in the highest degree. The move
ment, which is in the hands of n non-sectarian
committee Of 100 citizens, will receive a large
impetus from last nights work. Cardinal Glib
bons presided and in a brief opening address
said he was there not only as a churchman but
as a citizen, and added: Il firmly believe to-
| night that the noble cause which will be advo-
Gated here. il successful, will contribute, under
Gods blessing, to the moral welfare of our be-
loved city, to the welfare of the people, to the
| domestic happiness and tranquility of the
poorer classes and of the laborer Applause. ]
Inc oiow that we struck tonight is blow
| struck for the cause of the laboring man and it
| must and shall be successful" [Applausel
Speeches were made by Rev. James Nugent
! OF England and Rev. DIR. Cleary of Wisconsin
Archbishop Ireland Of st. Paul and Bishop
Keane.
ARCHBISHOP RELAND's ADDRESS
'The Catholics of America stand united to
oppose intemperance and to obtain laws for
the restriction of the evil. They are delighted
| to join hands with all citizens Of our common
country, no matter what their creed NAV be- in
the fight against this terrible evil, this blight
| ing shadow, and ask you, in the name Of our
common Christian faith, how can We rest until
we nave done something against this hideous
| scourge which is desecratng our fair land?
Here is an evil which is the cause of untold sin,
| destructive of home, happiness. and innocence
| for time and eternity. Who among you, ask,
VIII stand before his God and say he has done
| his duty to his Maker and his fellow man un-
| less he has done all in his power to disenthrone
| this cause Of misery and crime? appeal to
you In the name of America-God knows you
| love your country-a land you would shed your
| hearts blood for, to show your manhood and
| overthrow this demon, the American saloon
Is it necessary for me 10 say to such an audience
as this that there is evil in the land which is
| radically destructive to the principles you
would defend with your lives? How, then, can
| you look up toward the dear old stars and
stripes floating above you and say you are
patriots until you can say you have done oil
that lies within your power to blot out intem-
perance, the cause OF more poverty and crime
than all other causes combined? At the doors
OF the American saloon lies the well-founded
and often-proved charge that it is responsible
! for rs per cent of all the
POVERTY, DEGRADATION AND CRIME
In America. All this can be traced directly to
1t, as proved by statistics, which show, how
ever, only the outside. These statistics do not
tell US of the tens of thousands of ruined homes.
OF the cries of the ill-treated wives the wan
faces OF starving children, all caused by the
curse of intemperance. The day will come
God grant it be not far distant-when the
American people, III the name of God and
country, Will rise up as one man and say before
heaven that this crime must be swept away, or
at least reduced to its lowest possible level. = =
The saloons exist in such great numbers
,nat we nave ten times more than could posi-
bly, be justified as being resorted to by mod
crate drinkers. In some cities we have a sa-
loon for each 100 or 120 of the population. The
saloons are not scattered around for public
benehcence, to give man stimulants when he
| needs them. to give him something to warm
his blood when he suffers from the cold or to
cool him off when the heat is oppressive Oh,
no; they are there to make money and their
owners care not who it is taken from.
The saloons are not only multiplying,
but the methods of attracting men
to them are becoming more varied.
Whenever new town is started almost always
the first lot is bought by brewer or liquor
dealer for saloon, and it is usually the first
building erected. Even If a new cemetery is
laid out saloon springs up opposite its gate.
Laughter They have men, too, to protect
their interests, and these are to be found in
council, state Legislature and in Congress- It is
to be said with shame that
THE SALOON RULES THE POLITICS
of such nation as this. The candidate trem-
bles before its awful power. He must go out
and drink with the boys, and pay literally for
his drinks, too. How will the liquor men vote is
momentous question with our political parties,
and there Is a poor chance for any candidate if
the liquor men are not friendly to him. have
| stood before the legislators of nv state and
have begged and plead for some restrictive
measure to be placed upon this accursed
traffic. These men have trembled like aspen
| leaves, and when l have inquired into the
| cause OF their reticence to act for the right it
has always been that they were afraid of what
their constituents would say. These constit-
uents were the brewers and liquor sellers.
Why are the saloons in nearly every large
American city open on Sunday in defiance of
law! 1t is because their owners have terrified
| the very men who have sworn to enforce the
law and they dare not do their duty. Why is it
that you cannot get political party to incor-
porate temperance plank in their platform?
1t is because the liquor men stand as censors of
that party and with warming shake of the
finger tell them that if they dare to do il they
will transfer their votes to another party
They care not what its name may be so long as
it will uphold the flag Of the liquor interest.
What is to be done to remedy this deplorable
state OF affairs? Each one of you has his own
theories, but whenever some practical solution
OF the question Is offered let us take it I'D even
If 1t does not come up to our expectations. The
people of beautiful old Baltimore want a re-
strctive measure OF some sort-one generally
designated as high-license law, because of its
increased tax upon the saloon. One modelled
after the Brooks law would be satisfactory in
many particulars. People of the city of Balti-
more beg you to rise i'll your might and
throw off the power Of the great American sa-
loon. Go into this movement with all your
heart; go into it earnestly, with the fear of God
in your hearts and your rights as American
citizens in your minds, and you will overthrow
this accursed power of the saloon, and God
grant you may"
RESOLUTIONS WERE ADOPTED.
First. That high license is at present the only
feasible and the only hopeful means of STEM
ming the deluge OF vices and crimes of which
drunkenness is the frightful source. Second.
That to make the remedy really effective, the
license should be put so high as to make it prac-
tically prohibitory as regards the multitude of
low saloons which are demoralizing and brutal
iZinS the poor, who moro than any other class
need the help and comforts of religion to make
their hard lot endurablc. Third. That not
merely high license will secure all the good
aimed at by the movement, but that certain
restrictions should be enacted as to the time
and place of sale, and the character Of those
who may be permitted to carry on the traffic
Thus, the number of saloons in any one radius
should be limited by statute, they should not
be suffered too near to churches or schools
The excellent Sunday law of our city upon this
point should be rigidly enforced and failure
upon the part of the authorities to carry out
the law should be summarily punished; the
license to sell at all should be issued to none
but persons Of tried character, who can be de-
pended upon to use their privilege in the inter-