Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-09-06
w. G. T. u. DEPARTMENT.
New Temperance Movement.
Edited by the Aberdeen W. c. r. u

New Temperance Movement.
Some months ago, Bishop Watterson,
of Columbus, Ohio, in pastoral letter to
the priests in his diocese, promulgated a
decree that no one engaged either as
principal or agent in the manufacture or
sale OF Intoxicating liquors should be adj
mtted to membership in Catholic soci-
cites, aud that Catholic saloon-keepers
who sell on Sunday or otherwise violate,
openly or disguisedly, the civil law, should
be refused the sacraments. one Of the
societies made an appeal on this order to
the papal delegate, Monsignor Satolli.
Satolli sustained Bishop Watterson.
His decision, in part, reads:
"The liquor traffic, and especially as
conducted here in the United States, is
the source Of much evil; hence, the
bishop was acting within his rights in
seeking to restrain it, Therefore, the
delegate apostolic sustains Bishop Waiter
sons action and approves Of his circular
letter and regulations concerning saloons
and the expulsion OF saloon-keepers from
membership in Catholic societies."
This decision OF Mgr. Satolli has made
no small stir among the liquor dealers in
New York and other large cities. They
fear that the regulations in force in Bishop
Watterson's diocese may now be adopted
by other bishops, and that in due time
they will all be placed under the ban.
The Wine and Spirit Gazette, New York,
the principal organ Of the liquor dealers
in this country, with the usual spirit OF
defiance that characterizes the liquor
business, says:
"The decree in its terms is undoubtedly
mandatory for the whole country. 1t
admonished the bishops Of other dioceses
to initiate the example of Bishop Waiter
son, who instructed the clergy to refuse
absolution to saloon-keepers Of their par
ishes who sell liquor on Sunday, and to
suspend from it's work and privileges
every Roman Catholic society that has
LIQUOR dealer or saloon.keeper at its head
or anywhere among its officers. We do
not hesitate to say that the effect OF the
strict enforcement OF this decree would be
a severer blow to the liquor trade than
anything the prohibition cranks and the
cold-water fanatics have accomplished
within the past forty years. Fully two
thirds, if not more. Of the retail liquor
dealers of the country are Roman Catho-
lies. Some of these are liberal contribu'
tors to church funds. We fully appreci-
ate the delicate position in which Arch
bishop Corrigan and other bishops Of the
Catholic church are placed by this decree
OF the papal delegate. Yet we are inclined
to believe that it will be disregarded by
majority OF the prelates Of the church."
To find out what action is to be taken in
the diocese o! New York, the editor OF this
liquor organ gives this challenge:
'We voice the sentiments Of large
majority OF the liquor dealers Of this city
and Brooklyn in saying: We dare Arch
bishop Corrigan to enforce in letter and
spirit the decree against the liquor traffic
just issued by Mgr. Satolli, the papal
delegate. Let the archbishop do it and
watch the consequences.
To this the archbishop replied that he
loyalty accepted the principles laid down
by Satolli, both in their spirit and to the
letter, that no Catholic can refuse to ac-
cept them, and that he had yet to learn
what fear was in the discharge Of his duty.
The decision at present is mandatory
only in the Columbus diocese, but it
encourages bishops in other dioceses to
make similar stringent liquor regulations.
BY their defiant attitude, liquor dealers
are inviting it's general application and
encouraging temperance movement OF
great force.-Ex.