The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-25

The manifest effort Of the liquor in
terests and their sympathizers to mini
mize the moral significance of Mgr.
Satolli's ruling in the BishopWattersOn
case will probably fail, in view of the
fact that that ruling was, in its spirit
and purport, applauded by nine-tenths
OF those who represent the moving and
saving forces of the Catholic church in
America. 1t is not likely that the pa
pal delegate, invested as he is with
sovereign power in matters pertaining
to the ecclesiastical government of that
church in this country and sustained
in his action by the active sympathy
and support of progressive temperance
reformers among Catholics and Pro-
testants alike, would take any step
backward from the position assumed
in his Endorsement of the Columbus
bishops course.
Apropos, we recall this portion Of
the statement adopted at st. Paul re.
Gently, with only one dissenting vote,
by the twenty fourth general conven-
ton of the Catholic Total Abstinence
Union Of America:
The Catholic Total Abstinence Union of
America sees in the signs of the times
much evidence that the temperance cause
will have many triumphs to record in the
early future. 1t sees in the recent action
Of Bishop WattersOn, which has been so
nobly sustained by Mgr. Satolli, a long
step in the right direction. 1t believes
that this action will crystalize the infu-
ence of the church against the saloon, and
will stamp this latter indelibly as the ir-
reclaimable enemy Of the church. The
decision of the Papal delegate cannot fail
to give additional authority to the recon-
mendation Of the council Of Baltimore that
all Catholic saloon keepers abandon, as
soon as they can, the dangerous traffic,
and embark in some becoming way Of
making living. The decision will serve
as a renewal Of the invitation which our
holy father Leo. XIII. has already
addressed to all the priests Of the
land to enter ito the work Of temperance
reform. The scandal of u prepou-
derating number of Catholics in the saloon
business is a disgrace too long endured.
Whatever the cause Of the fact, a new day
is at hand. We urge all Catho.
lies to Danish liquor from their homes and
from their social and political clubs Let
Catholic banquets be made remarkable by
the absence Of all alcoholic drinks; let sa-
loon keepers be excluded from member
ship In all societies Of Catholics; give no
support to Catholic papers which allow
liquor dealers to advertise in their columns.
On the other hand, let Catholics give their
hearty support to all temperance papers
which are honestly devoted to the cause of
temperance. Let every faithful son Of the
holy mother church do his utmost to make
the name of Catholic stand Enthusiastically
for total abstinence.
While this deliverance does not nee
essarily express the policy of the Cath
olic church in this country it has sig
nificance as an evidence showing the
trend Of Catholic progress. 1t clearly
views in the ablegate's ruling an au-
thoritative pronouncement morally
binding upon Catholics everywhere.
That this Interpretation would be bit
terly disputed by those whose pecun-
iary interests it jeopardizes is only
natural. Yet it would be well for these
same disputants to carefully reflect
before entering into a conflict which,
if conducted along lines familiar to ad-
vocates of liquor dealers causes, would
sooner or later array against it, in en-
bittered battle, clergy whose skill in
diplomacy, adroitness in maneuver
and courage in secular as well as spir-
itual matters are not to be lightly
valued nor carelessly affronted.