The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-28
The TRIBUNE HAS LARGER BONA FE CIRCULATION AMONG SCRANTON BUSINESS men Than ANY OTHER

their power TO render II ineffective. None
the less great step hiss been taken-one
Of the greatest In the war against rum.
| 1t places the Catholic church in the van OF
| temperance workers. and earns for 1t the
sympathy OF thousands who ordinarily
have not had any sympathy with
that church. OF course there will be
opposition. There are many Catholic
liquor dealers, just as there are many
Protestant liquor dealers to whom the
profits Of their business stand for more
than the prophets and the gospel. These
men may rebel and leave the church, but
will the church be the gamer or the loser
by its Nor is the matter going to end with
the Catholic church. What that church
has had the conscience and the courage to
DO must reach upon other churches, which
In the past have lacked courage to do what
conscience said was right and true.
Satollfs decision should mark an epoch in
the temperance reform, and should lead
lhe Christian church as unit against the
greatest evil of this or any other age.
The Catholic Review says:
The monsignor must be recalled There
never was any need Of him here The
American bishops never had any use for
him; they did not ask for him, and when
he came they did not know what he came
for. In fact 1t could be said without un-
truth that they do not know who sent
him. or course, he came with the pope s
| commission, but nevertheless it cannot be
said rs a matter Of fact that the pope sent
him here.
OTHER INTERESTING OPINIONS.
The Catholic Union and Times Of
Buffalo says:
This action is in line with the proceed
ing Of the holy see in approving the Cath
ole Total Abstinence union Of America.
II is carrying into effect the declaration of
the third plenary council Of Baltimore,
made by the assembled fathers in these
words: "We call upon all pastors to in-
duce any of their flocks who may be en-
gagged in the sale OF liquors to abandon as
soon as they can the dangerous traffic, and
70 embrace more becoming way of max
ing living" 1t is, however, more vim
dication Of the bishops authority to make
such regulation for the diocese of Colum-
bus, than justification of that regulation
as proper, prudent or beneficial. Still,
that there Is room for extreme measures is
evident from these two indlsputable facts !:
]. No attention has been paid to the plen.
ary councils recommendation that Cath
ohcs should abandon the liquor business.
2 We have more than our share of saloon
keepers
The first point needs no proof-so far as
this paper is Informed, not one liquor
seller in the forty-ive states of the uuion
has torsaken the dangerous traffic in COM
pliance with the councils plea. On the
second point Father Lambing, of the
Pittsburg Catholic Total Abstinence union,
supplies some data. He made an investi-
CATION OF the per cent. of Catholics In GER
tain counties and cities of Pennsylvania
and the per cent. Of Catholics among the
applicants for retail liquor licenses for 1894
IN the same places. He found that in one
county, whe | Catholics are less than 81
per cent. OF he population they furnish
more than A per cent. Of the applicants for
licenses. In another county, the Catholics
number 40 per cent. Of the population and
67 per cent. OF the saloon keepers. In u
third, the Catholics have l6 per cent. of
tne inhabitants and 20 per cent. of the
liquor dealers. In fourth, the Catholics
make up about IL per cent. of the popula-
tion and more than 40 per cent. OF the ap.
plicants for permission to sell whisky and
beer. Similarly in one city, less than 80
per cent OF the people are Catholics, but
more than 81 per cent. Of the would.be ga
loonists are alleged to be Of our religion.
Another city shows 30 per cent. of its pop
ulation Catholic and more than &c per
cent. Of its applicants for license of the
same faith.
VIEWS OF LIQUOR MEN.
The Wine and Spirit Gazstte says,
discussing the decree of the council OF
Baltimore cited above:
These declarations have been again and
again declared to be only advisory and not
authoritative, but they assume an entirely
different character in the light of the edict
just issued By Mgr. Satolli, who speaks by
authority OF the pope. They become now
the dogma OF the church. Yet we DOUBT
whether Archbishop Corrigan will dare to
enforce this edict. We predict it will re-
main dead letter in all the large cities of
the country. The attempt to enforce it
in the centers of population in the
United States would bring the church of
Rome in conflict with an element In the
ranks OF its own followers which is most
powerful. 1t should be remembered in
this connection that fully three-fourths of
our retail liquor dealers are Roman Catho-
lies. Will the church of Rome risk war
with that element by denying to the men,
bers of the liquor fraternity the benefits
and rites OF the church? We shall wait
and see.
Toe same paper remarks in leading
article:
We appreciate fully the delicate position
in which Archbishop Corrigan and the
other bishops of the Catholic church in
this country are placed by tho decree OF
the papal delegate. Yet we are inclined
to believe that it will be disregarded by
the majority Of the prelates OF the church.
In cases like this the Roman Catholic
church has always followed the rule of
placing considerations of self preservation
and self interest above obedience to q
papal decree. Neither Archbishop Corri-
gar nor majority Of the bishops of the
church will dare TO enforce this edict. Its
enforcement means war with au impor-
tant element in the ranks of the adherents
OF the church. Unless q radical change
takes place in public sentiment liuuor
dealers need not worry over Mgr. Satolli's
fulminations against the liquor traffic. II
will most likely fall fiat.
The Wine and Spirit Gazette closes
its editorial in these words: I'VE
voice the sentiments of large ma.
jority OF the liquor dealers of this city
aud Brooklyn in saying: We dare
Archbishop Corrigsn to enforce In
letter and spirit the degree against the
liquor traffic just issued by Mgr
Satolli. the papsl delegate. Let the
arch bishop do it, and watch the conse.
Quences.
HooTEO at BY STRIKERS.