The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-12
Special correspondence to The Voice..

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Aug. s-The
sWenty-fourth national convention OF
the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of
America has just ended its three-day
session and passed into history as one of
the greatest OF the many memorable
events OF this year. Eminent prelates
and able lavmen participated in the de-
llberations, and cultured women not q
few. The hero Of the hour WAS the
Most Rev John Ireland, archbishop of
st. Paul, who for years led the seems
ingly forlorn hope in the temperance
fight OF his church.
The convention numbered nearly 400
delegates, who came from every part of
the country. The opening exercises
Wednesday morning were brief. The
president OF the union, Right Rev.
Bishop Cotter, Of Winona. occupied the
chair, and the secretary, Rev. A. P,
Doyle, OF New York, WAS present. An
early adjournment was taken, and the
delegates repaired to the cathedral,
where solemn high mass was celebrated
and Archbishop Ireland delivered an
address. The duty OF Catholics, he
said, Is to magnify the beauties of reli.
gion by living in full accord with the
teachings of the church. The church is
judged by the lives OF its mem
oers; how important, then, that they
should be temperate. America has SET
her face against the saloon, the den of
corrupt politics; and any church that
Will not come out for temperance is
an odious excrescence of the soil. He
advocated the establishment OF coffee
houses to take the place of the saloon,
lnnlnnnA6 Co oil
which all true Catholics must up.
hold: Let there be no liquor at
Catholic benefits, in Catholic clubrooms
and on the side boards of Catholic
families, and the drinking custom will
BIO held in dishonor.
The afternoon was principally oocu-
| pied in addresses OF welcome and re-,
| sponses.
Hon. George B. Edgerson, in behalf
the CITY OF st. Paul, and A. G. Gut
ridge, for the temperance societies of
the city, welcomed the visitors, and due
response was made by Vice. President J.
w. Logue, OF Philadelphia, and Rev. D.
j. Flynn, of Delaware. The latter
alluded to st. Paul as the mecca of the
cause" and the home of It's greatest re-
preventative, which led to q motion by
Rev. zerde, of Buffalo, that q rising
Ireland for his eloquent address at the
Cathedral. This was done amid cheers.
His grace thanked the convention and
gave a short account OF the circum-
stances leading up to the writing Of q
letter by Pope Leo some time ago in
dorsing the g. T. A. u. movement,
President Cotter's annual address
came next. He said, in opening:
I'VE have reason to glory in that we
commemorate our triumphs in the met.
ropolitan city of our beloved ohieftain-
In the home of the leader Of the total
abstainers OF this age-Arch bishop Ire-
land. Father Mathew. Cardinal Man
ming, Archbishp Ireland! What names
so potent to thrill the hearts of men; so
capable OF reviving the spirit of hero
ism; SO sure to awaken the s um bering
divinity in man, and move it to his re-
clamation and redemption!"
Following the Presidents address
came the annual report of Secretary
Doyle. This showed 763 societies-an
increase of 50 during the year; total
Nom oership in local unions, 55,445; in
crease during the year. 1868 members.
Among the resolutions adopted in ac-
cordance with the report of the chair
man OF the committee on resolutions,
Rev. M. A. Landing, OF Pittsburg, was
the following:
Resolution on the satoIii Decision.
The Catholic Total Abstinence
Union of America, assembled in the
twenty-fourth general convention, sees
in the signs of the times much evidence
that the total abstinence cause will have
many triumphs to record in the early
future. 1t sees in the recent action Of
Bishop Watterson, which has been 40
nobly sustained by Mgr. Satolli, long
step in the right direction. It 10 be.
lieved that this action will crystalline