The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-13
CAVE A PATRIOTIC PLEDGE
Total AbstainerS Give Assurance Of
Support If II Is Needed.
THEIR MILITARY CORPS IN LINE
Quarterly Convention of the
{. T. A. L. Takes Action on the
Venezuelan Matter - Other I'm
portuut Questions Considered.


the Venezuelan affair and assuring him
of the support OF the military companies
of the union if IL Is necessary to enforce
the Monroe doctrine by war.
The second district of the Scranton
Diocesan union comprises all the Father
Mathew societies in and about Scran-
ton, numbering about 1000 men and
having drilled corps in which are en-
rolled nearly one-third of the member
ship. They would he capable of put
t;nga we'll disciplined, thoroughly drilled
and efficiently officered regiment in the
field almost as cxpeditiously as the
regular state militia and as is evident
their resolution of yesterday is of no
mean consequence.
The committee om resolutions has
made it's report and the routine business
of the convention was being proceeded
with when Captain James Duggan, OF
the Father Whitty society. of ProVl-
dence, who was among the spectators,
asked for the privilege of the floor, ana
this being granted called the attention
of the meeting to what he deemed an
accidental oversight in the committee
ON resolutions failing to give some eN-
preston on the all prevailing question
of the day. Business was inmeuiately
suspended and the committee was
Sent back to draft q resolution express.
ing the. conventions approbationg u
President Cleveland's patriotic stahu
After n short recess the comnilttee,
through its chairman, j. {. GaiiaSner'
returned and read the following, which
was adopted with ringing applause:
Presidents Action Endorsed.
"Resolycd that we heartily endorse
,,. ,,.sident of the United States for
his manly declaration i'm upholding the
Monroe. doctrine, and that we can safely
pledce To him the support of the mill
tary corps of this district in defense
of that doctrine If necessary
When the cheering which followed the
unanimous adoption of the resolution
had subsided Thomas McI.ain. of the
st. Paurs moved vote of thanks to
Captain Duggan for reminding the
convention of the omission. Captain
Duggan in turn thanked the gathering
for the courtesy extended him and in
concluding a neat little speech. said:
"A good Catholic must needs he good
citizen. Catholic Total Abstinence men
are among the best of Catholics there
fore they must be among the best Of
citizens for good old mother church
teaches us to be true to the flag even
to death"
Altogether yesterdays convention
was probably the most important yet
held owing to the number of Questions
of great moment to the cause that We're
discussed and acted upon and for the
additional reason that the attendance
was the largest since the inception of
these quarterly gatherings. When
Chairman Timothy ]. Mccoy called the
meeting to order at $50 p. m every
seat i'm the hall was taken and addi-
tiIno1 chairs had N no hrnttOht IN, fn
provide for the delegates and spectators
who came in late. The front tiers of
seats We're occupied by the representa-
tvcs of the ladies' societies. Their
presence in such gratifying numbers
prompted Delegate Frank McLain. of
the st. Paurs. to launch a movement
for the formation of a National Catho-
lie Total Abstinence union of ladies
along the lines of the Women's Chris
;ian Temperance union, which he held
up as highly worthy Of emulation by the
Catholic women of America. The con-
ventiOn, however, felt that the time
was no; ripe for the formation of such
society owing to the fact that there
are not sufficient number of ladies'
societies as yet organized, so the matter
was allowed to rest.
Enforcement Of License Law.
The question which brought out the
most animated discussion was that of
vigilance committees to secure an en-
forcement of the license laws, which
was introduced at the last convention
by James +. Judge. of the Diocesan
Index. and which was referred to the
different societies for discussion. The
resolution i'm full was that a committee
of one from each society be appointed to
hear reports of violation of the liquor
laws and report them to the spiritual
director to be made the subject of legal
action.
J.. j. Mulhern, of the st. Joseph's, of
MinOOka. strenuously objected to the
measure because he believed it was far
from proper to send Father Mathew
men spying about speak-easies and sa-
looms. which their organization bids
them avoid; and further, he did not APP
prove of asking the spiritual directors
of societies to meddle in a matter which
the law is supposed to attend to. Mr..
Judge the father of the motion. claimed
that Mr.. Mulhern had wrong concep-
tioi. of the intent of the motion. 1t was
ia, from his mind, he said. to make
spies out of the Father Mathew men
or to send them to visit saloons. His
purpose was to have a committee of one
from each society to devise a plan for
securing a proper enforcement of the
laws.
The president of the Diocesan union,
J. j. O'Hara. of Wilkes Barre, who oc-
cupied seat on the platform, aroused
Mr.. Judges ire by remarkins that there
was intelligence enough in the conven-
tion to properly appreciate the intent
of the motion. and predicted that it
would be showed under beyond resur-
rectiOn.
1T is poor grace for the president of
this union" said Mr.. Judge, "to inter-
fere here to influence this convention.
think he has overstepped his bounds"
Mr. O'Hara made no retort, but had
the satisfaction of seeing his prediction
fulfilled.
The Anti Treating Measure.
The anti-treating measure. which was
another Of Mr.. Judges ideas, was not
considered. One thing, however, which
originated with the aggressive editor
of the Index and which met with favor
at the hands of the convention was the
plan to make honorary members of the
Catholic women who cared to affiliate
themselves with the total abstinence
movement by taking the pledge and
promising to discourage drinking as
much as they can. not being expected
however 20 take any cOgnizance of the
obnoxious clause I'm the much discussed
appeal to Women" which advises them
to sacrifice a tippling lover rather than
risk becoming n drunkard's wife.
The project to establish a paper to
he the organ of the union was Silled
by vigorous onslaught - by ]. C..
Gallagher WHO advic~I the members to
pay up their subscriptions to the tenn
perance papers and freely patronize
the daily papers which are ever ready
to literally give their space to the
cause of temperance. John II. Devine,
ex-president of the union. did not look
kindly upon IL union organ and let his
opinions be known In no uncertain
language. The motion that passed was
that II Is the aensa nf the cnnyanti ion