The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-10

stroy the correct principles ~ individ-
ualism, beyond which there is but des-
! potlsm.
False Americanism.
Socialism comes to us in many guises.
4 In many instances ii is fosteTed by poll
1 ticians who do not realize that they are
| intoxicating insidious principles. but. for
! the sake OF political advantage, Wouid
/ subyert and curtail all personal rights
| and privileges / need but point to varl-
/ Gus municipal governments for the
truth of this assertion The various at
tempts of municipal reformers t. bring
about an Utopian city life are founded
on vicious principles, because they seek
to extend governmental sway over the
social. moral and religious life OF the
people. Take our own city as an eX-
ample. We are "a cosmopolitan people
homogeneous in the support of the con-
stitution-but cosmopolitan in religion,
politics, i'll manners, customs and hab-
it's. | know il is the popular cry of re-
formers that everything foreign must
be assimlated to the American idea,
but these men place before us Il false
idea of AmericaniSm.
jefferson said there must be absolute
freedom of religion; freedom of the
press and freedom of the person. Hence
so long as the manners, customs ana
the habits of the people comport with
personal rights and liberties, as guar
the individual right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, the at
tempts of these municipal reformers u
curtail those personal rights must prove
subVersiye Of the best welfare of the
government 1t is a farce to presume
that morality can be legislated into the
Individual Because a few abuse their
personal privileges, is not a logical rea-
son for destroying the rights of all.
Although a total abstainer myself, |
am no believer in prohibition, which
has of course failed and must forever
fail To subdue the drinking passion. But
not alone because of this am l opposed
To prohibition, but because it is an in
fringement of individual rights. | am
not tolerant of the PhariSees, who APP
pealed to the law to coerce men into
accord with their views. which were SO
frequently opposed to both natural and
divine law. 1t is an unfortunate condi-
ton that politicians and officials cater
to the phariSaical sentiment and insist
on the enactment and execution OF
sumptury laws, which limit personal
freedom in an intolerable and unbear-
able degree.
We know that men who seek the as
sistance and accept the money of the
su-called liberal element before election
are insincere after election, when they
cater to the pharisaical plritanism OF
an ill-informed and bigoted minority.
the rights of the individual j protest.
1t is socialism insidiously king in
the body polite.
| stand for a greater and larger in
dividual liberty in city life than seems
to he consistent With modernized puri-
tanism which systematically springs up
in the guise of municipal reform. but
which in it's last analysis tends to the
destruction Of personal liberty | stand
for a proper and orderly observance OF
the Sunday, without in any degree cur
failing the legitimate habits, customs
and manners Of that large majority of
the people who are not and never have
been swayed by puritanical notions.
When the blue laws We're wiped off the
statute books vital blow was struck
at the socialistic tendencies of the
times. and every attempt to re-enact
sumptuary legislation i'll our day is but
another attempt to repuritaniZe the
country and give life to a contention
which was killed by the common sense
of the people several generations ago.
Innocent amuSementS, games enter
tainments, recreations, sports and pas
times, though INDUCED on Sunday, are
certainly not fit objects for legal re-
striction, and any attempt to interfere
with them must be considered as a
concession to an unreasoning, illogical
and higoted sentiment, which should
have no place in the broader intelligence
of true Americanism.
sumptuary Laws and Socialism.
] All this so-called municipal reform.
which has for its object the government
of the people by more sumptuary laws
than are compatible With the basic
principles of government. is but a spe-
cies of obnoxious socialism. and, conse-
quently | oppose It With whatever force
/ possess
Now, as | approach the conclusion. |
would say that | am opposed 10 social
ism because IL is untenable from re-
ligious, philosophical and economic
point of view. II would not accomplish
the glorious results which its yotaries
hope. but would produce quite contrary
results.
Finally, | am opposed to socialism be-
cause il is opposed to the spirit ana
genius Of our government; because ii is
at variance With the principles upon
which the government is founded.
These principles are, in my judgment,
if tigidly adhere To. capable of bringing
America To the tulfllment of the des-
Tiny which Almighty God has intended
for IT,
Socialism would ignore those princi-
pies and thus, instead Of leading the
nations of the world To higher and
nobler life. would place them in state
of intellectual, social and economic
serNitude-
AIN bDlbSFds Ill iititt Ii 6otidIlSif1f IL
cause il would destroy the harmony and
symmetry Of this. my country. My
country! a land where "of man. no man
Is slave where all men brothers are and
free" My country. destined by the
great God above to give freedom to the
doWntrodden of every land. My coun-
try. whose glorious destiny is but be-
gun. My country,
At the conclusion of the lecture Mr.
Leehey announced that a reception
would lie rendered TO Father Malone by
the Young Ladies Institute in the
rooms Of tho '96 club. to which the audi
eHce Was cordially invited The invita-
tian was accepted by almost everybody
present and the club rooms We're well
filled. The reception Was purely in
formal and proved To be highly pleas
AM and successful social event. Many
who attended took advantage Of the
occasion to meet the reverend gentle
man personally. While numerous others