The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-20

report, wherein 1t quoted him as say
ing that he deprecated the fact that
the clergy did not take a more active
interest in c. T. A. u. work. He
claimed he made no such assertion,
and that Furthermore, it was far from
being the truth, as the clergy of the
Boston diocese are heart and soul
with the union and its work.
The Tribune takes pleasure in COM
plying with the request of the conven-
tion that the newspapers place Rev.
Father Scully in the light in which
he wishes to stand. 1t would further
state that the reverend gentleman did
say that he regretted the absence of
the clergy" from Father Mathew meet
ings and his failure to qualify this
remark, coupled with the fact that the
writer was not acquainted with the
condition of affairs in the Boston do
cese, led to the Interpretation given his
remarks. 1t now appears, from after
explanations, that it is the fault of the
societies referred to and not the clergy
that they do not have spiritual direc-
tors, the societies in question holding
aloof from the union and declining to
elect spiritual directors.
hEfotLlO , vi of lSEIND.
The first business taken up was the
reports of officers. ]. Washington Lo-
que, the first vice president, made the
first report. He stated that the mem
bership is now $4,000, and that the c..
| T. A. y. is bound to be an irresistible
power for good. He advised the organ
| ization of boys and girls societies,
| and thought that 100000 juveniles
| should be enrolled during the coming
year.
Second Vice President ]. f. Brennan,
| of Connecticut, coincided the plan of
open meetings, and lectures, and also
gave his Endorsement to the idea of
| increased effort in the formation of
| cadet societies.
Mrs. Lenora NJ. Lake, the third vice.
| president read a very entertaining re-
port of her work during the year. She
| organized seven societies, delivered
sixty lectures and wrote four hundred
and two letters in connection with the
work.
The annual address of the president,
Rev. James M. Cleary, of Minneapolis,
| was a strong and thoughtful effort.
| Touching upon the relation of the
Catholic church to the liquor traffic, he
said that the saloon business has be-
come now something more than "a
dangerous business and unbecoming
way of making living" as the plen-
ary council decreed. mo excuse can
be offered" he said. "and no defense
made for the deadly injury that has
! been done to our Catholic people and
to the grand name of the church, in
this country, by those protesting the
Catholic faith of self-denial, who have
conducted, often in a most unbecom-
ing manner. the dangerous and de-
grading business of ministering to dis.
eased appetite for strong drink.
BECAME A SCANDAL.
"The Catholic saloonkeeper has be-
come an odious scandal to the Catholic
name, and too often the fruitful cause
of debasement, poverty and wretched
ness of his co-religionists and country
men. While in the abstract it may bt
no sin to sell intoxicating drink, and nc
sin TO conduct a liquor saloon within
the limits prescribed by law, in prac
tice in this country today, the saloor
business is something more than
dangerous business. AS a business /
has become disreputable because of it,
|
affairs of the people, of its persisten
violation of existing laws, and of it
tendency to propagate vice and de
moralize the people,"
He also severely denounced the tend
ency to desecrate the Lords Day b,
the saloon people and called upon al
, Catholic, and particularly the total alb
stainers, to uphold the arm of tn
church in its war against this scanda
lous evil. The union, he said, can no
; enter politics, but he urged the mem
: bers, individually, to lend their aid I
. every good citizenship league, law en-
forcement organization and especially
; the Sunday closing movement. Societ
looks to the Catholic church for assist
ance in these movements and shoul
not be disappointed.
The report of the treasurer, Rev
Father MaMahon, showed a balance o
hand of 81, ,101.01.
A The report of the secretary, Rev.
p. Doyle, shows that there are no,
914 societies in the union with a tota
4 membership of 77,254. The 591 adult sc
: cieties pumber 1924 members; 1874 ca
2 det societies have a membership {
! 14,149, and 129 ladies' societies numbe
b 6,632 membrs There are 80 subordir
4 ate unions and thirty-five detached sc
5 cieties at present constituting the ma
q tiooal union.
NEW SOCIETIES.
: During the year "A new societies, wit
: a membership Of 3,459. have been er