The Irish standard., 1897-02-20


religion that has given the Sunday.
It is religion that has sanctified the Sum
day. 1t is religion that in great mea-
sure has consecrated human toll. As the
Founder of the Christian religion Him
self earned his bread by his daily toll,
it is religion that has given consolation.
comfort and hope to the poor, hardwork-
ing man. He is entitled to go at least
one day Of the week when, If he wishes
he may side by side with his millionaire
employer, worship the God who made
them both, and who placed within them
both, their immortal souls. (Applause.)
Now, this general disregard of law
for if I understand anything about our
laws they are violated when the Sunday
is thus desecrated-leads to the opening
of the saloons. So many men are en-
ployed, so many men are engaged in ma
ny instances in dangerous and fatiguing
employment, that the saloon has some
pretext or excuse. 1t would be, very con-
yenient for them to get their Sunday
drink. There was a time when man
made the excuse why a saloon should
he so convenient to the church that when
people had been listening to the service
cn Sunday morning and had the mis-
fortune of listening 10 an especially dry
preacher, it would be very great con-
yenience for them to be able to get g
drink when the sermon was over.
Uaughter) d. -. .....s .,s....,-,-:.-
We have heard great deal of non
sense and a'gerat deal Of buncombe about
free country and the liberty and the
rights of the individual and personal lib
erty This phrase personal liberty, in
whose name many crimes against God
and man have been committed. has been
re-echced in our ears. The truth Of the
matter is that class of peopte don't know
what the word liberty means. They
never understood it's meaning. They
imagine that liberty means that it shall
be their right to do just as they please
That it shall be their privilege to fasten
upon the people of this country their
bad customs, their simple ways, their lax
morality, and that in the name of liberty
the people of this. country shall be pow
erless to defend themselves. Why, my
dear friends, Hber.y does not mean that
every man snall have the right Of doing
just as he pleases. Liberty does not
mean that every man shall be permitted
to carry out his own peculiar notions
and whims with regard to right and
wrong. But liberty. means that your
right and mine shall be safe-guarded
and defended by the laws of human So
ciety and that we shall be protected in
their exercise. (Applause.) That was
what Thomas Jefferson meant when he
placed those immortal words in the con-
stitution that every man had God-giyen
and inalienable right to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. (Applause.)
We are not asking for the enactment
Of new laws. I do not believe we need
any new legislation, but I do believe
that we need the earnest enforcement OF
the laws that we have, and If we do
not demand their enforcement. do not
I imagine that we will get it.. And the
hest wayto get it is to hold UP before the
public gaze the awful condition of things
existing in our midst. It would seem to
us now that the only tendency Of the
administration Of law is to protect the
vicious classes against being abused by
honest people. daughter and ap-
lause)
If you think that is an exaggeration,
Just watch the way these people are
taken care Of, see the way they are pro-
tected, see the way they are permitted
to flaunt their shame in the faces Of the
people so that there can be no nlisunder-
standing whatever about where the
devils work is done. / do not think
there is any great exaggeration in
stating that the administration OF law
as it is commonly conducted seems to be
Lux tLt SpCCldl pun pOoC VI PASN SAIAAIG
the honest people from interfering with
the rights of the rascals. daughter and
applause.)
I believe we can waken a strong and
healthy public sentiment that will COM
pel at least reasonable enforcement of
the law. We ought to do It in the name
of humanity, and for the sake of the
liquor seller himself. No man is more
in need of the ministrations of religion
than he. Why should he be prevented
from the opportunity Of worshipping God
on Sunday morning and saying his
prayers? daughter and applause) For
the saloonkeepers sake himself let us
give him a chance to 60 to church and
get down upon his knees and ask Gods
pardon for the sins he has committed.
Let us close up the saloons on Sunday.
(Appiause.) ---.. -.--