The Irish standard., 1898-08-27
OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE PEOPLE
Convened to Promote Temperance
in Boston, Mass.
CALM, CONVINCING DISCOURSE
Dispensing Liquor to Soldiers In
Military Camps.

AT the recent convention of the C. T.
A. U. of America, held in Boston, at
which 1900 delegates attended, the fol-
lowing admirable address was delivered
by the retiring national president, Rev.
j. Nj. Clcary, of Minneapolis:
Fellow Total Abstainers After an
interval of 10 years, we meet again in
this city of culture, to quicken our zeal
and strengthen our forces for the pro-
motion of Christian sobriety. The re-
peated declaration Of principles record
cd by the Catholic total abstainers Of
this country must make clear to every
lnquiring man the honest aims and no.
bic purpose of our total abstinence So
cietics. These arc established and
maintained for the sublime purpose,
solely, OF bettcrng human lives. Like
religion itself, whose influence gives life
to our societies, our Catholic temper
ance movement pursues its unselfish
work, from motives of love Of God and
humanity, not from any motive of fa-
natical hatred against our fellow men,
or against legitimate business interests.
Those who imagine that the spirit Of
Catholic total abstaincrs is suggestive
Of pharseeism, or of fanatical intolcr-
ancc of the rights OF others, have not
given candid consideration to our cause
during the past quarter Of a century, or
they have totally misunderstood It's no.
bic aims. Earnest advocates of Catho-
| lie total abstinence arc misrcpresentod
and maligned, when scoifcd at as un-
reasoning fanatics, stubbornly clinging
to ono remedy for one great evil, and
Indifferent to other means for the pro-
motion of virtue. 1t is stupidity absurd
to assert that total abstainers are blind
| to the ravagcs OF every vice except the
ono bancful vice OF intemperance. We
are neither hypocrites nor towards. We
make no prctcnsions OF greater sanctity
than other men. We are not deluded
by tho vain cOncet that temperance Is
! the only Christian virtue, or that It's
only true development IL found In total
abstinence from alcoholic stimulants,
/ WV hi'oL Nll'ClIuIly wv" Jul SpCCIul
advocacy of voluntary total abstinence
us the most efilcacious remedy against
tho manifold evils OF intcmpcruncc We
glory in prOcaiming to the world that
we havo enlisted for the war against
king nlcohol's reign. AS far as in us
lies, to tho extent Of our influence and
power, the drink curse shall not In
| crease tho miscrics of the poor. We
| hopo to instruct and influence, by agita-
| tion and personal example, the masses
of the people away from sophIstries and
/ tho degradation Of intoxicating drink.
Tho drink habit is intrenched in So
| cial custom We must follow it into So
| ciety and expose it's dcceitful preten-
slons, without un1uly mcddling with tho
rights and liberties of our neighbors.
The drink habit aims to strengthen IT.
| self, and to perpctuate Its power, by
| appealing to national prcjudices and
| long standing traditions. Our aim, as
honest Catholics, must be to establish
| tho fact that this work Of elevating the
people from the thraldom OF abnormal
appetite, recognizes no national lines,
no national prcjudices, and we will not
be diverted from our unsclfsh aim of
bcnefting all the people by any hypo-
| critical cry Of national bigotry or ma
tional prejudice. We arc total abstain
ers after the spirit of the Church of
God. our mother, our divinely appointed .
| teacher and uncrring spiritual guide.
We have no ambition but to follow her
commands and respect her counsels, for
the spiritual and moral welfare of all
the people of this fair land. We are
not so foolish as to claim greater wis
dom than our spiritual guides. We are
| loyal to the authority and to the spirit
Of the church in this country.
! For this reason, US Catholic body,
united for the promotion of the cardi-
nal virtue OF temperance, and for i'm
peding the progress Of the drink power;
as a Catholic organization that has al
ways sought to merit the approval Of
| the church, we are justified in record
ing our earnest protest against the man
ufacture and public sale of lager beer,
or other intoxicating beverages in Cath
olic institutions The men who thus
defy public opinion in this country and
| who, under special privileges, secured
! under different circumstances, evade the
| legislation Of the church councils, may
| be better men and better Catholics by
far, than we. They may have rendered
! greater service to religion in this coun-
try than has been rendered by all the
total Abstainers combined.
Total abstainers will yield to none in
| their readiness to do them generous JUS