The Irish standard., 1898-08-27


hands The trend of the times is not
in the direction OF creating opportuni-
ties for the employment Of men, is not
favorable to the wage-earning classes,
but is In the direction of marvellous in
genuity for dispensing with men, and
for constructing machinery. The result
very naturally is that the employer of
labor can afford to be more exacting,
and only the skillful, the sober, the in
dustrious and persevering can succeed.
The world is too busy and life is too
short to spend precious moments in
patient forbearance with Incorporate
men. A drinking man is drag on the
business that is inflicted with his pres
ence. A clear head. a steady hand and
an unclouded mind are needed in these
active days to keep pace with the march
of the machine that never gets drunk,
that never murmurs over long hours,
and that never rebels against the mas
ter's orders.
All thinking men understand very
clearly now what it was not an easy
matter to make Ineligible TO the many
few years ago, namely, that strong
drink, even in moderate doses, impairs
the efficiency of man in every line of
human activity. The testimony of vet
Grams on long marches confirms the to-
tai abstinence theory, as it demonstrates
beyond all question that the hardships
Of camp and field are endured with far
greater ease by total abstainers than by
those VINO are stimulated by alcohol
The unequaled example of alertness in
action. of superior skill in deadly COM
bat given 10y our we'll disciplined seamen
at Santiago, must convince the world Of
the practical wisdom Of inspiring brave
men to heroic deeds of valor, not by the
wasting fires of alcoholic stimulants,
but by the more elevating and refining
principles Of intelligent training and
sober preparation for their work. Had
the officers and men on the noble Ore
gon been inspired by strong drink, in
stead of being, as they were, under
American naval discipline, free from it's
poisonous influences, the stars and
stripes would not float in triumph over
emancipated Cuba today.
Tender regard for our soldier boys,
oppressed by the pitiless heat of a tropi-
Cal cline, far removed from the whole
some influences Of home and friends.
compels us to protest against the shock
Ing abuses that have arisen as a result
OF dispensing intoxicating liquor at the
canteen stands in our military camps.
The soldiers of our volunteer army, ac-
cording to the press reports, are unable
to draw their scanIy pay for the pur-
chase of wholesome food and necessary
comforts, but they are permitted to
draw half their salaries in beer checks,
and if they do not get drunk too often,
they are permitted to draw three
fourths of it in this way. 1t is unbe-
coming and disgraceful for a govern
ment like ours, that can Justly boast of
superior intelligence, and of high ideals,
to thus connive at schemes for the de-
bauchng Of our valiant army The
regimental canteen must vanish under
the protest Of an indignant people, who
demand that their brave soldiers shall
not be unnecessarily exposed to such
debasing temptations. and that the eff
ficiency Of our army shall not be inn
paired to crafty the shameless greed of
the liquor traffic.
We have abundant reason to feel en-
couraged and to continue our labors for
the sacred cause Of Catholic total alb.
stinence. A large percentage of the
young men and women, who now work
with zeal and devotion for the advance
ment OF Christian sobriety in our ranks,
have never known the taste of intoxi-
eating drink They have been welded
to this work since the tender years of
childhood, and form the secure founda-
tion for stable total abstinence societies
In their mature years. We shall, there
fore, continue our labors with greater
zeal, and more lively energy than ever
before. We must save our young men
from saloon temptations. make an hon
vi dUic IcLOlu lOT themselves, 1S earn
est and intelligent Catholics against the
debaslng power Of the liquor saloon.
We should unite our Influence with
every anti-saloon league and with every
honest movement of our fellow citizens
against the dangerous power of the sa
loon We know that it Is the deadly
enemy OF our church and of all the e,e-
waiting influences it may be able to
bring to bear upon our people. In sea-
son and out of season. therefore, we
must warn the unwary against the sa-
loon. encourage the weak to persevere in
the safe path of total abstinence and
convince the most skeptcal of tho ne
cesSity of our Intentions Of the earnest
ness OF our purpose and of the sacred
ness of our cause.
HOw's Yhlnl
We offer One Hundred Dollars re-
ward for any case of Catarrh that cannot
l,o 1.,;t