The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-28
FOR TEMPE
Bishop Tierney's Eloquent
Appeal to the Roman
Catholic Clergy.
TO PROMOTE TOTAL ABSTINENCE
What the National Union Has
Done to Check Intemper-
ance Among the
Churches.
TO PROMOTE TOTAL ABSTINENCE

Rt. Rev. Michael Tierney, D. D., Bishop
of Hartford, as president of the Catholic
Total Abstinence Union of America, has
issued a letter, which has been sent to
all member of the Roman Catholic
clergy of the country and will be in their
hands on February 1. 1t is entitled, "An
Appeal to the Catholic Clergy of the
United States From the Executive Coun-
ell Of the C. II. A. U. of A."
In the letter Bishop Tierney says
There is no body of men who have in
their hands the power to secure the
future well being of this great country
equal to the priesthood of the Catholic
Church.
TT is truthfully stated that the civic in
situations of America depend for their
permanency on a deep-seated spirit of
religion and a love or virtue among the
people. The Catholic Church is the
church of the plain people of the land,
and while its priests have commanded the
respect of all classes. they have in a
special way commanded the love and
veneration of the great masses. The
people look up to them as leaders, and in
matters of spiritual concern TO them
far for than to any other body
of men do they turn for advice.
Their words are listened 10, because they
not only speak with authority tempered
by love, but they have what is jus as
necessary, the power to enforce their re-
quests, not only from the pulpit and at
the bedside, but through the confessional
as well.
THE spiritual welfare of millions OF
souls is wrapped UP in the future prosper
ity of our country. 1t has been asked
whether his largest and latest develop
ment of Christian civilization will be the
brightest and the best. The answer Is
conditioned not so much on our marvel
lous material prosperity as it is on our
strong moral fibre and the industry ana
zeal with which we, as a people, endeavor
to cope with the evils which are threaten
ing our spiritual well-beins.
Gas water will not rise higher than its
source so a government by the people
will never be any better than the moral
standards of the people who constitute 1t.
Various evils are already menaclng our
national institutions. The lack OF reiglous
teaching among the young IS sapplng
their spiritual strength. The prevalence
of the divorce abomination is tearing
down the social fabric, by disrupting the
family and destroying the home; put
along with these two, and indeed with
equal virulence with them, is a third. 1t
is the drink plague.
.'The universally and malignity OF the
evil of drunkenness are patent to any one
whose outlook is over the country, and
who with discerning eyes studies the
lives of the people.
because the priesthood of the Catholic
4 - go. L.. -,o,xr hooip i o. nDn-
stantly and fearlessly antagonized both
the spirit Of goddess education, as well as
the divorce evil, the Catholic people have
been almost completely saved from their
blighting influences. Divorce is practically
unknown amongst US, and 1t seldom nap
pens nowadays that any large body OF
our children grow up ignorant OF their ou-
ii s to COD or to themselves. But with
the evil of intemperance it IS different.
owing to congeries of social conditions be-
yond any ones control, as well as lnhu-
ences coming from racial characteristics
there has not been the same success
achieved in stamping out this latter eVll
as has been attained in regard to the Tor
mer two. The Fathers of the Baltimore
Council have said: There can be no man
ner Of doubt that the abuse of intoxi-
eating drinks is TO be reckoned among
the most deplorable evils of this country.
This excess is an unceasing stimulant TO
vice and a fruitful source of misery; vast
numbers of men and entire families are
plunged into hopeless ruin, and multltudes
of souls are by it dragged headlong into
perdition. Hence, it behooves all Chris
tians to be filled with zeal agains, SEAS
vice, and for love of country to endeavor
to root out this pestilential evil
while the clergy have made almost SUI
perhuman efforts TO stem the tide OF in
temperance, they have had almost lEsu-
perable forces to contend against. Ihey
have had certain climatic tendencies to
counterfeit. They have had to contend
against a deep seated craving for alcoholic
st1mulant. They have had to overcome
certain rooted prejudices as to the nutrl-
tious value of Intoxicating drink as well
as false notions of social hospitality.
.sBlit most of all, they have mad to
strive against an omnipresent agency
coming from the organized liquor traffic,
with it's 200, 600 saloon centres OF activity
an agency whose effect has been not
simply to satisfy the legitimate thirst OF
the people, but to develop and foster, and
thus increase. the craving for Intoxicating
drink. when the NUMBER anu diihosl X
resistable influence of these drunkard-
making agencies are considered, the mar
vel is that intemperance is not a more
prevalent evil than it is. God knows it is
bad enough. We have but to look about
us to see the sickness and poverty and
wretchedness and disaster. in a temporal
point of view, that are caused by it. To-
eether with this the damnation of souls
for whom Christ died that is brought
about by it's malevolent influence is
enough to wiring ones very. heart. "A
voice of mourning and lamentation, of
Rachel weeping for her children and re-
fusing to be comforted because they are
not is but a feeble wall compared to the
widespread distress and g~rievings that
have followed in the wake OF the wither-
ing scourge of drunkenness as it passed
and repassed over the land.
The Divine Master is waiting for the
day when the whole army of his priest
hood will gather again for a renewed on
set against this most destructive vice.
The fathers of the Council again say: 1T
is from the priests of the Church that
we especially hope for assistance in this
work. Let them never cease to cry out
boldly against drunkenness and whatso-