The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-01
APPEAL TO THE CLERGY.
Bishop Urges Priests to Work For
Temperance

Temperance.
Bishop Tierney, president of the
Catholic Total Abstinence Union of
America, has issued letter to the
Catholic clergy, in which he says:
THE spiritual welfare of millions of
souls is wrapped UP in the future pros
perity of our country. AS water will
not rise higher than it's source, so
government by the people will never be
any better than the moral standards
OF the people who constitute 1t. Grave
evils are already menacing our nation
al institutions. The lack of religious
teaching among the young is sapping
their spiritual strength. The preva-
lence of the divorce abomination is
tearing down the social fabric by dis
rupting the family and destroying the
home, but along with these two, and
indeed, with equal virulence with them,
is third. 1t is the drink plague.
"The university and malignity of
the evil of drunkenness are patent to
anyone whose outlook is over the coun-
try and who with discerning eyes stud
les the lives of the people. While the
clergy have made almost superhuman
efforts to stem the tide Of intemper-
ance, they have had almost insuperable
forces to contend against. They have
had certain climatic tendencies to
counteract They have had to contend
against deep-seated craving for alco
holic stimulant; they have had to over
come certain rooted prejudices as to the
nutritious value of intoxicating drink,
as well as false notions of social hos
pitality But most of all they have had
to strive against an omnipresent agen-
cy coming from the organized liquor
traffic, with it's 100000 saloons centers
of activity Many are the ways sug-
gested whereby the evil Of intemper-
ance may be destroyed One may have
certain favorte methods of his own To
us it makes very little difference what
legitimate methods are pursued if only
results are obtained. Our complaint is
only against inactivity
las an organization, we believe in
the gospel of total abstinence. The
Holy Father has said that the practice
Of total abstinence is the proper and
truly afficacious remedy for this great
evil. We believe that total abstinence
Is necessary for the drunkard; we be-
lieve that it is good for all others, and
especially in the face of the evil of in
temperance it puts into ones hand
powerful weapon to fight the enemy.
Certainly by how much more the prac-
tice Of total abstinence is adopted, by
so much the less does the vice of drunk
enness prevail.
"The Catholic Total Abstinence
Union Is the official and duly authoriz-
ed organization in the church in these
United States whereby the sentiment Of
total abstinence is encouraged, and it's
statements and practices are guarded
from all danger Of fanaticism. For
more than a quarter of a century this
organization has done vigorous work
against the drink evil, and has done it
with an unblemished record for pru-
dence in speech and wisdom in action.
1t has gradually grown from a mere
handful of twenty-five years ago until
to-day it is the largest fraternal and
religious association in the church of
America, embracing a membership of
$4,000.
Now, as the dawn of another GEN.
fury is Frightening the sky, we appeal
to the priesthood of our land to make
still more vigorous onslaught against
the hydra headed evil of drunken
ness. The ranks of the temperance
hosts are increasing steadily and rap
idly, but we would have your assistance
to make that increase tenfold In re-
turn we shall lend you the strength
that comes from our great organiza-
ton, in order that you, may more eff
fectually carry on this most sacred
warfare"