Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-30

'tlIlttcu 10 communion, uGlncI IMAM
this the bishop does not let him pass.
Saloon Keeping, az "a rule the bishop de-
cides, Is practically had, and productive of
many evils; over II hangs a heavy cloud
of social and religious disgrace; eVer the
ideal saloon-kecper cannot rid himself Of
its shame and upon him, MS upon his
whole class, the Church frOWus in anger
and sorrow, and amid Catholic GATHERINGS
and Catholic works she bids him retire to
corners Of silence and obscurity.
In all that is being said the American
saloon alone Is considered. We are not
now dealing with the saloon or It's CUB
stitutes In other countries, where matters
may be better or worse and requiring a
different treatment.
The American saloon is respousib,a flr
the awful intemperance which desoiate $
the land and which Is the physical and
moral plague of our time. Tho jr.rlS
which intoxicates is dealt out in the 81
Icon, and these temptations 10 use It are
multiplied through conscious and deliber-
ate paintings. Let us waste no words on
the saloon in Sc, on the possible, or Heal,
saloon; when this is discovered, and is
something moro than a rare exception, it
Will be time to DISCUSS 1t. The saloon Of
to-day trades In and fattcns uppn intcn-
perance, and all the dire evils which az
company or follow from intemperancc are
to be laid at its door
is loyal to her professed principles but
raise her haGd In opposition to the Ameri-
can saloon, and put herself on clear rec
ord as its antagonist?
The Catholic Church does not assert
that the moderate and legitimate use Of
intoxicating drinks Is a moral evil. or
sin. Neither does she assert that the
manufacture and the sale Of Intoxicating
liquors are of themselves moral evils, or
sins. All this Is clear and undou'Dted But
there are other and important aspects OF
her teaching and practice which the Cath
olic Church will not and cannot, have us
overlook In her eyes intemperanCe Is n
sin, henous and soul-wrecking whose
victims shall not receive the kingdom OF
Heaven. For intemp she mas 4 par
ticular hatred, accounting 1t n capital sin
the prolific parent OF Immune rable sins
Intemperance is a malignant form of the
sensual Indulgence against which the
church. as the religion OF the Crucifed
One, the religion of evangelical counsels
and evangelical self-denal, is Obliged to
declare relentless war. The sub1uga ton
of sense the triumph of soul over o1dy.
Whlch come through abstinence and dis
clplinary self-Sacrificc, are throughout ho,.
whole history the predominant features
IN the holiness of her saints and hero. :
whom she holds up to us as models. Ia
temperance is on the contrary. the tri-
moods it completely annuls the action Of
me SOUL in Its weaker ones it stirs pes
SION and arms IL for victory. rhe Cath
one Church renounces her own life and
principles when she ceases to combat v it'll
all her might ntemperance, its causes
ana alliances, The American saloon is her
foe; between her and the saloon there can
be no trace
In movements making for higher moral
NE. stronger civic virtue, better govcrtI-
hleht OF men in whatever appcrtans TO
either temporal or spiritual happiness
Where Is the place of the Church of Christ
II not IN front of the most advanced COM
patahtS, as teacher aud leader? Where
else would Christ be? Where else should
be the Catholic Church, which makes the
'''im mat she is His Church, His formal
"ld commissioned representative in NOR
ais ana talth? The supernatural moving
over the Garth, unites with and confirms
the best action and aspiration of the ma
tural; else II should not be recognized as
descending from the skies. Now in the
CONVICTIONS of the American people, and
as plain matter Of fact, the American
saloon Is n personiticat!on of the vlest
Clements III our modern civilization. 1t
means, In menace and in actual work,
death to virtue, to piety of soul, TO peace
OF family, 10 the material. moral and in
tellectual welfare of the people, to the
''SN''i'' u 'Ht itpuplir. / he
church mat would prove herself to the
cou'1lry as Christs must speak Dolby
against the saloon; her sentincls must
tt'lher steep on her watch-towers nor lack
the courage OF the battlefield.
lhc pecuilar circumstances into which
the Catholic Church in America has Been
thrown create special obligation for her
10 make IN" country understand that she
Il opposed 70 the saloon The anomaly eX-
ISIS that with the principles and tradi-
uonS OF temperance and self-denlal which
we nave noted in her, the accusation has
heeh made against the Catholic Church in
america that she Is lenient toward intem-
Perahce ana courts alliance with the sa-
ICON. Nor Is me accusation devoid Of all
apparent GROUNDS.
- large proportloH or the htemperate
ana OF llquor-dealers and Saloon-keepers
OF inc country profess membership in the
N"thpiIc 'nur"h' IhlS lamentable fact
mas It's explanation. The Catholic Church
mas numerous membership among the
poorer classes of the population. The SER
want and the laborer. the occupants Of
the tenement-housc and the cheap hotel,
are very oftn Catholics. They are immi-
grants from foreign countries where pow
erty was their portion aud they do rot
accumulate wealth Immediately on reach
ing our shores. The church Is not
ashamed TO own them; ii is divine mar k
of Chr'sts church to preach .he gospel
to the poor Yet, 1t is plain, their lot sub
Jects them to strong temptations TO in
temperance. Fatigue Of body, loneliness of
heart pains of poverty. lead one to use
give monetary surcease from the hard
nt oil do 10 1nl. Il Ntx =, t,t,