The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-09

One of the most interesting and busy
quarterly conventions ever conducted
by the members of the Catholic Total
Abstinence societies of the First dis
trict of the Scranton Diocesan Union
was the one held yesterday afternoon
in st. Joseph's hall, Minooka. There
were upwards of 100 delegates present
and in addition to much important
business transacted, the election of Of
fcers for the coming year took place.
The officers elected were as follows:
President, w. j. Daniels; secretary,
p. j. Gallagher; treasurer, Thomas
Cummings; district board, NJ. S. La
velle and Miss Margaret Durkin; Or
ganizer of ladies' and cadet societies,
Mrs. Charles Lasher. All OF these
were elected unanimously.
Mr.. Daniels at first had an oppo-
nent for the presidency in Frank Nc
Lain, who received forty votes to his
sixty-five. When the result was an
nounced, Mr.. McLain voluntarily with
drew and moved that Mr.. Daniels be
elected unanimously. President DAN
iels succeeds himself as president,
while the secretary and treasurer are
new officers, succeeding Thomas Big
lin and j. c. Gallagher respectively.
INSURANCE FEATURE.
The most important question con-
sidered during the convention was as
to whether or not an insurance fea-
turc should be adopted by the dis
trict. At the last convention, held in
April, a committee was appointed to
submit a plan of Insurance at yester-
days convention.
This plan was submitted and pro-
vided for the organization Of the var
ious societies in the district into q
mutual benefit association, each mem.
Der to pay a certain monthly assess
ment and to be in return insured fol-
81. 900, payable to his relatives upor
his death.
There was a deal of discussion upor
this question and 1t was finally de-
cided not to adopt the plan, as 1t was
the general opinion that is would dis
tract a large portion of the mem.
bers from the real purpose of the or
ganizatlon, namely, the total absti'
nence cause. The committee was ten
dered a rising vote of thanks for it:
labors.
nunciation of the speakeasy evil wa:
made by j. c. Gallagher in a papel
read by him on the topic, THE Alpha
and Omega of Drunkenness as Found
in the Customs and Usages of So
ciety." Referring to the speakeasy
Mr.. Gallagher said:
What are these places? They ar'
reservoirs of crime; cesspools of ini
guilty; dens Of infamy; crematories o
all that is grand and noble in imam
hood: virtuous in womanhood; fac
tories for murderers and jail birds, ant
! they are known in every community o
! late by the euphonious name of speak
easles.
"The man who visits these resorts is
in my opinion, destitute of all the pre-
requisites of a gentleman and has ye
to learn the duties of manhood and 0
American citizenship.
THEY ARE NUMEROUS.
80 numerous have these places be
| come of late that in some localities
| they may be found only two doors from
each other. To a visiting stranger the!
must appear as if they existed at tn
connivance of our chief magistrate AM
| of our county detective, whose asinin
| gyratiOns and moral cowardice may b
| likened to the colors in Joseph's coat.
But no matter how strongly in
| trenched they may seem to be, the tol
OF their death knell is heard upon tn
air and through legal suasion, If no
| by moral suasion, they will soon b
buried in the grave with the approva
of ninety per cent. Of the citizens o
| the county.
"The time has come when II is you
bounden duty to aid and assist you
pastors and any other body of citizen
in suppressing these plague spots an,
blots upon the body politic whereve
| found"
| Another interesting paper on "Som
Visible Defects in the Total Abstinenc
Societies" was read by Miss Margare
Durkin, a most accomplished younl