The Irish standard., 1900-06-30
Various Temperance Reports
are Very Gratifying.
PROCEEDINGS DURING THB SESSION
The Officers Duly Elected for
the Ensuing Year.

ne NdtnOuC lOCdl AOSClIltI1Ce OHlOll
of the Archdiocese OF St. Paul held its
twenty-ninth annual convention June 80
and FL, at Association hall in this city.
Ninety delegates, representing thirty-six
societies and total membership ex-
ceeding 5000, participated in the pro-
ceedings of the convention.
The convention opened with solemn
high mass at the church OF the Immac-
ulate Conception Rev. P. R. Hebron,
rector of St. Paul seminary, was the
celebrant. He was assisted by Fathers
Duffy and Maui of the Immaculate
Conception church. The sermon was
preached by Bishop McGolrick Of Du-
luth, who spoke as follows:
Brethren of the Total Abstinence So
cieties of the Archdiocese of St. Paul:
cordially congratulate you on the good
achieved during this last year in the
midst of many difficulties.
Never was needed more united eff
fort in behalf OF temperance than in this
closing year OF the nineteenth century.
Owing, in great measure, to the
formation of many societies, benevolent,
cooperative and social, men are natu-
rally attracted by these features and
easily withdraw from any association
which has for its foundation the prac-
tice of self-denial.
Around lis everywhere, humanity, for
getful of the law OF Christ, is engaged
in the pursuit OF pleasure, in the graft
fcation of the passions, regardless Of
the right or wrong defined by Gods
law
The Catholic church has ever kept be-
fore her children the necessity Of re-
straint; in fact, all true religion must
of its very nature mean a constant
watchfulness lest the world and its false
naxims may lead us astray. This is the
world ever hostile to Christ, for which
He would not pray, eagerly running
after riches, pleasure, and supposed
progress, with all their faith transferred
from the gospel of Jesus Christ to
whatever science or trade or politics can
bring
Long ago the Divine Master taught
the world the true way to happiness.
and the secondary place OF temporal
goods, when He said: "Seek ye first
the Kingdom OF God and His Justice,
and all these things shall be added unto
YOU" Matt, vi. 80.
Almost within the very hearing of
this audience are assembled men,
Choice spirit" -"good fellows
whose gathering gives the lie to the
self-denial preached by Christ, showing
clearly that "the natural man receiveth
not the things OF the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness unto him."
Women forgetful Of the rules of or
binary dccency, hinging to the winds
that reserve which forms the best safe
guard for purity; the eye assailed by
representations which would disgrace
the Turk, and the ear attacked by OBJ
scenities and blasphemies!
Invitations held out to visitors, calling
on them to remember that they were
not to enter into Sunday school,"
these and much more painful enough
to enumerate, show the spirit and the
tendency of our poor fallen human ma
ture unguarded and unrestrained. God
alone could tell the extent OF the evil
done at such gatherings, and yet in face
OF it all, UP would spring thousand
defenders of the merry gathering" and
declare that there was no evil, or if
there was, that it was merely incidental
to every large crowd.
Mention of such an occurrence is
made to show some of the difficulties in
the way of the total abstinence move
nlent, but we are cheered by the warm
est good wishes of the thousands of
thinkers who have the best interests of
humanity at heart. Everyday happen
ings bring before us the magnitude Of
the evil against which we have to con-
tend.
Crime, pauperism, ignorance, waste of
means. ruin of family life, disease and
murder, these are some of teh sad re-
suits of intoxication.
With all the long roll of fellow-crea-
lures ruined-the jails, warehouses, re-
tormatories and asylums packed almost
to overlooking, are we to stand idly by
and do nothing?
Who does not see the evils for church
and state that alcohol is ever bringing
forth?
The drunkard's boy, neglected and
ignorant knowing no self-control, has
copied his father and learns to give his
passions full sway.
For him there is no age of innocence.
Born into heritage of vice, in a little
while, he finds his place in our already
crowded reformatories or soon gradu-
ates in the school Of crime.