The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-01-06
CATHOLIC TEMPERANCE WORK.
Father Doyle on the Aims and Results OF the
Total Abstinence Movement.

INV goNtN W. 49, -'
Total Abstinence Movement.
The organized movement FOR total absti-
nence In the Catholic Church Of America has
grown from the few thousand Members oil
thirty years ago to a well-disclplIned army
Of 81, i37. These members are all pledged
TO abstain from intoxicating drinks in any
form. and 60 prevent as much as possible,
by advice and example, the lin Of iutemper-
ance in others and to discountenance tho
drinking customs Of society They are adj
United into the various societies and preserve
their good standing therein only on the con-
dition that they take and keep this pledge.
The societies, numbering g53. are organ
lied on various models. Sometimes they
are religious sodalities meet ~ In the church
with little or no voice in the regulation ~
their internal affairs. or they are clubs manag-
ing clubhouses with gymnasiums and lbrarles
and preserving in their own hands the d!-po-
sitlon Of their funds, The national orgauiza-
ton with which they are affiliated, the Cath
olio Total Abstinence Union Of America.
allows the fullest liberty 10 individual SO
cieties 70 conduct their own affairs a they
please. insisting only that the members shan
be Catholic by complying with tho yearly
duty OF Catholics and that they he tai an
stainers. The organization Is compact and
we'll d sciplined and readily cuts away from
it, rolls Of Membership any societies or In
dividuals who do not come w % IT, standards
Speaking Of the growth and future Of tenn
perance work In the Catholic Church the Rev
A. p. Doyle, general secretary Of tie national
organization. recently said
While the bald statement Of si,A37 mem-
ber.hip i. the measure OF the organized move
ment In the Catholic Church. it does not by
any means represent the extent Of its in
fuence. The best work Of TIE organization
has been that OF a leavcn. 4 few generations
ago there was very little ~ the total abstinence
sentiment among Catholics. Many 81 them
came to this country from the wlne-drinkIug
counties Of Europe. where total abstinence
a. well az drunkenness was unknown, and
to them the idea Of abstainlng entirely nom
intoxicating drinks was unheard OF II
was fifty years ago when Father Mathew
made his memorable trip through the states.
and pledged over $4,000, In all the large
cities from Boston t. New ufieauN or
movement to-day i, the ,outsr""i ~ Of ms
work. Fearing that hi. labol- would Ice bat
an eph emeral enott, hts d~l-ciple- created
the organization whi,h no" beai, the total
active members. many .of tho, hlrrarcht,
notably, Archbishop ireland Of, st PAU,
bishop Williams u Boston. Archhi-hop Elder
OF Cincinnati, a great number Of heBi,hup~
and n thOu-Aui or more OF IN" ITlert-, NhlIo
the bulk Of the organization j. mai" w "f l"o-
p.a In al RAMS y society. There l. a society
known as the Amethyst club in Chicago
composed eNclu.iveiy II Lawyers, ana AT
other in ohio whose membership Is con-
fined entiI ely 70 lriests
II he growth durlhs the LAST few wears
has been phenomenal. In 1892 We numbered
but 5000. In 1900 We" ar" sl,I57, and uow
We are reaching out for n" iuO.oou marx
Besides the profesSod members there arr
our work In their homes. through the ban
that has been put on the social glass oth,r
fraternal orGnnizltions hy means ~ the pub
themselves So strengthened 40 10 r".I~"
TO allow llGuor-sellers TO become members.
and 1t Is not an unusual thing now. To- H.
large gathering al banquet, during which
no wine ~ served
Another great good the nltional %orrani-
zation has done IL 20 rresoIye the temper
n nee movement among Catholics WHOLESOME"
and well within tre lines Of conservative"
orthodoxy The value Of, his statement
the radical principles 81 unRuidod move
ment. To have preserved a movement
from being invaded BY TN. cr,a9rk or ~ IT,"
fanatic ia a great gain in itself, The truths
that We stard for do not include the state
ment that the Us" 81 Intoxicating drinks
il an evil IN itself. bur IL j. rather the abU~"
TINT We condemn We are lsagu"d against
the vice Of i0tcrTcrnuCe. and our opposition
is reserved for all that encourages and fosters
we are against to unregulat"d saloon.
We have refused constantly. t. ally ourScIv".
with the IrohiffIOui-tS, ana nav" N''bl pNIN
for the greatest of al revolutionary meas
ures. that Of uc"-'ual total abstinence W"
do not assert that hguor H. 'pdi,iUl W -, ~
even that tho Use NJ II - wrong but ~" do
affirm that owing t. the tyranny of drII-
ing customs very often orlig.rg a man -
drink more than IL good tor hs lead .r h-
abandon the use Of drunk altog.tH"r. Who
we do not say that every one Is bound 20 total
abstinence still We applaud the man who can
and will abstain and II be docs 80 from a
higher motive we say thnt he NAV serve
God and his fcllow-man better. We favor
the statutory law regulating the saloon
by law, hut we know that every law that
shields the cit'1on from DANCE, thHt g@r"'"'ts
NJ vice. Is a blessing 10 society aud q cu-
zeuship.
ence and foresight that as tho years 90 on
IN ere will be an Increasing need pf a vigorous
crusade The brilliant and restless ,Gctiyity
speaking races IN the lead ~ modern Civltl2a-
tion has had "a one OF its waSt" PRODUCTS
the vice Of intemFerance W. ]coI,',pe
nerc' -t-iviugS nf mercantile life generate
a strained vitality and ,"verwronsht n"rv,,
Of alcohol to whip M their lasgirg "ncr cI'-.
our modern WAYS Of living eouorat" ~" cN-
c"s-iy" use Of intoNicatlrr drink 50. nri.e
Drunkenness cuntiuucs 10 b." Ur"ya ori
there vii also b" n necessity Tor a." "'I-t-
"nc" of. m eEtra"rdi"lr" .r"r'"dY TOR
social di-ea-" This "Ntia"-iI'nry remedy
j. the practice Of total abstinence
Moreover. ther" j. an a,l-uoNrriuI and
ftr-rcaching American in-titltl'n winch has
tm for ~'s sicot"" ii''"iT T is The .aI,"r wii0craa
there are 50 manv saloons, and D"' -cguo''.r
Uui"ss th"y Deliberately -ot =" WORK :" 10
veiop q ta-'" for Alcoholic Thor" are meth
ODD peculiar - roe tad" WITCH hgv, tor
thor direct purpo-" IA" cultivation 81 tu"
These no" some ~ tho rcasors Wv
believe hat there viii be % continued DO
Tll Ii tAT A % NrAnA Z tH nor NHHt. lT.atIt