The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-17
FR)NNS ON MRS. NATION
CARDINAL GIBBONS BLAMI1S KAN
SAS GOVERNMENT FOR NOT
ENFORCING STATUTES
PROHIBITION IS A FAILURE
Has Never Been Able to Convince
Himself That Total Abstinence
Is Essential to
Morality.

Cardinal Gibbons, head of the Roman
Catholic church in America. and for
other reasons as we'll, recognized as a
leader of thought, has made an emphatic
declaration in reference to the present
hnu-saloon crusade i'll the West. Not
only does he condemn tho methods of
Mrs. Carrie Nation and her followers,
but he pronounces total abstinence I'M
necessary and commendS the moderate
use Of alcoholic liquors. He considers
prohibition failure. because it cannot
be enforced. His position is in opposition
70 that Of Archbishops Corrigan and
ireland.
In view of the fact that the Catholic
Total Abstinence union is one of the
strongest associations Of the church, tIe
cardinals utteranceS on these questions
VIII attract wide attention. They APP
peared in the following interview in the
Baltimore Herald Sunday.
MODERATE DRINKING NOT WRONG.
I have never been able to convince
myself said the cardinal, that what we
call total abstinence Is essential to NOR
atty. The moderate and occasional use
OF alcoholic liquors is not to be condemn
ed. In countries like France and Italy.
where the people, as a rule, drink wine,
no serious harm results from the prac-
Sice. Eben in Rome-eVen at the Vatican
the papal doctors themselves prescribe
1t for his holiness.
Ihen, again, long since came to I'M
oerstand that putting aside the point of
principle, 1t was virtually impossible TO
enforce total abstinence law in a large
community or in state. Look at Maine
us an instance, and you will see how
true this Is. The ATTEMPT to enforce such
law must consequently lead to one Of
the worst things-inegaiity or hypocrisy:
possibly to both
turning to Kansas and speaking as a
Catholic and an American. I am free to
confess that the disturbances which have
occurred there since the institution of the
present anu-liqGor crusade have filled me
with pain, sorrow and establishment
Either the total abstinence laws of Kan
6as are wise, just and necessary, or they
are not. If they are necessary and wise
ana just they should be rigidIy enforced
by the legislative authorities. If, on the
other hand. they are none of these things
they should be legally and regularly re-
pealed.
NOTHING JUSTIFIES VIOLENCE.
Nothing, in any case, can, in nv opin-
ION and belief, warrant or Justify Mrs.
Nation and her followers in taking the
law into their own hands. Wrecking the
property Of the saloonkeepers and usurp-
ing functions which should properly be
reserved for the state
you ask continued the cardinal an
sWering remark Of his interviewer,
whether, in the words used by Louis
Napoleon to excuse his usurpation. there
may not be moments when it is pernis-
sible to 'sortir de la legalite pour rentrer
dams lie droit?" Go flout legality for the
sake of right. That is, of course. only
another way of suggesting that the end
m iT1cf In
pared, nor do I wish to subscribe to any
such theory. At the same time, I admit
that If, as a result of Mrs. Nations de-
plorable violence, the illegalities and evils
now existing in Kansas should be cured.
I shall rejoice
SHAMEFUL NEGLECT.
But meanwhile there is no blinking
facts, and the chief fact is this-that it is
shameful and regrettable to see Kansas,
by which mean the government of Kan
sas, leaving correction of public evils,
If they be evils, to possible Well-meaning
but assuredly mistaken hands of wom-
en-.
You ask me again" said the cardi-
nal, meeting another objection, how if
the government neglects it's evident duty,
the evils can be righted unless by vio-
lence and protests like Mrs Nations?
The point you raise is natural and prop
or. My answer is that it should not be
necessary in a self-respecting commun-
ity for women to nave recourse to such
violence. The state should act prompt
ly and thoroughly. 1 am strongly of
opinion that the wisest action it could
take would be the repeal of the to-
tai abstinence laws and the substitu-
ton of measures more surely calculated
to help morality.
HIGHER LICENSE THE REMEDY.
What measures, you may say. Well,
TO begin with, the cost of liquor licenses
should be made exceedingly high. In
Maryland I have suggested that the price
of a license should be 81 900. Next, rigor-
Gus care should be exercised to insure
the issuing of such licenses only to repu-
table and decent citizens. Next 1 should
counsel the strict limitation of the num-
her of saloons in every district and the
infiiction of a severe fine for the first vio-
lation by saloOnkeepers of the conditions
on which licenses are granted. On the
repetition of an offense I should suggest
the absolute withdrawal of the offending
saloonkeepers' licenses. Similar meas
ures have been adopted with good re-
suits in the state of Maryland Why
should they not prove equally efficacious
in Kansas?"