Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1903-11-26

For God. Home and Native Land.
'lhis department is under the management
ana control OF the Bedding w. c. L. u
CATHOLICS FOR TEMPERANCE.
by Walter 1. Gibbons, President Of
the Catholic Total Abstin-
nence Onion of Illinois.

Olu KING alcohol knows no race.
nor country, nor politics, religious
belief, nor pagan unbelief, In his
constant and unrelenting tyranny
over humanity. He impartially af-
fiicts catholics and protestant, dem
ocrat, republican and single taxer,
and all others who yield to his OPP
pressive and degrading sway. While
all have the noblest and strongest
motives for making common cause
against him, the most effective way
OF lighting him is by special organi-
zation. Every creed or form of re-
ligious belief, every worthy society
OF any kind, has naturally the best
means of reaching and influencing
its own members, particularly in
this movement for the rescue aud
betterment of mankind, move
ment which should make all churches
kin.
There are ways and ways of deal
ing with the votary of Baccus. those
of Cancellation and of coercion, Of
the persuasive friend and of the
peremptory censor, Of permanent
cure and of temporary reform. The
reform of human nature must be
founded on mind, not matter.
Among the means upon which the
Catholic Total Abstinence Union of
America relies to spread its princi-
pies and increase its membership is
the power OF example, the influence
of good example and kind persuasion
by our members upon our fellow
Catholics, and frequent approach TO
the sacrament. Our aim is that
each members life and conduct
shall be a convincing lecture and in
dueement 10 all whom it may con-
cern, without any nauseous odor Of
self-righteous complacency or fan
fare of platitudinous homily. Kind
ness, Cancellation and impressive
object LESSONS are our chief re-
sources.
The national G. I. A. u, which
was started 80 years ago, has now
about 100000 members, represent
ing some 1900 societies. The Hi.
nois union has 60 societies, with a
membership of 5000. Here is a
strong total abstinence army, which
we believe TO be only the nucleus of
a vastly stronger one, standing for
happy homes, clean and honorable
lives, children diligently cared for,
and aged parents filially provided
for, success in business resulting
from active industry, and brains un-
clouded by the mists OF the wine
cup, and hundreds of thousands of
dollars saved TO homes and families.
Ours is, of course, strenuous up
bill fight, else there, were nothing of
merit in it. A desperate disease
needs heroic treatment. The total
abstinence pill seems bitter one to
swallow. Many men dsdain what
they consider would be an interior
ence with their personal liberty,
CALLING bond of ascetic self-denial,
forgetting that the bonds of Bacchus
are stronger and more in evidence
Total abstinence, they fear, would
make a gray and cherries life
BE good, says Mark Twain, land
you'll be lonesome. Says FIR.
Simmons, who is one of the leaders
OF our movement: lone of the
greatest obstacles to the cause of
total abstinence is the prejudice
which so many people have against
a pledge. They seem to think that
II is putting mark on them, like
that which Cain had, and which will
brand them wherever they GO"
What TO do with this amusing class
of people we don't know; they must
prayfully work out the problem for
themselves.
Our labors among the children
have brought happy and promising
results. "The child is father of the
man, and we can safely expect a
large host of excellent citizens in
the future from the present grand
army OF juvenile total abstainers of
Illinois arrayed under the banner of
the G. I. a. U.
The membership fee for each So
ciety belonging to the order in nom
lnal. When member changes his
place of abode we give him a card
him to kindly recognition
and consideration from societies and
members of the order in his new
surroundings. We also issue trav-
cling cards of similar import. Pol
tiles is strictly barred at our meet
lngs; any officer introducing such
subject would Immediately, in the
verbiage of the political cult,
canned
We are joining in the movement
for the removal of the impudent!y
suggestive Ladies entrance" aud |
family entrance" signs from sa-
looms, believing that neither ladies'
nor well-regulated families have need |
or use for such places. We also APP
peal to the Forester and other benev-
)lent societies, whose object is the
protection Of the family, to cease
holding their meetings in halls over
saloons and to seek more dignifed .
and less dangerous quarters, which
would improve our chances OF bring
NO their mambarc into tho total