The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-08-10

lole No. 1893
Just received from a Catholis priest
whom l know well and whom l know
to be as stauneh friend Of the la
boring man as there is to be found
in the country. Now and then-not
too Often-it is good thing for all
Of Hs-to hear what is not perhaps al
together palatable, provided only
that the person Whole the truth
Is our genuine friend, knows what
he Is talking about (even though he
may see all sides of the case), and
tells us what he has to say, not with
desire to hurt our feelings, but
with the transparent purpose to do
Us good. With this foreword, here
is a part of the letter:
& would humb1y recommend
that you lend your entire weight to
the cause which the Catholic Total
Abstinence Union of America rep
.resents, and especially so in its re-
lation to the working classes of this
country, for whom it Is doing so
much good. You know that the
Temperance movement is potent
auxiliary to the institutions OF our
country in building up a better man
hood and truer Christianity among
our citizens 1t played very inn
portant part in the two coal strikes
of 1900 and 1902, respectively, by
keeping the men sober, and thus re-
moving the danger of riotous and
Inbecoming conduct. There is one
IiScouraging feature connected with
the upward tendency of the wage
scale among the workmen of this
country. The higher the wages, the
more money they spend in saloons.
The shorter the hours, the more they
are inclined to absent themselves
from home. An apparent disregard
for family ties is growing among
he poorer classes which will event
uaIly lead to a disregard for the
blessings our country affords them.
Hence, with an increase of wages
corresponding movement for better
manhood, nobler citizenship, and
truer Christianity should be set on
foot. The dignity of labor should
be maintained, which can be done
only through the love that man
should have for his work, and
Trough the intelligence which he
puts into it. A steady hand and
.ober mind are necessary for this.
Ience, the necessity of the temper
nee cause and of the efforts which
organized abstainers are putting in
o the movement
'.Now, in what is here written this
priest does not mean that the ten
lency is to grow worse but he means
that with shorter hours and increas-
cd wages there is a tendency to go
wrong which must be offset by move
nents such as this great temperance
movement and similar efforts for so
.ial and civic betterment, or else the
increase in leisure and money will
prove a curse instead of blessing
strive never to tell anyone what ]
10 not thoroughly believe, and ]
shall not say to YOU that to be hon
st, and temperate, and hardwork-
ing, and thrifty will always bring
success.
81 strongly believe in trades un-
;ons wisely and justly handled, in
which the rightful purpose to bene-
it those connected with them is not
accompanied by desire to do in
Justice or wrong to others. I be-
lieve in the duty of capitalist and
wage-worker to try to seek one an
other out. to understand each the.
others point of view, and to endeay-
nr to show broad and kindly human
sympathy one with the other.
81 believe in the work of these
great temperance organizations, of
al kindred movements like the
Young Mems and Young Women's
Christian Associations, in short in
every movement which strives to
help man by teaching him how to
help himself. But most of all I be-
lieve in the efficacy of the man him
self striving continually to increase
his own self-respect by the way in
which he docs his duty to himself
and to his neighbor."