Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-08-10
Self Respect an Integral Part of citi-
zenship.

ZenSnIp.
Everything possible should be don
10 encourage the growth of that spiI
II OF self-respect, self-restraint, sell
reiianee, which if it only grows enough
Is certain TO make all those in whom
II shows itself move steadily upwar,
!; toward the highest standard of Amer
can citizenship. 1t is a proud ant
responsible privilege to be citizens O
TINS great self-governing nation; anC
each of us needs to keep steadily be
fore his eyes the fact that he is Who'll
ly unfit to take part in the work o.
governing others unless he can frs
govern himself. He must stand III
manfully for his own rights; he must
respect the rights of others; he must
obey the law, and he must try to live
| up TO those rules OF righteousness
which are above and behind all laws
This applies just as much to the
| man of great wealth as to the man
| or small means; to the capitalist as
TO the Wage-worker. And as one
practical point, let me urge that in
the event OF any difficulty, especially
II it is what is known as labor
trouble, both sides show themselves
willing TO meet, willing to consult,
and anxious each TO treat the other
reasonably and fairly, each to look
at the others side of the case and to
do the other justice. If only this
course could be generally followed,
the chance of industrial disaster
would be minimized.
Letter From a Catholic Priest on
Temperance.
Now, my friends, | want to read
you an extract from a letter | have
just received from a Catholic priest
whom | know well and whom | Know
to be as staunch a friend of the la
boring man as there is to be found in
thi scountry. Now and then-not too
often-it is a good thing for all of
us TO hear what is not perhaps alto
gether palatable, provided only that
the person who tells the truth is our
genuine friend, knows what he is talk
ing about (eyen though he may not
see all sides of the case), and tells us
what he has to say, not with a desire
TO hurt our feelings, but with the
transparent purpose to do us good
With this foreword, here is part of
the letter:
Il would humbly recommend that
you lend your entire weight to the
cause which the Catholic Total Absti-
nence Union of America represents,
and especially so in its relation to the
whom it is doing so much Sood. You
know that the temperance movement
is a potent auxiliary to the institu-
tiOnS of our country in building up a
better manhood and a truer Christian
ity among our citizens. 1t played a
very important part in the two coal
strikes of 1900 and 1902, respective
ly, by keeping the men sober, and
thus removing the danger of riotous
and unbecoming conduct. There is
one discouraging 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 the
poorer classes which will eventually
lead to a disregard for the blessings
our country affords them. Hence,
with an increase of wages cores
ponding movement for better man
hood, nobler citizenship, and truer
should De set on foot.
The dignity of labor should be main
tanned, which can be done only
through the love that a man should
nave for his work, and through the
which he puts into it. A
steady hand and sober mind are nee
essary for this. Hence, the necessity
OF the temperance cause and of the
efforts which organized abstainers are
putting into the movement"
Abstinence an Aid to Correction of
Evil Tendencies.
Now, in what is here written this
priest does not mean that the ten
dency is to grow worse; but he means
that with shorter hours and increased
wages there is tendency to go
wrong which must be offset by move
ments such as this great temperance
movement and similar efforts for So
cial and civic betterment, or else the
increase in leisure and money will
prove curse instead of blessing
| strive never to tell anyone what /
do not thoroughly believe, and / shall
not say to you that to be honest, and
temperate, and hardworking and thrift
ty will always bring success.
Troubles Are Often Visited Upon the
Just as Well as the Unjust
The hand of the Lord is sometimes
heavy upon the just as we'll as upon
the unjust, and in the life of labor
and effort which we must lead on
this earth it is not always possible
either by work, by wisdom, or by up
right behavior to ward off disaster.
But it is most emphatically true that
the chance for leading a happy and
prosperous life is immensely i'm
proved if only the man is decent, so