The Irish standard., 1905-08-26
There is one discouraging feature

IuSr0 1S one ulSCOuId6AA6 ACoeuA y
connected with the upward tendency of
the wage scale among the workmen
of this country. The higher the wag-
es, the more money they spend in sa-
looms. The shorter the hours, the
more they are inclined to absent them
selves from home. An apparent disre-
gard for family ties is growing among
the poorer classes, which will eventu-
ally lead to a disregard for the bless
ings our country affords them. Hence,
with an increase of wages corre'
spending movement for better man
hood, 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 through the intelligence
which he puts into it. A steady hand
and sober mind are necessary for this.
Hence, the necessity of the tempe
rance cause and of the efforts which
organized abstainers are putting into
the movement.
Now, in what is here written this
priest does not mean that the tenden-
CIV is to grow worse: but he means
that with shorter hours and increased
wages there is tendency to so wrong,
which must be offset by movements
such as this great temperance move
ment and similar efforts for social and
civic betterment, or else the increase
in leisure and money will prove a
curse instead of blessing. I strive
never to tell any one what I do not
thoroughly believe, and l shall not say
to you that to be honest and temperate
and hardworking and thrifty will al
ways bring success.
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 upright be-
havior to ward off disaster. But it is
most emphatically true that the chance
for leading a happy and prosperous
life is immensely improved if only the
man is decent sober, Industrious and
exercises foresight and judgment. Let
him remember above all that the per-
formance of duty is the first essential
to right living, and that good type
of average family life is the corner
stone of national happiness and great
ness. No man can be a good citizen,
can deserve the respect of his fellows,
unless first of all he is good man in
his own family, unless he does his
duty faithfully by his wife and chill
dren.
I strongly believe in trade unions,
wisely and justly handled, in which
the rightful purpose to benefit those
connected with them is not accompa-
MED by desire to do injustice or
wrong to others. believe in the duty
of capitalists and wageworker to try
to seek one another out, to understand
each the others point of view and to
endeavor to show broad and kindly hui
man sympathy one with the other. /
believe in the work of these great
temperance organizations, of all kin
dred movements, like the Young Mems
and Young Women's Christian associ-
ations; in short, in every movement
which strives to help man by teach
ing him how to help himself. But,
most of all, believe in the efficacy of
the man himself striving continually
to increase his own self-respect by the
way in which he does his duty to him.
self and to his neighbor.