Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-03-01
LETTER
AND
MANDEMENT
OF MGR. PAUL BRUCHESI,
IContinupd)
LETTER
(Continued)

(Continued)
Can any one CONCEIVE more complete
alteration? Thus to compromise the fu.
tnre of ones own children, their health
their honor aud even their eternal sal
walton, rather than give up miserable
habit, rather than deprive ones self Of
a passing satisfaction? Prefer to drink
drop by drop ones own ruin and that
of ones own family, rather than prac-
tice the rules of christian sobrlety, rath.
er than slightly mortifY ones self every
day?
All vices lower and degrade man,
they soil and disgrace bis existence;
often they blemish his honor and the
name of his family, they always debase
his dignity. None of them, it strikes
US. is viler than intemperance. That
vice carries with it such humiliating
ugliness that it sometime renders it's
victims insufferable to themselves and
contemplate in the eyes of their fellow
beings
Let us simply recall to your mind
that alcoholism, as we'll as ebrietv and
drunkenness in the ordinary sense of
the word, is by its nature very active
ferment OF bad instincts, of vile passion,
of impure lust, of criminal suggestions.
WE'LL what is there to wonde. at that
a drinker, even if he never got intoxi-
Gated, should fall an easy prey to so
many plaguesl Is it not well known
that the habitual use of alcohol disturbs
the normal working of our organs, dims
the intellect, weakens the will and
deadens moral sense. The union be-
tween the soul and the body is too close,
too intimate to prevent those two por-
tons of our being from having recipro.
cal influence one ppon the other. and
that is one Of the main reasons of chris
tian modification.
There would be no end TO it, dearly
beloved brethren, il we undertook to
describe all the evils produced by alco.
holsm. Jointly with the documents
furnished bv medical men and moral
lists, we should bring up the statistics
prepared by economists and magistrates
Those figures would be sinisterlY ell
oquent. The registers Of insane asyl-
umns, Of prisons and Of penitentlaries
have been patiently gone over; the rec.
ords of civil and criminal courts have
been honestly studied. The proportion
of judicial sentences and representations
brought on by the abuse Of liquors is
such that, disappearance of said abnse
occurring, t1othirds of the courts
would no longer work, for want Of eli
en:s, and most of the prisons and asy-
lums would be completely deprived OF
their inmates, as shown by most correct
calculations. Everywhere 10 our dear
country, as in other lands, would come
a happy regeneration, a recrudescence
of physical health and of intellectual
and moral vigor, the almost uninterrup.
ted reign Of peace, Of concold d, of hones
ty and of charity.
Political economists have asserted
that, with temperance. we would also
see great public and private prosperity
flourish OF the whole surface of the
globe. To save would become an honor,
and old age would be provided with
shelter, clothing and food. Strikes
would hardly exist. Fathers of family
and young men being no longer ent:ced
by clubs or saloons, would gayly hasten
to reach the home in the evening, and
mothers aud msidens would greet them
with smile or a kind word.
The economists have not simply made
assertions, they also furnished unq ues-
tionabls proof Of the correctness Of such
assertion. lntemperance collects from
both the wealthy aud the poorer classes
fantastic amounts. Would one believe it?
the alcohol consumed in our cities and
country districts costa more than both
meat and bread combined. Add now
to this foolish squandering OF millions,
the enormous amount of salaries lost
each year by drinkers, the sums OF
money which alcoholism ingulfs in in :
sane asylums. prisons, hospitals and
drug stores. To this tremendous heap
of millions, add again 80 many other
millions shamfully eaten up by all those
vices 10 which alcoholism fatally leads,
and calculate whether it is exaggera-
ton to state, vii h the statistictions. that
three fourths of the poor are or become
go through their own incompetence or
that Of others.
Then 60 on with another operation.
Place all those lost or squandered neil
lions 10 active service, distribute them
in salaries. Is it not evident that you
thereby at once restore new and more
active life to trade and industry; yoa
introduce comfort and happiness in the
homes; you furnish beneficial employ
ment to both mental and manual ener-
gy. The health of the body and soul
is restored; and as blessing for the ho
ly law of labor which is respected, and
for eobriety which is observed, comes
forth the prosperity which you had
some hesitation to expect.
The word Of God does not pass away,
dearly beloved brethren. Fulfil the
maxims of his gospel. be sober. be NOR
tilted, do not squander his gifts, never
allow the poison of alcoho' to destroy or
weaken the precious faculties which he
has placed wltnln you. do not defile
that heavenly image OF himself which
beams on your forehead, and you will
ever be blessed. You will stand in
need of nothing. He has promised it
you; serve him, keep his commando
ments, all the rest shall be added unto