The Irish standard., 1907-07-13
THERE ARE TWO KINDS.
Ono Is the Advertised Reformer Who
Usually Makes for Evil

Usually Makes for Evil.
There are two kinds of reform ever
going on in the world-one that be-
gins at home and proceeds chiefly
through encoura cement and good ex-
ample: the other. that starts out with
attacking the faults of others. and its
methods are publicity and intinida-
ton. says Father Phelan in the West
ern Watchman. For four years we
have had an organization in this State
for the purpose of suppressing the IL
quor traffic. 1t was called into being
by the preachers and is still under
their guidance. 1t has kept itself be-
fore the public in one way or the other,
and if it has not succeeded to the
extent of its hopes it is certainly not
for want of self advertising. Lately
this organization has extended the
scope of its activities, and has under
taken the task of reforming the bawds
of the State. II is while engaged in
the latter laudable enterprise that it
has run upon the rocks of public rep
rotation. Two of our courts last week
openly denounced the methods of the
so-called "Anti-Saloon League" and
In discussing the men and women
brought before them for crimes
charged against them by the agents of
the league. the Judges said they re-
GREETED that they were not able to
reach the officers Of the organization
who were the real culprits and most
deserving Of punishment.
The ends of these reform agitations
are commendable. but they fail for
two reasons---the originators have no
sense and the methods they adopt are
foolish or worse. Sending a man into
a saloon to buy drink IN Sunday in
order to make case against the
dramshop- keeper. is to commit an Of
Tense in order to punish an offender.
sion of crime in order to drag her be-
fore a correctional tribunal is any
thing but Christian. to say the least.
II we have not cases against law
breakers we must not make cases
against them.
The reforms of Professionals are
bootless. or. if successful. are very
short lived, for the reason that they
are not inspired by true Christian
charity. Love is the cure-all for all
the sins of the world We know of one
Magdalen. who was converted by our
Lord. and she was brought to sense
of her degradation and sinfulness by
the compassionate love of Him who
came to call sinners to repentance.
The efforts of all Christian reformers
should be to bring people into the
church. not to send them to Jail. Many
of the movers in this anti saloon
movement belong to no church, and
the minister who leads it is man
without church allegiance. What do
they propose doing with the people
they rescue from life Of sin? They
have no refuge for them. no protection
to offer them while passing from in
fanny to responsibility Their inten-
tions may be good. but their methods
are simply to make infamy more in
famous.
Priests are often blamed because
they do not lend their aid and cooper
alton to these sensational reforms that
men with more courage than discre-
ton, and women with more immod-
osty and effrontery than their fallen
sisters, from time to time inaugurate.
1t is not that they do not sympatlze
with the movement. but that they cam
not approve the methods of reform.
The Church has a quiet way OF reach
ing and converting the sinner. which,
while it spares his pride, overWhelms
him with sense Of his undeserving.
hope and pity that our Lord useri in
dealing with the weak she takes him
into the confessional and after listen
ing to this tale Of woe. gives him god
w counsel and disnisses him with
the injunction to "go. sin no more"
The Church is alone capable Of re-
claiming baWds. They can be found by
the thousands. and tens of thousands,
in every land. living under a roof
which Catholic charity has raised to
cover them, and buoyed by the ha1e
which Catholic faith holds out to all
men and women alike. The Church Is
the only moral agency in the world
that can successfully grapple with the
liquor evil. She does not invade the
premises Of the liquor dealer; she does
not go before legislatures to urge the
passage Of prohibitive laws She in
culcates temperance and charity at
the same time: temperance for all men
and charity for the weak.