Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-03
Father Mathew the Great
Apostle of Total Abstinence.
DROVE DRINK OUT OF ISLE
But It Came Back Just to Drown
Sorrows.
DRASTIC LAWS TO BE ENACTED
Local Definition of q Genuine Souse
Is q Weird and Wonder
full Thing.


BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
| Snecial CORRESPONDENCE OF The Star and the
Chicago Record-Heraid
CORK, July "a. 1908.
Cork is a very orderly city. The laws
are strictly enforced. Since we have been
here / have noticed by the newspaper
reports of the police courts that the peo-
pie are fined for profane swearing and
for boisterous behavior. We haven't
seen a drunken man or woman since we
arrived, and In Dublin. as l have already
told you, they were common.
Father Mathews Temperance Work.
This Is largely due to the work of
Bishop O'Callahan and the priests of his
diocese and the influence OF rather
Mathew, the great apostle of temperance.
who led a movement that reached every
corner of the world about fifty years ago.
There are monuments to Father Mathew
in many of the cities OF ireland. Ihere Is
one in Dublin on the principal street be
tween that of Daniel OConnell and that
now being erected to Parnell, while here
in Cork the statue of Father Mathew, on
ST. Patrick street. is the center and focus
of all activity. 1t faces the entrance to
the principal bridge over the River Lee,
and all the street car lines terminate
there. A memorial church has been erect
ed to his memory here, and the Church OF
the Holy Trinity. of which he was the
pastor, has been restored and enlarged.
Father Mathew is buried in st. Joseph's
cemetery on the outskirts of the city,
which was formerly the botanic gardens,
and was obtained by him for burial
precious dust is Enclosed in fine sar-
chophagus surmounted by the figure OF
an angel in white marble.
Theobold Mathew was a Capuchin
friar. born in Cork. He was attached to
city in 1893. He joined temperance So
ciety that had been started by some
Protestant gentlemen. chiefly Quakers.
for the purpose of offering 81 example
to young mechanics in his parish. He
ganization, was made its president, and
finally started upon mission through
out Ireland to organize similar societies
and to promote total abstinence among
the people.
From that time he devoted his life to
the work, and being an orator of re-
markable power. and possessed of ex-
traOrdinary energy, zeal and devotion. he
excited the interest of every class of peo-
pie and of every community on the
island. The influence of his agitation
was felt in England, Scotland. Australia,
America and in every other part of the
world, and his name finally became a
universal synonym for temperance.
Total Abstinence Societies.
Father Mathews total abstinence So
cieties are found in almost every city
and town in which the English language
is spoken. He addressed immense audi
ences and spoke twice on Tara Hill,
which was the throne of the kings Of Ire
land before Julius Caesar reigned at
Rome. He administered total abstinence
pledges to half the people in the country.
and intemperance in drink, with it's at
tendant evils and misery. almost cisap-
peared from Ireland. The famine that
followed his crusade destroyed much of
the good effect. because 1t demoralized
the-people and many tried to drown their
sorrows in drink. 1t has been said that
because SO many of his converts violated
their pledges, but since the days of Peter
the Hermit no individual has exercised
such a moral influence.
There is a great deal of drunkenness in
Ireland. There is more In Dublin than
anywhere else In the country there is
comparatively little. In Ireland a saloon
Is called "a public house, and q saloon
keeper Is called a publican.
Liquor Licenses Perpetual.
All liquor selling is done under licenses
granted by the justices of the peace upon
petitions signed by the people of the COM
munity in which the saloon is to be 10
Gated. There is no limit to the number
of licenses. There seems to be no par
ticular rule about granting them, except
that the fee of Ell must be paid
annually. A license, once granted, is
perpetual as long as the fees are paid
and the police do not show cause why 1t
should be revoked. Licenses are held
oh oAy b1yn hot
we would call country stores. by the way
side and at -four corners where the
peasants go to trade, and along highways
frequented by transfers. jaunting cars
bicyclers and other people with vehicles.
the publican will put a watering trough
in front Of his place, and thus AFFORD re-
freshment for both man and beast. In
most of the country districts licenses are
held In families and are handed down
from generation to generation Of store
keepers who manage to keep bottles on
the shelf and sell enough liquor to keep
up the fees. If the business is sold or
inherited, the license goes with the place,
and many have been running for a hun
dred years or more.
Their Issue Now Limited.
Until recently any one could get
license by obtaining a few signatures
of political influence but a recent act of
parliament prohibits the issue Of new
licenses except for no els. genuine clubs
and new villages Of certain population.
The effect of this legislation will be to
gradually reduce the number of liquor
sellers and prevent the extension Of the
traffic except as new towns may be start
ed, which Is not common in Ireland. as
it is in the Uni ed States.
In the five principal cities of Ireland.
Dublin, Belfast. Cork, Limerick and
Waterton special licenses are necessary
and the fees vary from FL to eco accord
ing to the amount of business done. There
are "sx-days licenses and "seven-day
licenses" The latter permit liquor SELL
ing between z and o'clock on Sunday
afternoons and require an additional fee.
The Sunday closing law is said to be well
enforced throughout all Ireland, but In
Dublin crowds of men and women can be
seen standing around the "publics" dur
ing the open hours on Sunday afternoons.
Statistics.
For the year ending March 81. 1907. a
total Of 1885 licenses were issued In
Ireland, of which II. 496 were granted to
publicans. 2.51O to wholesale dealers and
1O22 to wholesale grOcers. who handle