The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-26
From the Alabama Catholic.

The Convention of Catholic Total Ab- stinence societies recently held in Chicago has received a good deal of notice in the daily press Other Catholic conventions quite as large have often been passed oyer with few words, while this one receivM quite arf extensive report The reason is, of course that temperance and prohibition are frequetly confounded, and prohibition is to many live question at the present day. Such being the case, 1t becomes the duty of the Catholic paper to try to clear the atmosphere and define the churchs attitude in this matter.
 Prohibition means the abolition of all Intoxicating drink. Temperance has quite different meaning. It is one of the car dnal virtues. and should regulate all our appetites and not merely one. There are many persons who do not seem to per ceive the distinction and consequently they misunderstood the attitude of the church in this matter. The Catholic church has made no official declaration on the prohibition question. She is com mitted neither for nor against it. In the matter of temperance, however, she has even taken a firm and decided stand She teaches and has always taught that all her children are bound to practice the vir- tue of temperance. They are bound to practice this virtue in all things. It would he well then for some of our pro- hbitionist friends to practice the virtue of temperance in other things besides the use of drink. Some of them are indeed very incorporate temperance workers While they hold up their hands in holy horror at the sight of a man using In perfectly sane and lawful manner whis- ky, wine or beer. they condone divorce granted for trining causes, and thus en- courage intemperance of a much more degrading character than the excessive use of intoxicating drinks. The Catholic church is thorough in her advocacy of temperance. She remembers that 'in medic state virus, and consequently does not push the advocacy of the meas tre to an extreme and become intemper- ately temperate. She teaches us that we must observe all the commandments.
 Now, how is this end to be attained? ? How can the church procure amongst all her children the practice of temper ance? We are considering now only tenn perance In the use of intoxicating drinks. Some Catholics say, abolish the vile stuff. Close the saloons and distilleries, for the dangers which arise from the use of those things are so grave that the few who can overcome those dangers must make some sacrifices for the many who cannot. Those are the Catholic prohibtionists. Among them are many distinguished ecclesiastics. It is their private opinion and they are welcome to it. but they dare not use their position as ecclesiastics to force that opinion on anybody else, and least of all upon the church as such.
 The vast majority, however, of the Catholic clergy and laity believe that prohibition does not promote temperance in all places where it has been tried They believe that the individual must be taught to practice temperance If he can not practice this virtue in the use of in- foxicating drink, he can take the pledge and join total abstinence society By so doing he does not interfere with the liberty of his fellow citizens. He curbs and governs his own appetite. In the total abstinence society he Is associated with persons who have no need of g pledge to govern themselves, but who have taken the pledge to give good ex- ample and encourage others What 2 difference between those quiet earnest workers. denying themselves what they consider lawful for the sake of others helping the weak and fallen, making unto themselves laws which prohibit without