The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-12-15
BITTER WAR ON INTEMPERANCE
SOLDIERS FIGHTING THIS CURSE
GREATLY CHEERED. i
The Catholic Church and the Amer
lean Saloon.

Since the drink habtt IS intimately
interviewer with the life-activity OF
the individual it falls within the
scope of each ones conscience, and
efforts for it's repression will depend
largely on the effect of an intelligent
appeal to the moral nature of the in
dividual. In this work Of personal
and social recognition, religion must
play no minor role. Religion cannot
be divorced from the permanent bet!
terment of the masses; 1t must stand
sponsor to every successful erort to
improve their condition and elevate
their moral tone. But the great OBJ
stacle which bars the way to lndl-
vidual reformation is the e~Ver-present
saloon. It's door stands invitingly
open to entice the unwary; it's siren
voice never ceases to allure its victims
from the path Of rectitude; its very
presence is a silent but almost ire
sistible call to indulge in strong
drink. The saloon is the plague spot
of our National life; and hence 1t is
that the Catholic Church is arrayed
against it as an institution; which, as
from Pandora's box, spread all the
evils of the liquor traffic. The Cath
Ollie Church is the avowed and uncom-
promising enemy of the American sa-
loon; and it desires most earnestly
that this presidential evil. be wiped
out entirely, that it may no longer
curse the race.
Few peopl, have any adequate idea
of the enormous growth of the saloon
business during recent years, and OF
the influence it Yields in State and
National affairs. More than fifteen
hundred millions of dollars flow an
nually into the Golfers of the Amer
lean saloonkeeper; and who an doubt
that this stream is crimsoned with the.
blood Of vice and crime, and saturated
with the salt tears of untold misery?
Against this formidable foe the Cath
oIic Church raises its voice IN vigor-
Gus denunciation. The saloon would
contend with the church for suprem-
acy on American soil; 1t. would, II 1t
could, destroy her power, and glory
in it's emancipation from the restraint
which religion imposes. Therefore,
between the church and the saloon,
there can be no truce, no compromise.
Light and darkness cannot exist side
by sideIo
The disorderly and disreputable
practices which characterize the sa-
loon traffic are the natural result of
the system itself. The saloon is con-
Quoted solely for the ,moneyIthat is n
the business. The more drink sold,
the greater the profit. Hence the sa-
loon fosters intemperance. @The
American saloon, says Archbishop
Ireland ais responsible for the awful
intemperance which desolates the
land, and which Is the physical. and
moral plague Of U time. In the
saloon is dealt out the drink which
in~toxicates, and there temptations to
use it are deliberately planned and
multiplied .
The, glamor Of the saloon, enthralls,
and degrades its victims, pollutes the
home-the nursery of childhood, the
sanctity Of womanhood-and men.
aces, If it does not undermine, the
foundations Of the social structure.
Moreover, the saloon strikes at the
very cornerstone of our rights as citi.
zens by fastening itself on the body
polite and placing its wv welfare
above that of the State and Nation.
The saloon depends upon political
corruption for it's very existence. 1t
makes no secret Of the fact that 1t is
in politics for the purpose of sending
men to the halls Of legislation to vote
as it dictates. To accomplish this it.
turns over to its favorite candidate
the votes of the idle, the purchasable
and the vicious members of society.
Bribery and corruption have increased
4oh-.al - '1-&zxS RLok o,vor Tho h~nuy
ers hayo reached the conclusion that
The, SALOON ought to be. divorced from
politics. They realize that, in almost
every State in the Union, it has en-
tered into all alliance with the very
worst element i'm the political arena;
and in its withdrawal would undoubt-
eddy improve the prospects for q
cleaner and better conducted munich
pal government.
BY reason of this alliance the sa-
loon carries on it's business in defiance
of law. Moreover, the disreputable
resort, the vaudeville saloo- and the
wineroom are prolific parents Of all
kinds of criminality and immoral ex-
cesses. The United Brewers Associa-
ton, at its convention in Milwaukee
last year, declared that "The saloon
should not be used to foster the social
evil, but should be entirely divorced
from it," The environment Of the
saloon lends itself to the encourage:
ment of the social evil because the
two vices Of drunkenness and social
immortality are closely linked. Drink
influences the passions and leads to
excess.
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