The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-06-03
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
WHY I AM A TOTAL ABsTAlNER.

est attachments is expected when the
occasion demands, to give reasonable
account of the faith that is in him,
| Il will not be out Of place, on an occa.
sion of this kind, to answer the ques-
ton, why I Am Total Abstainer,"
To me it was startling to see on every
side lives wrecked by the curse of
strong drink. Men whom I knew to
be loved and admired; brilliant ex-
amples of a lofty standard Of life, had
fallen from their high estate to the
lowest condition of degradation. Some
of these men I had loved for their
honest, whole-souled, rugged ways.
But, alas! what change was soon to
be noticed! They tried for while
| to act the part of their former selves.
1t was easy to play the hypocrite for
time, but the truth must out, sooner
or later. And, oh! what heart-rend-
| ing thing it was to the poor simple
folks who at one time looked up to
them with eyes of profound respect
and admiration and obedience, to see
the alter Christus-Oh, how fallen! It
is sad condition from many points
heartbroken; superiors sorely crushed
with disappointment; good, honest peo-
pie who must bear the brunt of it all
in sneers and ridicule. And then the
scandal given to the weaker brethren.
| saw several such cases in my short
experience of social shortcomings. In
Vulnerable were the cases of like dis
order recounted to me by others. It
began to dawn upon me that I was by
no means immune from the terrible
curse. 1t was quite possible that I too
might turn the engines of salvation
into engines of destruction and wreck
host of souls I did not feel that
was in any proximate danger, in fact,
had dislike for intoxicants. Beer
tasted nauseous to me. Whiskey tast-
ed like some burning fluid. Why, then,
did take the pledge? 1 had in view
the possibilities of the past and of the
future. Of the past. do not know the
records of my ancestors. I realize full
well that we of today bear in our
bodies the penalty of ancestral folly.
Heredity is not sneered at today by
men in a position to know. So over
whelming is the evidence in favor of
the transmission of ancestral vices
that the moral theologians of today
have departed considerably from the
position of the schoolmen in the mat
ter of mans moral responsibility.
There is a possibility that in my sys-
tenn lies latent the vice Of intemper-
ance which but awaits little tanning
to burst forth into a flame and par
alyze my will, making me as truly de-
generate as the most chronic drunkard
it has been my lot to see. To prevent
such possible catastrophe mounted
the water wagon. But that is only one
of the reasons I have to give.
1t is a dangerous thing for man to
speak disparagingly of externalism in
religion. Provided man is consistent
in his relations with his brethren and
exhibits well-marked spiritual char
acter, an external expression of his
piety, provided it be not made ridicu.
lous by singularity or excess, is in
deed necessary to keep alive the spirit
of piety in himself, and also to edify
those with whom he comes into con-
tact. We are all unconscious1y infiu-
enced by the example of those among
whom we constantly move. There is
good deal of the child in every man,
and the child is essentially initiative.
A man who is firm in his adherence
to total abstinence, in all seasons, will
in no small degree help to encourage
others to practice temperance or abb
stinence. At any rate he will check
by his example possible excuses. This
consideration is .one that cannot be
overlooked by any man engaged in
the work of saving souls
Let us look at it from the point Of
view of charity. Some Of us have a
jaundiced, theoretical view of charity
that produces few practical results
among ordinary flesh and blood. may
endure the shortcomings of Alonzo
Robinson to the point of heroism, be-
cause deep down in my heart I have
sneaking regard for that worthy;
but how do stand i'm my relations
with Uriah Deadhead? oh! I endure
HIS shortcomings too; but how
sparsely yelled is my contempt be-
meath all my manifestations of charit-
able liberation! How different would
not the world be IL we extended the
same whole-souled, loving liberation
and kindness to the Uriahs as well az
to the Alonzosi Our Blessed Lord dis
cussing the same subject one day,
scored the Jews for their wrong con-
ception of charity. He said, "Why
take, credit for a Kindness done IN
one whom you love? Even the heath.
ems do this. But I say to you, Love
one another even as have loved you"
Charity to brother in Christ liz there
fore another strong motive impelling
me TO be an abstainer I know full
well that the cup which cheers today
might very easily be the vessel Of
hells malice tomorrow. Am I then
by example, or by treat, to be one
80 IL E.