Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-09
Good Men Shoulder to Shoulder.

selfish workers against the liquor evil
today are strong men of the Catholic
clergy All over this broad land they
are taking up the work against and
voicing their hatred of, "hell-traps.'
Father Mahon of Cleveland. in his
fight for cleaner. better parish SAYS:
THE fight was partly selfish on my
part My best people were moving
out of my parish into dry territory.
Now we are going to put the saloons
out of business.
Recently in Chicago, the Men and
Religion Forward Movement has been
making itself felt but il apparently
had failed to reach 80 merchants who
visited Mayor Harrison and urged
him to reseind his order driving dives,
gambling joints and other Illegal and
tlisreputable places off a certain bust
ness thereughfare of the West Side
These men were frank in making
their request. They said:
We are tied up there. Driving
those folks out " i'll mean an influx of
undesirable people from a trade stand
point. We believe they ought to be
allowed to stay 1t means our bust
ness salvation.
Mayor Harrison not only denied
their request but he shot home the
following: Business men who would
champion such conditions for the sake
of supporting their business are not
entitled to the sympathy of decent
men
Yet it is such men as these who
help suck the blood of communities
and hurl enathema at honest clergy
men and others who are fighting for
moral uplift. 1t is such as these Chi
cago business men" and shallow
charactered politicians who denounee
all opponents as fanatics and .hyp-
ocrites Their sentiments are: IF
decency stands in the way of business
Or politics. then deeeney must &C..
Thousands of pastors of all faiths
are recognizing these conditions, and
the cause and remedy With the
catholic pastor above quoted they are
becoming aroused to the fact that
t'prohibition parishes have more self
supporting families. and fewer per-
sons requiring charity; more happy
homes, and fewer delinquent pew
holders; more free will offerings and
fewer distasteful money raising
schemes: more desirable young men,
and fewer mixed marriages; more
converts and fewer beggars.'
Here are words of honesty and wis
dom from another Catholic. John f.
Cunneen:
I'VE complain with righteous indig-
nation against the ex-priests who en-
Ter Protestant pulpits and foully
SANDER pure and self-sacrificing Cath
Ole women and men, but we never
protest against the many Catholics
who foully SANDER pure and self
rificing women opposing the saloon,
and who accuse Protestant men of u.s.
ing Temperance as a cloak to cover
up their crimes Opponents of the sa-
loon are represented as enemies of all
That is good, while saloonkeepers, boss
gamblers and corrupt politicians are
held up as models of good citizenship.
Where the saloon is voted out, many
Catholics do their utmost to make the
blind-pig flourish, SO as to have an
excuse for saying that it is the great
err evil
ics al ir1p n
realize that something is wrong
Many an ex-priest bitterly laments
that the Church did not sufficiently
train him TO resist the temptation to
drink. Many Catholics support per-
sonal-liberty candidates, because these
lawless politicians, if elected, may ap-
point a few Catholics to office. Nc
good Catholic will permit jobs, money
or other consideration TO influence him
10 do aught against good citizenship
Let Professionals alone. and help Il
clean out our own stables
Only by fighting shoulder to shout
Der may good men of all ereeds ant
all nations throttle the evil which is
destroying the welfare of civilization
The saloon is and always has been {
crime breeding institution. Men Wit
believe in God, home and countr!
should be bound together in a com
mon cause.
+ Politicians who openly protect ant
encourage booze-rooms, harlot-hpuse
and gambling joints should be laugh
a lasting lesson. Progress cannot b
made by trucking with the devil: ev
cry compromise is step backward
Diplomatic phrases and meal
mouths win only sneers from the ene
my; the liquor interests fear nothing
So much asa the PLAIN TRUTH. lie
us give II to them fearlessly and i
large doses.
SIT is a compliment to be elasse
with fanatics and 'hypoerites' b
such as are working for the rum tfus
Democrats Like to Travel.
Oh. yes indeed The pork barrel