The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-08-10
Chaplain F. B. Doherty Discusses the
Question cf Temperance from the
View Point of the Army at the c. T.
A. U. Convention.

At the National Convention of the
Catholic Total Abstinence Union of
America held at Notre Dame, Ind, this
week, the Rev. Chaplain F. B. Doherty,
recently transferred from San Juan,
Porto Rico, to Fort Brady, Sault Ste
Marie, Michigan, read paper in which
he discussed the question of temper
ance in reference to army life.
After describing the organization OF
the army he dwelt at some length on
the vocational phase of soldiers life
and on the educational value of the
training given him in the army. Speak
ing on the temperance problem in the
army he said:
| have said so much about educa-
ton, and so little about the subject
which | was supposed to speak about,
that | fear that many of my auditors
will fancy that have missed the point.
But no, it has grown on me that tenn
perance is a matter of education, that
as people become more and truly en-
lightened intemperance disappears, as
society becomes more settled the reck-
less spirit of the frontier town gives
place to civic decency and personal
sobriety. Inebriety becomes bad form.
Of course, in dealing with special
conditions, restrictive measures are
necessary. Dipsomania is a disease
and demands the assistance of an
alienist. Coercive penalties for the
individual, and prohibition for the COM
munity' may be indicated when other
means fail. The aid of religion, too
often used as last resort, is really
the greatest of influence. There is no
living soul in which turks no latent
spark of divine grace to be famed by
the spirit into an Illuminating fame.
Let us use the pledge religiously to
develop confidence, not fear. | am not
in favor generally of placing time or
distance limit. Let it be "as long as
you can keep it" and longer and bet
ter luck next time" 1t is too much
to pin the whole result upon the pre-
carious fact of keeping the pledge.
The child learning to walk gets many
a bump, but it encouraged to perserve.
So the habit of temperance, earnestly
sought for, may be built up-a man ris-
ing, Antaeus like, stronger and more
determined from his fall.
Protracted Abuse impossible.
But again, / fancy that many in the
attentive audience before me are say
ing to themselves: THE chaplain is
still off the target" He hasn't said
anything about the drunken soldier
or about "dissipation in Army circles"
must admit the soft Impeachment
and add that l do not find conditions
very much different in or outside of
the Army. Human nature is the same
everywhere, and the Army, while
thrown here and there at any and all
times, and conforming, of necessity, to
local conditions, is hedged about with
stern conventions, which make general
or protracted abuse impossible. More
over, Army family life, with its hard
ships of changes, and difficulty OF
educating children, makes economy
imperative, and the home of the Army
officer is modest, gentle, and refined.
NV contention is that Army life and
conditions are not different from those
in well-ordered society at home. will
go farther and say that the standards
are generally higher, and they have
to be, or the life would not be toler-
able. Time was when conditions were
not so good, when the Army was
marooned in the desert and took on
the reckless life of the frontier. Even
then it was better than it's environ
ment, and is today.
When the soldier is tested by the
standard of the average man working
in mines, foundries, factories and
trades, he stands up we'll under the
test. Unfortunately, the steady sold
ier, the well-set-up young fellow who
resembles the advertisement of fash
ionable clothing is passed by unrecog-
nized, while the slouchy, uniformed re-
cruit, or the poor. unfortunate fellow,
who is often brave fighting man and
a good soldier when sober, has no
money saved to buy civilian clothing,
and thus this element is unduly in
evidence.
Army Encourages Temperance.
There is some occasional drunk
eness in the Army, but the old time
payday is unknown, the paymaster,
Uncle Sam, encourages temperance,
the soldier receiving interest on his
deposit The local savings banks and
the postal savings are also doing
their work Next to the Bible and
prayer book, there is no better instru-
ment for the temperance cause than
the savings-deposit book This must
be encouraged and the men educated
to save.
have talked so much about educa-
tfon that you will take me for a
teacher I am, and so are you For
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