The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-11-01
TEMPERANCE OR ROOSEVELT?
Meeting at Court House Tuesday
~ Evening Disappointment
.. Even Progressives Objected.

The best friends OF the cause of
temperance must concede that the
meeting held at the Court House on
Tuesday evening, Oct. 20, was any
thing but success, and the cause
of temperance has certainly not been
advanced by the effort which that
meeting was intended to put forth.
The meeting was under the auspices
of the Local Option or Anti-Saloon
League of Pennsylvania, presided
over by DR.. Brant. Father Curran,
who has long been looked upon as
one of the leaders in the temperance
cause and an advocate of civic right
eousness was selected as the speaker
of the evening. Father Curran is
we'll know in Honesdale and through
out Wayne county for his advocacy
of right principles and particularly
in his temperance views.
Rev. John j. O'Toole of st. John S
Catholic church, was chosen Chair
man of the meeting, and after some
preliminary remarks which were APP
propriate and timely, he expressed
the pleasure which it gave him to
introduce Father Curran to a
Honesdale audience. Father Cur
ran referred to his visit to Honesdale
on a previous occasion, when he
spoke on the question of temper
ance; he assured his audience that
those who heard his former talk
would not find this as a repetition.
He said times had changed since
then, conditions were different, and
consequently his talk would not be
on the same lines. He outlined
what he considered the elements of
success in a man or woman. He
said the study of human nature and
character was absolutely necessary
for those who intended to accom-
plish good in the world. He said
the temperance cause through out
this country was advancing with
marvellous strides and that now it
appeared as If the friends of tenn
perance would have matters their
own way within comparatively
short time, fifty years at the longest.
He then referred to the present pro,
gessive movement throughout the
country to the breaking away OF
party lines in order to advance pro
gressive principles. From this point
his talk was on the lines of the po-
litiCal speech rather than that OF
temperance. Whether or not the
Reverend speaker saw any connec-
tion or association between the pro-
gressive political movement and the
AntiSaloon League was not known
but the audience certainly failed to
see any similarity between those
great questions now before the peo.
pie. Those who came prepared
to give Father Curran encourage
| ment by the presence of large audi.
ence, were apparently not only disap.
pointed but displeased to have the
| object of the meeting SO disregarded
and political issue substituted fol
| that of the subject which they came
! to hear discussed. No person denies
| the right of the Reverend speaker
to his opinions or his right to eX
/ press them at any time and place
designated for that purpose anC
those who come to hear him are ap
| praised of what is in store for them
| but it is extremely indelicate t
| have large audience assembled foI
/ the purpose of hearing a discussion
| upon the temperance question to b.
entertained with political views an
tagonistic to the ideas of a larg,
majority of the people present. W.
! trust Father Curran will come Il
our town again to discuss the TEN
perance question or ne will be wei
come to discuss any question, bu
we trust the people will be inform
/ ed as to the subject which they ar,
expected to hear from the speake
whose reputation has gone far be
yond the boundaries of the State O
Pennsylvania.