The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-03-16
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
RELIGION AND TEMPERANCE.

OF all the paths that lead to tenn
perance that leading through the
gateway of conscience is the most
effective, writes Rev. J. J. Greaney.
A moral reform based ON motives
other than those supplied by faith
may be successful among the classes,
but not among the masses. Business
or other reasons will sometimes keen
men sober, when higher motives are
advanced in vain. But, for general
success, a moral reform must appeal
to the conscience. Only through mo-
tives of faith will the multitude de-
void of commercial ambition make the
necessary sacrifice of selfshness.
1t is only natural then to expect
that the religious bodies of the coun-
try are all working to some degree
or another in the cause of temper
ance. But the facts seem to bear
out the oft-made complaint that we
priests are making the least use of our
opportunities, taking into account the
superior advantages which we DOS
sess. The ministers for the most
part have only select coteries of those
who least need temperance reform,
to listen to their voices. We daily
reach even the lowest strata of the
socially submerged. We reach them
from the pulpit, in the confessional
and in the home. And still there is
no doubt that we preach much less on
| fnn0 fhov, A.
tues that need our preaching less.
1t Is our business to point out the
occasions of sin to our people, and
| there is no reason why we should
balk on the saloon evil, any more
than on the mixed marriage evil or
the public school evil, merely because
there are some conscientious Cath
| olics before us whose feelings may
possibly be ruffled by our plain words
Our profession also gives us ex-
ceptional opportunities in the confes-
sional and in the home; opportunities
which cannot be turned to the best
account unless we have studied the
saloon question and have a fixed and
enlightened policy in dealing with the
drinkers, whether moderate or i'm
moderate. Our exhortations should
not be random shots nor based en-
tirely on religious motives, but should
turn to account other motives and in
centives based on modern knowledge
and suited to the individual case
Tippler psychology is as necessary
for the spiritual adviser as child
psychology is for the school teacher
For the same key will not open the
door to everybody's conscience.
Knowing as we do from scientific ex-
pertinent the hereditary effects of
intemperance in the case of a mother
who is bent on hewing her way to
happiness by way of the cupboard
our only road to success may be in an
appeal to her motherly instinct, i'm
pressing on her the hard fact that she
is sowing the seeds of drunkenness
and idiocy in the blood of her own
children. This is an application In
a particular instance of tippler
psychology, and illustrates what l
mean by knowledge of the drink
| SFH anu al SAlISHt0Heu p0AlCy III
dealing with the drink
AS ministers of religion we also
owe duty of loyalty to the Church
as a whole. Now the Church that
appears to sidestep the drink ques-
ton at the present day in America, is
handicapped from the start. And it
would be lamentable indeed should
the light of the true Church of God
be dimmed by our own Indifference
at the very moment when she is
girding her loins for the greatest mis-
sionary movement of modern times.
Hear "the voice of the watchmen:
they have lifted up their voice."
Gsaias). The III Plenary Council of
Baltimore exhorts Catholics to keep out
of the saloon business. 1t they are
already in that business, it counsels
them to get out of it. And yet after
twenty-five years advance in temper
ance education there are some who
really help individual Catholics to Sc
cure license to run what they are
pleased to call liquor emporia.