The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-02-14

to the fact that the saloon has to be
wiped out"
Against this monster evil-the Amer
lean saloon system-"what can the
Catholic Church do, if she is loyal to
her protested principles, but raise her
hand in. opposition, and put herself
on record as its answering antagon-
ist?" She has always regarded in.
temperance as so serious sin that it
excludes from heaven those guilty of
it. Hence, she looks upon the saloon
the fostering parent of drunkenness
the nursery of intemperance-as one
OF her greatest foes, barrier to the
operation of divine grace in human
souls, an arch-enemy with whom there
can be no semblance of a compromise
The Catholic Church has often been
accused of counting alliance with the
saloon, of being leagued with the pro
motors of this shameful traffic. We
challenge anyone to adduce particle
of proof in support of this infamous
calumny. Unfortunately, many mem.
bers of her fold are engaged in this
soul-destroying business, and many
more are victims of it's ruthless SWAY.
BY reason of this, the Church has
Fbeen placed in a false position before
the world; and in order to set herself
right before the bar of public opinion
and remove every cause for even the
slightest misunderstanding regarding
her attitude towards the drink evil,
she has, in her official utterances and
in her practices, not less than in her
solemn DEGREES, declared unrelenting
warfare against it and made her posi-.
ton known in no uncertain terms.
He who knows what the American sa.
loon stands for, who is cognizant of
its relation to the drink habit, to every
kind of lawlessness and crime as we'll
as to the social evil, must be allied
with the blind, who will not see, If he
dares to associate in the unholy bonds
of a common purpose the chaste
Spouce of Christ and the foul off.
spring of the evil one.
In the DEGREES promulgated by the
Plenary Councils of Baltimore, the
Catholic Church in America legislated
for pastors and people and made
known to the world her attitude to.
wards the drink traffic and the vice of
intemperance. She condemns excess.
I've drinking as the fruitful source of
frightful scandals. There can be no
manner of doubt" she says, "that the
abuse of intoxicating drinks is to be
reckoned among the most deplorable
evils of the country. This excess is an
unceasing stimulant to vice and a
frightful source of misery; vast mum.
bers of men and entire families are
plunged into helpless ruin and multi.
tudes of souls are by it dragged into
eternal perdition."
The church is aware of the fact that
the baneful ravages of intemperance
are not confined to any class of people
or condition of life. They make their
presence felt among the members OF
her fold to the great scandal of non
Catholics and to the detriment of true
religion. For this reason the Fathers
of the Plenary Councils of Baltimore
exhorted pastors and implored them
ito make every possible effort to ex.
terminate the vice of intemperance'
by warning their focks against its
subtle dangers, by admonishing them
to keep away from saloons, by crying
out fearlessly against drunkenness and
whatever contributes to it, by preach.
ing in season and out of season in the
words of the Apostle: "Drunkards
shall not possess the kingdom of God. u
In this warfare for the honor of the
Church the laity are exhorted to join
in order that strong public sentiment
may be engendered against alcoholic
indulgence to the end that all Chris,
tians may "be filled with zeal against
this vice and for the love of God and
of country endeavor to root out this
pestilential evil.'
Furthermore, while the selling of
liquor is not declared to be unlawful in
itself, Catholics engaged in it are ad.
monished to choose "a more becoming
way Of making a living" and If they
do not heed the warning voice of the
Church in this matter, but persist in
dispensing alcoholic beverages to the
public, they expose themselves to
grave personal danger besides consti.
tuting themselves occasions of sin to
others. For their own sakes, there
fore, as we'll as for the spiritual good
of their patrons the Church forbids
them to sell drink to minors and to
those who, they foresee. will abuse IT.
"They must" says the Third Plenary
Council of Baltimore, keep their sa
looms closed on Sunday and never al
low blasphemy, cursing or obscene
language. saloonkeepers should know
that II, through their culpable neglect
or co-operation, religion Is brought into