The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-02
URGED PARIsHy RS TO VOTE NO.
Rev. P. M. Nc ina Delivered Annua
Prediction Sermon.


Prediction Sermon.
Arguments of the sponsors of high Ii
cense were strongly assailed and an ear
nest appeal was made to the parishioners
of st. Monica's church to sustain the at
titude of the Catholic church in America
towards temperance by Rev. p. NJ. Nc
Kenna in his annual prediction tenn
perance diseourses at St. Monica's church
yesterday. Rev. FIR. McKenna spoke on
three occasions, first addressing his par
ishioners for nearly an hour at the
o'clock mass and speaking approximately
the same length of time at the parish
mass at l0:30 o'clock. Because of in
clement weather the attendance at the
Sunday evening service was appreciably
lessened.
The subject of the sermon was taken
from the biblical text: "Begone Satan,
for it is written The Lord, Thy God,
thou shalt adore and him alone" The
summary of his evening discourse was
as follows: On Tuesday the voters of
Barre will be called upon again to de-
eide most important question, whether
Barre shall or shall not have license for
the year l9l4-l9l5. All other questions
to be submitted to the voters on that
day are of trining Importance compared
TO this ever present question of temper
ance. The good element of the city al
ways unite and organize on this issue
to thwart the aims OF the license people,
and as in years past, we feel confident
s.f rNla na Ir,~
column despite the efforts of the liquor
interests. The reasons for being conf
dent are embodied in the fact that the
good element OF all the city cooperate
and strongly oppose license. We also
know from past experience what degrad
ing and demoralizing scenes predominant
ed in the city when Barre was subject
to license.
Due praise should be given to all those
who flock together for the uplift of the
city on this issue. The ministers of the
ehurches throughout the city have never
departed from their stand on the issue
and are now showing the same energeticI
and active fight as in the past. Great
praise is accorded these minister's as
they have always been in the foreground,
not only on the temperance question, but
have been active participants in move
ments for alleviating the city of social
evils. Greater credit should be accorded
them for the unassuming manner in
which they entered into these fights.
Loud praises should also be given to
the Catholics of St. Moniea's church who
have been of the advance guard of this
no license propaganda. Credit is also
due the parishioners OF the other churches
of the city for the real active and un-
compromising manner which they assume
in the battle for humanity.
1t is not well enough to hope and pray
for this cause, but it is good to fight for
it, as there are times when fighting is |
the best kind of prayer. The women
should lend a helping hand in this issue,
as there are times when the women are
shy at expressing their views. There |
are none more afflicted by intemperance |
than the women. They should realize the |
evil consequences of license and are in a
position to be of great aid to the com
The fight is also for the boy I
be in the foreground. They are backed
by noble traditions of woman since the
biblical times. Let us recall the sixth
station of the way of the cross. where
Veronica is not deferred by the cries /
and babbling of the surging crowd when
Christ is being led to Calvary. She wipes
the sweat and blood from the face of I
Christ. This incident ought to afford
great stimulus to the Catholic women
to wipe out the stain of intemperance
which is so often attached to the church.
Alcohol is the devil of the Christian
home. That devil of intemperance and
the open saloon is now knocking at the
door of Barre and seeking admission.
Women do you know this devil? st.
lgnatius, the martyr, while walking the
streets of Symrna, Asia Minor met Fu-
,ian, the arch.heretic of Arianism, the
predominating heresy of that time. Flu
ian approached Ignatius and inquired if
he did not know him. Ignatus replied:
Yes, / know you, the first of devils"
The devil of the open saloon, the devil
,f alcohol, now stands before you. DO
you know him? Happy is your lot if
YOU do not know this God of drunken
ness. Drunkenness is responsible for
most of the worlds crime. The moral
s that alcohol dehumanizes man and
makes him devil. The efforts of the
woman should be to persuade the hus.
1and to vote no.
This evil of intemperance is nation
vide and worldwide. The evil. in event
II license in this city, would be in ac-
.ordsnee to our capacity. for it, That
his evil is gigantic will be seen by the !
ollowing facts and figures. In the
United States in 1912 the people CON
umed S2,000,O0000O of alcoholic stimu-
ants. That the tide of intempcrance q
5 inundating the American people is
ound in the facts and figures of the :
Jnited States government statistics, q
which show the hardly incredible increase q
n the past half-century. In 1850 the {
verage consumption of these spirits was j
ne and one-half gallons per capita. In a
9l3 the figures showed the consumption {
o be 80 gallons. Who pays for this? II
) not the multimillionaire nor the rich
nan. The cost leaks through the poek-
is of the working man, the laborer with I
family. 1t is intemperance that to
reat degree has caused the high cost
f living, which is, in fact. not so much
he high cost of living as the cost of i
Ugh living. A. generation ago, with O
Continued on fifth page.l c