The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-22
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
SHOULD A MOVEMENT FOR PRO-
HIRIToRY LATIoN BE
cLAssED AS CHARITY?


the phases of relief, of rehabilitation,
and of prevention. Direct and imme-
diate relief of poverty is sometimes
necessary, and then of course should
be given. But putting the victim of
poverty or disease in a position to
care for himself-rehabilitat a
higher and wiser type of charity than
direct relief work. Still higher than
rehabilitation comes the form of
charity by which poverty and other
evils are prevented. The wisest and
most far-reaching method is to look
ahead to prevent recurrence of pres
ent day conditions. Under the head of
preventive charities come movements
for prevention of tuberculosis, for pre-
vention of blindness, for prevention
of poverty by assuring the laboring
class of steady and remuneratiVe
work. One may consider that he is
doing an act of the highest type of
charity by using his influence even
through the ballot to prevent prevalent
evils, or by inducing legislation that
will tend to prevent evils.
Can legislation for prohibiting the
sale of intoxicating liquors for bever-
age purposes come under the head of
charity? Would such legislation pre-
vent the recurrence of much of the
poverty and disease that is now prev
alent? To illustrate the complex
problems that confront modern social
workers, a lecturer of wide experience
has told of certain family which he
had tried to rehabilitate Tin this case
it was too late for prevention). There
was father who worked about three
days week and drank the rest of the
time, fifteen year old boy with
criminal tendencies, a feeble-minded
girl of twelve, a tubercular child, two
boys who did not have the necessary
clothing to attend school, sickly
baby-and we can imagine the mother,
discouraged and broken hearted. What
is probably the real cause of the con-
dition of the family? According to
modern science, the feeble mindedness
of one child, the tendency to tubercu-
losis of another, and the lack of
vitality Of the baby were probably
brought on by the drinking habits of
the father The boys might have
possessed school clothing and the sick
children proper habitation and care,
, if their father had not spent his earn
, ings in drink. The criminal tenden-
cies of the fifteen year old boy are
, fostered and brought out by the saloon
that is doubtless near by.
AS praiseWorthy as are the societies
for the prevention of tuberculosis, can
these societies remove the tendency
to the disease in the thousands of
cases similar to this? Can any move
, ment prevent the cell-structUre of the
unborn babe from being impaired by
: alcoholic influence, resulting in feeble
mindedness and bIindness-provided
that movement does not get down to
, the root of the matter and take the
drink from the fathers lips, years be-
;, fore the child is born? Would legisla
= ton resulting in higher wages-neces-
!, sary as such legislation is-prevent
this type of poverty and disease
q stricken families from growing up?
! For certain great class of the charity
cases of tomorrow the only effective
! preventive measure is to keep the boys
and girls of today from contracting
the drink habit. (The present drunk
= ards and their families may be re-
:, lieved, to a certain extent rehabiliated.
: but not entirely saved from the awful
results of drink
= Along with-certainly not in place
: of-other charitable movements for
| CHI icIo tinT,
for Encouragement of liquor con
sumption, one of the great causes of
existing evils. Our government, sup
ported by all charitable people, should
/ do all it can to keep the boy from
becoming a drunkard, by removing
the attraction of the saloon from his
path. Unfortunately government car
not make over" our present supply
of drunkards. Many of them will
drink to their dying day.
g There are two arguments against
C this prohibitory legislation. Some say
J. it is unjust to certain classes of PEG
y pie, especially those who can use
n strong drink in moderation. Everyone
.. in a complex society must give up GER
# tain privileges for the general good
d Any truly charitable person ESPECIALLY
/, if his self-control be as remarkable as
Z, the moderate drinker" claims) will
J. cheerfully give up a pleasure like the
r enjoying a glass of wine in order thai
r in the world there may be fewer chill
dren who have no chance in life, fewer
" broken-hearted wives and mothers
!. fewer blind, tubercular or feeble
8 minded babies.
It Some say prohibitory legislation is
2, not practicable, that the law cannot
l, be enforced. Is it any more impracti
o cable that some of the hoped-fol
e legislation to improve conditions o.
n labor? We should not perfectly en-
e force prohibitory legislation-of course
g not-we do not enforce any law per
d fectly despite the laws agains
Il stealing-laws that have come dow1
e through the centuries-we still have
g our thieves.) But we would remove
C legal encouragement of the drink habit
Is And, if all charitable persons in ouI
10 country work together, first for wise
a. legislation, and then for law enforce
1t ment, we shall succeed in preventins
If not all, but large part, of the poverty
:" disease, misery-and crime, too-tha
e, results from the liquor traffic.