The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-11
THE ROOT OF THE DRINK EVIL.

THE ROOT OF THE DRINK EVIL.
Nations today are striving to cope
with the drink evil, because at this
tlme oil national stress men clearly
realize that it is n national menace,
writes Rev. w. j. Lockington, S. J., in
the Irish Messenger of the Sacred
Heart Russia led the way by for
| bidding the further manufacture Of
the national drink, vodka. France fol-
lowed by forbidding the use of alb
sinthe. In England Mr. Lloyd George
affirmed that alcohol was a greater
menace to the nation than all the sub
marines of Germany; and from the
King down, all classes of persons
joined in the campaign against the
drink evil. Lastly, Italy has recently
taken the most energetic measures to
exercise the fiend of drink. Thus, I'M
der stress of the present terrible war,
practically all the nations have wax
ened up to consciousness of the ter
rlble effects of intemperance upon the
life and energies of a people. On
every side earnest workers are strenu-
ously trying to check the terrible tide.
The crying urgency of the evil and it's
magnitude impel them to throw them
selves into the fight with impetuous
ardour. This enthusiasm, however, is
very dangerous asset if it be not
steadied by a scientific knowledge of
the evil to be attacked, for action
based on false principles must of
necessity fail.
We must realize that the root of the
drink evil is to be found in the pas
sionate hayward heart of man. This
is the centre of the whole question.
We are confronted by the mightiest
force, save oney on earth-human pas
sion. The controlling of the drink
evil means curling human passion,
and therefore means a reformation of
the heart, for the defect of the people
is one of morals, and not one of knowl-
edge. A drunkard means a man who
his moral fibre enervated-is trail.
ing his manhood in the mire. This
vice clouds his intellect and Weakens
his character, because by this habit
he surrenders the control of the in
tellect and that steadiness of purpose
that differentiate him from all the
other creatures of this world.
A reform intended to uplift such a
one must attend primarily to the inner
life of the man, to that which goes
to make up character. In the words
OF the great Bishop Ketteler, one of
the greatest social refofmers of mod
ern times, True reform is always thor
ough, from the root upwards, from
within outward, not from without in
ward" 1t must be the reform of the
will, of the character, the conscience
in short, reform of SOUL All is based
on the training of the soul, 'the in
terror regeneration of the heart" that
the Sacred Scriptures speak of. All
reform must grow out of the character
of the people and their faith.
Human passion is the root of the
.evil--it is a question Of virtue. In
struction is not a guard against i'm.
morality. Lectures, for instance, on
what is euphemistically called "sex-
hygiene" can no more enshrine the
glorious Christian virtue of purity in
the human heart than can a list of
skilfully arranged statistics cure a
drunkard Training must not be mere
ly intellectual, but spiritual and moral
also.
We have said that human passion is
the strongest force on earth, save one.
That one force that we excepted
the mightiest force on earth, the force
before which all others yield, ia the
grace of God. Grace is the only foun-
dation of virtue, and is absolutely i'm
dispensable. Without Me, you can do
nothing" says Christ (John XIV, 81:
mo man can come to Me, except the
Father, Who hath sent Me, draw him.
(John V, Az; mo man can say the
Lord Jesus but by the Holy Ghost"
Il Cor. XII, 81; by grace you are
saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; for it is the gift of Cod
(Ep. III, s, 81. The logic of this is plain.
To conquer drunkenness, the drunkard
must attain virtue. To attain virtue
the grace of God is Indispensable.
Therefore, to conquer drunkenness the
grace of God is indispensable.
How is the drunkard to gain this
grace? Lethim go to our Holy Mother
the Church-she is waiting for him in
love, and with power. She is the puar.
dian of the certain means of gaining
grace-the Sacramento. These are !
given by God for this purpose. let
him who is enslaved by drunkenness
use the Sacramento of Confession and
Communion as our Holy Father wishes
them to be used, and he will soon be
freed from his degrading letters by
the strengthening power OF Gods holy
grace.