The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-03-23
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
THE FALLAcY OF "PERSoNAL
LIBERTY"

ITO me-" says st. Paul, call
things are not expedient." Fur
Their, ''if thy right eye scandalize
thee" says Christ, pluck it out and
cast it from thee. :" The soph-
ism of personal liberty in the choice
of drink or no drink is shattered at
every turn of civilized life, for no
man is free to place an act, the con-
sequences of which are directly or
indirectly injurious to his neighbor,
or to the community at large.
Now we claim that the drink habit,
so widespread today, is serious in
Jury to the average individual who
has contracted it, as we'll as to his
neighbor and to the general we'll
being of the public at large. 1t
should, therefore, be abolished by
legal enactment, and all well-mean-
ing and brotherly-loving Christians
and citizens should join in a COM
mon demand for such legislative
enactment We are not pretending
to argue our case in syllogistic form,
but nevertheless hope to prove our
deduction from the premises laid
down.
The hydra of strong drink has
dragged it's Shiny length from the
days of Noah down the course OF
ages to the present moment. 1t has
tainted peoples, polluted families
and demoralized nations. Pagans
and Christians, civilized and barbar-
Gus, learned and illiterate alike
have been impregnated with the foul
breath of that ubiquitous monster.
The pages of history and the testi-
mony of archaeology are damaging
witnesses to the ravages of that re-
lentless enemy of the human race.
During this long and interminable
devastation of home and country,
there has not been a period in the
epoch of the world in which this i'm
placable foe of mankind has not had
its staunch and fearless opponents.
Brave and patriotic men in all ages
and nations have had the heart and
conscience to raise their voice and
pen against the vile intruder, but to
pledge-taking have swept the earth
from time to time without perma-
nent and effective results. Parlia-
ments and legislatures have Wrestled
with the great problem, but still the
moral and social scourge has gone
on undated.
Church and state have Illuminated
against it, but the food of drunken
ness has continued to inundate the
land until total submersiOn is now
threatened. Mighty organizations
have risen up against it, but still it
remains entrenched behind the faint
ed gold of the bloated brewer and
distiller. It's victims are counted by
the millions and it's palsied touch is
felt perhaps more fatally today than
at any other period in ancient or
modern times.
Father Mathew, our immortal eX-
emplar, did wonders in his day to
stay the ravages of strong drink in
Ireland and England, but his pledge
giving crusade was short lived and
these countries soon again became
stepped in the dregs of the Tuning
poison from which England has not
yet been eXtricated. We hear much
complaint against the rich corpora
tions, trusts and monopolies, but lit
tie about the affluent brewers, dis
tillers and liquor dealers of the land.
If there be any truth in the old and
familiar dictum of the French prole-
tariat that 1.-The rich are getting
richer, and the poor, poorer" surely
it is applicable to the inter-relation-
ship of the day laborer and the man
ufacturer of Intoxicating liquors.
The liquor bill of the United States
for the year 1913 was $1,75O,00O,-
600. This surely is a staggering in
dictment of the lavish and criminal
expenditure of the nation for a COM
modify, which is neither necessary
nor useful for the maintenance OF
body, or for the strength and vigor
of mind of it's citizens, who seem
to have no control of reason and of
the cOmmOnest instincts of the law
of self-preservation when the animal
appetite is concerned. To vast
army of workingmen in this coun-
try the only limit of support to the
saloon is seemingly the sheer capac-
ity and relative size of their pocket
books. Hence, the upper trend of
wages, shorter hours and better con-
ditions of labor are only surer
guarantee of a fatter harvest and
added millions to the manufacturers
of Intoxicating beverages. Neverthe-
less, we have stood and always will
stand for a general material better
ment of the workingmen's lot, but
we shall stand with equal, if not
greater tenacity of purpose for a bet
terment of their spiritual and intel
lectual condition also.
Rep. T. r. CuTT0n