The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-25
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
"DON'T LET THE BOY TOUCH
LIQUOR" <

The other day in Chicago a victim Of
John Barleycorn, as he was preparing
to end his life, penned letter to his
wife asking her forgiveness and in i'm
FASHIONED language making this re-
quest, Don't let our son know the
taste of liquor This pltiful appeal
of the recreant father was intended
for the mother alone, but every Amer
lean citizen who has vote or an
ounce of influence ought to feel a per-
sonal obligation to help this bereaved
parent safeguard her boy. ..... 49,,
What hope has this woman, who
must be both mother and father to the
young lad, of keeping her offspring
from the temptations of liquor sur
rounding him, in a license city honey
combed with dramshops? When lit
tie later he starts to school, he will be
compelled to traverse streets reeking
with saloons. AS he goes out upon
errands for her, he will continually
pass liquor emporiums with poison
| drinks temptingly displayed. With
the keen eyes of youth he will note
| that the politics of the city and of
the state, yes, and of the nation as
WELL are controlled more or less by
the liquor politicians and those who
manufacture and sell the very poison
his mother warns him to shun. AS he
reads the newspapers of the day he
will learn that even the benevolent
Uncle Sam, whom he is taught to ven-
crate, is willing for revenue to tolerate
| the continuance of traffic in the strong
drink that ruined his father and which
his mother tells him will ruin him if
he does not keep from it. ..a .~..
Can this mother hope to save her
boy from the clutches of traffic so
closely woven into the commercial and
political life of the nation? When she
turns expectantly to the city fathers.
she discovers that it is through them
that the licenses are permitted; when
she appeals to her state legislators she
finds them voting for laws at the be-.
hest of the liquor politician, and when
as last resort she appeals to Uncle
Sam, she discovers that he is in part,
nership with the distillery and the
brewery But, thank God, she is not
waging alone the battle for the safe
guarding of her son. Men and women
by the thousands are working with
her tirelessly to educate the boy to
, avoid the dangers of the saloon, and
to make the adult to see his RESPONSE
bility to protect the lad by prohibiting
l sr,s- 4,,oQ - oil How
erages.
AS she agonizes in prayer for her
son she may have the consciousness
that a great army of other mother
as she endeavors to shield him from
the dangers of the liquor traffic, she
may be upheld and strengthened by
the realization that in ever-increasing
numbers the Christian men and
women of this nation are standing
back of her and investing their
strength, their time and their money
that her boy and other mothers boys
may grow to manhood without passing
through the scorching fires of tempta-
ton to drink. Speed the day, and it
is not far distant, when not only the
good citizens, but the Governments of
our cities, states and nation, shall say
, to every mother and father, Our first
and foremost interest is with you to
put around your growing children a
protective zone where the liquor
dealer shall have no power over
them" Tho U,foo S,o,oi