Evening star., 1926-02-09
CATHOLIC PRELATE
OPPOSES DRY LAW
0'ConneII Declares Church
Wants Voluntary Temper
anCe, Not Prohibition.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press
NEN YORK. February 9.-A new
no,e ON prohibition which has been
aSitatine the Episcopal Church. has
! been struck in "A pronouncement by
Cardinal O'Connell of Boston that the
Roman Catholic Church applauds vol
unt&rY abstinence but opposes com
pulsory prohibition.
Cardinal OConnell did not mention
the Episcopal controversy started by
Temperance Society of the Episcopal
Church that il favored legalization of
light wines and beer.
He confined himself 10 defining the
position of his church and warning
Protestant prohibition leaders that the
tItfollc Church would not allow it
self 10 tie entanGled in The compulsory
total abstinence movement. Although
the Catholic Church has long been
lighting against intemperance, the
cardinal said compulsory prohibition
is II different matter
Opposed to Scripture.
For compulsory prohibition he
said. in general is fatty opposed to
| Holy Scripture and to Catholic tradi
ton
Although it has been made clear
/ thousand times that we will work
with our separated brethren as tenn
petance men but not as tools of those
whose confessed policy is world wide
prohibition by installments. disloyai
attempts are still being made to en-
tanele us"
When Cardinal Hayes arrived here
last saturday, after holy year visit
To the Vatican. he defined the Catho-
lie ChurchS S stand as always for vol
untary temperance and against eX-
trenes. like prohibition
Sees Little Opposition.
DR.. James Empringham, national
secretary of the Church Temperance
Society. said yesterday that his or
ganiZation would continue it's move
ment to modify the Volstead act. ONLY
- cut of 141 bishops thus far have
publicly opposed the society's stand.
he said
lie declined to reveal the figures on
which he based his announcement
that ma jority of the 5000 members
or the society favored modification.
but maintained that his original
statement stood
DIR. Empringham said that Bishop
Manning Of New York. three week. <
ago told him that he did not believe
in prohibition. but did believe in en-
forcement of law. The bishop said
this statement was in error. and that
his strong prohibition sermon OF Sun.
day represented his attitude.
Backed by Illinois Bishop.
support of the societys stand came
Yesterday from Bishop White Of
Springfield, Ill, who characterized
the present law as largely a Joke"
which he believed cannot really be
enforced without Il standing army. -
Bishop White asserted he favored
modification of the NolStead act ION
absolutely conscientious grounds"
In New York, State Supt. Davis
of the Anti-Saloon League referred to
DR.. Empringham's announcement as
a wet boomerang" and Il "contribu-
tion TO the dry cause"
Bishop StireS of Long Island and
Bishop Hughes of Chicago also up
held the maintenance of the Volstead
act.
The Pittsburgh Methodist Episco-
pal and Presbyterian ministerial |
meetings yesterday went on record
as opposed to the views of Bishop
Mann of Pittsburgh. who advocated
modification of the prohibition act in
accordance with the findings of the
Church Temperance Society.
At Lancaster, Pa, w. E. 't'Pussy-
foot'D Johnson, discussing Empring-
! hams stand for light wines and beer.
said: There are some people who get
| tired of being good too long at one
time"