The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1928-06-01
AL SMITH vs.. The CATHOLIC CHURCH
JOHN F. CUNNEEN, Chicago, Ill.


of Baltimore and adopted a constitution,
called DEGREES of the Third Plenary Coun-
Gil of Baltimore, for the guidance of the
church in the United States.
Decree No. 1853 reads:
We admonish Catholics engaged in
the sale of Intoxicating liquors to con-
slider seriously how many and how
great are the dangers and the occa-
sions of sin which their business, al
though not in itself illicit, is sur
rounded. Let them, if possible, choose
some more honorable way of making
living. And if they find it i'm
possible to quit it, then let them
strive with all their might to remove
the occasions of sin from themselves
and from Others Let them not sell
drink either to minors or to those
who, they forsee, will go to excess.
Let them keep their saloons closed on
the Lords Day. Let them at no time
permit on their premises blasphemy,
or obscene language. But if, through
their action or with their co-opera-
ton, religion is dishonored and men
are led to ruin, let them remember
that there is an Avenger in heaven,
who will certainly demand of them
terrible retribution.
From the Pastoral Letter of the Arch
bishops and Bishops of the United States,
assembled in the Third Plenary Council
of Baltimore, 1884:
We call upon them (paStors) to in
duce all of their flockS that may be
engaged in the sale of liquors to
abandon as soon as they can the
dangerous traffic, and to embrace a
more becoming way OF making
living.
1t is from the priests of the church
hot y1yoo 10 q assistance
in this work; for upon them has God
imposed the duty of imparting the
Word of Life and of propagating
sound morality among the people Let
them never cease to cry out boldly
against drunkenness, and whatsoever
leads to it.
Al Smith as a member of the New York
Legislature between the years 1907 and
1915 had nine chances to vote against the
saloon, but he voted nine times in favor
of the saloon. He voted against giving
the voters chance to vote against the
saloon.
The Catholic Church does not tell its
members how to vote, but the Catholic
who voted against giving the people
chance to vote against the saloon was
false to the spirit of his church.
NOT IN ACCORD WITH HIS CHURCH
UPON UQG question: O1 kGcpl119 Vic oolOOAA
closed upon Sunday, the Third Plenary
Council of Baltimore had no 'if'' or loop
hole. The explicit command Of the
church was to keep the saloons closed on
the Lords Day No Catholic in the
United States, be he saloonkeeper,
member of the Legislature, voter only
at the polls, or law enforcement official,
could take any part in keeping the saloon
open on Sunday without defying the ex-
press command of the church. What did
Al Smith do? AS a member of the New
York Legislature he voted on numerous
occasions for bills that legalized the SELL
ing of liquor on Sunday. In this petition
Al Smith was anti Catholic.
In New York State they had the Raines
law 1t permitted one saloon to each 500
of the population, but in addition hotels
could have bars and sell liquor the same
as saloons, provided they had the re-
ouired number of rooms called for by the
Raines law In village of 1000 popula-
ton four saloons would be permitted, but
In some villages there would be as many
as 16 hotels with bars selling liquor, al
though in a town Of that size there could
be patronage of transients to support only
one good hotel. The result was, in very
large number Of instances that these So
called "hotels" became houses of prosti-
tuition Three times Al Smith as legis-
lator had a chance to vote on legislation
to break up the partnership between these
saloons, which amounted to practical