The Catholic bulletin. [volume], July 19, 1913, Image 4

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4
(fatholir Jli'Sunietitt.
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SATURDAY, JULY 19, 1913.
In the Nicaragua Constitution
We
find this article: '1The religion
of the State is the Catholic,
Apostolic and Roman. No laws
can be passed contrary to the
liberty of the Church or restric
tive of its juridical personality.
No one shall be molested for his
religious opinions, nor compelled
to profess any creed, or observe
any practices contrary to his con
science." Last Decembr Nicara
gua officially consecrated itself to
the Sacred Heart.
We read that recently Sir
Charles Fitzpatrick, Chief Justice
of Canada, took the place of an
altar boy, who became suddenly
ill while serving Mass, and that
the distinguished jurist quietly
ierved the priest at the altar to
the end of the Mass. This is not a
great event, but it is a great proof
of the wonderful faith that ac
tuates the Chief Justice. His
Christianity is of the stamp that
means force and sterling convic
tion. He is ever a source of pride
to the Catholics of Canada, and we
congratulate them on having so
noble a representative of the faith
in their midst.
Some time ago Bishop Fitzmau
rice, of Erie, Pa., addressing the
graduates of a Catholic Academy
the East, remarked: "I can
•ee in the faces of girls educated
in the Catholic schools a look of
purity and gentleness missing in
the boys and girls of the common
•chools. For me it is easy to se
lect, even in a crowd, children
Who
have had their training in
Catholic schools. There is some
thing about their countenances
which at once sets them apart. It
is hard to state just what this is,
but it is similar to the look which
makes it easy to recognize a priest
of the Church, even if he be one
of the many dressed like others
in all respects."
Viewing the immorality in the
§lagg
ublic schools of the land, Ella
Young, superintendent of
the Chicago Public Schools,
thought that she had discovered
the remedy for all this. She
•ays: "The pupils of Chicago
High Schools need something to
improve their morals and conse
quently sex-hygiene instruction
lias become essential in the upper
grades."
Evidently, however, the parents
of the children attending the
twenty-one high schools of Chi
cago thought otherwise. So severe
were the protests sent in that we
understand the project has been
dropped. Mrs. Young evidently
failed to note that such knowledge
communicated to the young will
work a positive harm to them
unless the religious side of their
natures has been developed and
even then such knowledge is un
safe for them, to say the least.
We wonder if the good lady has
read Foerster's, "Marriage and
the Sex-Problem."
The finest illustration in "anti
clerical" lying that we have seen
in a long time, says The Casket,
is furnished by4Rome.' A paper in
Palermo published a story of a
horrible crime alleged to have
been committed by a priest of
Cefalu. The clergy of Cefalu took
legal proceedings and the paper
started to trace the yarn. All the
annals of calumny, all the pedi
grees of anti-Catholic slander and
libel, can hardly afford a more
perfect instance of the speed and
the long life of a lie. The paper,
the Ora. got the yarn from an ad
vocate named Di Benedetto he
got it from a professor named Vin
cenzo Maranto. Maranto wrote
to the Ora to say he got it from
his father-in-law, Gambero, who
had it from one Pepe, who re
ceived it from one Andrea Glori
oso. Glorioso got it from a man
named Curcio, who learned it
from a man named Schiechi.
JBchiechi had it from his brother
in-law, Andrea Molinari, and Mo
lina ri heard of it from the wife of
tiie rate collector, Paolo Margog-
lio. And that is just about how
the current anti-Catholic yarns
look when traced back a bit.
SOCIETIES FOB THE PROMO
TION OF RELIGIOUS
VOCATIONS.
The Holy Office, through its
section for Indulgence, has just
published a list of special In
dulgences granted by the Holy
Father in favor of sodalities for
the promotion of ecclesiastical vo
cations, already established or to
be hereafter established, in vari
ous dioceses with the approval of
the Ordinary. The indulgences
are: Plenary, (1) for each per
son on the day of entering the
society, on the usual conditions of
Confession and Holy Communion
and praying for the intentions of
the Pope (2) "in articulo mor
tis (3) on special feasts duly
detailed. One hundred days for
any work of piety or charity done
for the object of the sodality by
any of its members. All the In
dulgences, except that "in ar
ticulo mortis," can be applied to
the Souls in Purgatory. The Holy
Father has also granted that
Masses celebrated "in suffragio"
for deceased members of these
sodalities shall be as if cele
brated at a privileged altar. The
decree is signed by his Eminence
Cardinal Rampolla and by the
Assessor of the Holy Office.
SIR CHARLES AND THE MASS.
In the first column to the left
we noticed an incident which re
cently happend in Quebec. Sir
Charles, as his fellow-Catholics in
Canada affectionately call him,
was the "hero." This little in
cident calls up several reflections
with regard to our Catholic men
in public as well as in private life.
Often do we read and hear of
Catholies who are ashamed of
their religion, or at least who fear
to intrude it upon others by a
public display of faith. The great
men of the world of letters, of
science, of government, who are
Catholics do not take that view
of the matter. They take their
Catholicism as a matter of
course, and assuredly would ex
hibit surprise if their open profes
sion of their belief were criticized.
Sir Charles holds a very high
position in his country's councils:
this action on his part was sure
to arouse various forms of com
ment, and yet with great sim
plicity and faith he considers it
an honor to serve the minister of
God at the altar. What is more,
he knows how to serve Mass. How
many of our prominent Catholics,
or of those who are not so emi
nent, would know how to serve
Mass if called upon suddenly?
As a contemporary remarks, the
custom of using prayerbooks
seems to be dying out among our
Catholics while assisting at Mass.
This may account for the fact that
so many of them would scarcely
know just what to do in such an
emergency. There is surely no
more beautiful way of assisting at
the Holy Sacrifice than by follow
ing the priest at the altar in the
various actions which accompany
the celebration of the Holy
Mysteries. This is easily done by
using a missal with the prayers in
English, or by following the parts
of the Mass with the assistance of
a book of prayers.
All praise to Sir Charles, and
may his imitators in this country
be many and frequent.
CONSCIENCE ON THE WANE.
One of the great points of dif
ference between our age and that
of the so-called Dark Period is to
be found in the fact that former
ly the force of conscience was
supreme, while at the present day
this invisible power appears to
have suffered in the maelstrom of
material interests. And yet, one
of the most eloquent witnesses to
the immortal nature of the soul
is, beyond doubt, the voice of con
science. Who has not experienced
its sweet but strong incentive to
deeds of love and duty, its deli
cate, but efficacious restraint when
the soul hovers between right and
wrong. Motives of personal gain,
of reputation, of aggrandizement,
at times loom upon our mental
horizon, and appeal in most se
ductive forms to our innate spirit
of egotism and yet that soft,
clear voice, that secret yet pow
erful monitor rises in protest
against actions that are repugnant
to our higher nature. Like the
voice and winning love of the
child, strong and irresistible in
its very meekness, pleading with
an erring parent, this tiny mentor
foresees evil, forwarns the indi
vidual, appeals to his nobler na
ture, pleads, threatens, uses every
argument to withdraw him from
the commission of even an action
incompatible with his dignity and
title of a rational being.
A man may resist: but woe be
tide him! It threatens not in
vain, and it is overwhelmingly
powerful as an executioner. Its
punishment it metes out swiftly
and terribly: remorse is the con
sequence of a disregard of its ad
monitions. And what more terri
ble punishment can a rational
creature endure in this life than
the gnawing, self-devouring
agony of remorse.
It is the cry that startles the
murderer at dead of night it is
the fear "that frighteneth when
no man pursueth." It is the man
ifold and ubiquitous, the relent
less and unforgiving accuser that
caused Richard to cry out in agon
ized terror, "My conscience hath
a thousand several tongues, and
every tongue brings in a several
tale, and every tale proclaims me
as a villain."
Nevertheless, the voice of con
science is now pretty low. Cor
ruption has fastened its grasp on
many in high places philanthro
phy has taken the place of char
ity, refinement passes for moral
ity, and education stands in the
place of religion. When the pen
dulum of materialism has swung
high and clear, then we shall look
for a return to the spirit which
made princes and potentates, war
riors and statesmen, men of high
and of low degree heed the voice
of conscience, renounce hypocrisy,
and return to the simplicity that
ever accompanies true religious
ness.
BETTER THAN RESOLUTIONS
—AGAIN.
Some time ago we had occasion
to refer in these columns to the
generosity of the Knights of Co
lumbus in a certain council of this
state, who sent in a lump sum
of subscriptions. This week one
of our diocesan priests who is
nothing if not practical caused a
mild surprise in the editorial
sanctum by bringing in two hun
dred subscriptions to The Cath
olic Bulletin. The Rev. H. Cie
battone, assistant at Holy Rosary
Church, Graceville, made up his
mind that the Catholics of that
thriving town were going to keep
in touch with Catholic affairs, and
precisely by subscribing to their
own diocesan paper. The good
Catholics of Graceville were a
unit in their loyalty. Many of
them were already subscribers to
this paper, others were receiving
various other good Catholic pa
pers, but the persuasive efforts of
Father Ciebattone in a short time
won them over to the cause also of
diocesan allegiance. We consider
this incident worth recording
both to the zeal of the Reverend
Father as well as to the
gO,od
Christian sense of the people of
Graceville. The method used by
Father Ciebattone is the one that
is sure to bring immediate results:
call on the people, and they will
subscribe.
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS
DUE.
During the past few weeks we
have looked through the principal
Catholic exchanges on our list,
and in almost every one we have
seen notices, often quite lengthy,
about Commodore Barry and the
recent celebrations in his honor.
No one should rejoice in all this
more than a Catholic. Catholics
have indeed rejoiced.
A careful perusal, however, has
failed to disclose a single Catholic
paper or magazine in which credit
was given to the only one who
succeeded in placing Barry before
the world in the true colors of
history. Our esteemed exchanges
have quoted various authors who
wrote about the great Commo
dore we do not mean to dis
parage these authors but why is
it that no exchange (we have seen
none) has thought it worth while
to credit the history of Barry to
the late lamented and distin
guished Mr. Martin I. J. Griffin,
of Philadelphia? As every his
torian knows, or ought to know,
Mr. Griffin did more than any one
Catholic author to place the his
tory of Barry in its true light.
"That indefatigable delver who
has done so much for American
Catholic history, Mr. Griffin,"
seemsv to have been entirely over
looked in all the laudations that
have issued anent Barry.
Mr. Griffin wrote a large Life
of Barry in more than four hun
dred pages. Unlike other so
called lives, this history by the
"indefatigable delver" presents
the life of Barry before us, with
every word and fact substantiated
by the authentic documents, an
art almost lost by the present-day
historian. The genuine history of
Barry must now necessarily be
based upon Mr. Griffin's record.
Would it not be at least simple
justice to this distinguished writer
to mention his name in connection
with the great events of the past
few weeks, instead of simply quot
ing other authors who were
obliged to draw on the original
to prove their facts? We hereby
wish publicly to acknowledge the
debt of gratitude we owe to Mr.
Griffin for his long researches in
the cause of Catholic historical
truth, especially with regard to
the matter under discussion.
This leads to another query.
Why is it that Catholics will per
sist in taking the historical facts
of their religion from non-Cath
olic sources? The answer is sim
ple: because Catholics do not as
a rule go to Catholic writers, they
do not patronize Catholic authors
as they should. The learned edi
tor of the American Catholic His
torical Researches gave forth a
vast amount of interesting ma
terial. all based on authentic
sources, and all referring to Cath
olie iustory and yet Catholies do
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, JULY 19, 1913.
not avail themselves of this mine
of historical wealth, rather they
consult authorities who have
simply borrowed from the orig
inal. If Catholics could be per
suaded to consult their own
authorities in such matters a great
many errors of history would be
branded, and the Church would
not be exposed to so many vitriol
ic attacks on the part of sciolists.
How prophetic were the words
of Mr. Griffin when, a few years
before his death, commenting on
his life of Barry and his own re
searches, he wrote: "When Bar
ry's monument is dedicated I will
be entirely forgotten: others will
be prominent and foremost, and
not one of them ever read my
Life of Barry."
mm ym
JUVENILE WORKERS.
One of the effects of modern
life has been in many cases to
transfer the boy and the girl from
the farm or homestead to the fac
tory and shop. The gigantic prog
ress made by the world in the
last few decades has necessitated
the employment of a large num
ber of persons in the various in
dustrial centers of the country.
This transfer, natural enough in
itself, has wrought a great change
on civilized communities. Moral
ity has also come in for its share
in the great transformation. But
has Morality been the gainer or
the loser?
To one in the least familiar
with the literature and customs
of the various civilized countries
of the world up to about a cen
tury ago a glance at our modern
life will at once reveal a change
in the character of the individual
as well as in that of the commun
ity at large. This change consists
partly in the loss of a certain win
ning simplicity that formerly
characterized the youthful and
rising generation. At the present
day this unaffected naivete, this
confiding and unsuspecting spirit
of trustfulness has to a great ex
tent disappeared. The loss of it
may be ascribed to many and
various causes. There is, however,
one reason which appears not the
least in importance. This is ap
plicable principally to the juven
ile working class. This army of
young toilers, that are to fight
the battles of tomorrow, have a
great deal to learn from associa
tion with so many of their equals
in age and occupation and on the
other hand they have many temp
tations to meet and overcome. It
is a truism that association begets
familiarity, and this, if fostered
among those whose standards of
morality are widely different, can
not but produce a deleterious ef
fect on those who come in contact
with such principles.
Now, in all our large shops and
factories we behold a kind of
heterogeneous conglomeration, of
representatives of all nationali
ties, creeds and shades of belief.
Take this mixture to begin with,
multiply by the individual char
acteristics and tendencies of each
person, add a goodly sprinkling
of youthful ardor and passionate
ebullition seasoned by an impetu
ous chafing at any kind of re
straint over all this pour a gen
erous decoction of malicious de
pravity, and then you will have a
fair, if crude, idea of the seething
cauldron in which the young Cath
olic is often placed.
Out of this ordeal is it possible
to come forth without at least
feeling the detrimental effects
that such an environment almost
invariably produces on character?
We do not deny that in such as
sociation there are many advan
tages, and that noble-minded men
and women have been formed in
just such a school. What we con
tend is that these persons have
become such in spite of these sur
roundings, and that the shop and
the factory are very often schools
of vice, where the young and un
wary are caught and not unfre
quently corrupted. The spirit of
self-assertion and independence
that always accompanies personal
suceess in any walk of life seems
to make the youthful toiler forget
the fact that he is still open to
the attacks of the maliciously in
clined, and subject to various al
lurements as the result of his want
of experience. As a consequence,
we often behold the young enter
these arenas of human industry
endowed with the most lovable
qualities and the purest impulses:
all of which are ruthlessly swept
away after a few months' contact
with companions whose standard
of right and wrong is woefully
distorted.
Parents cannot be too careful in
allowing their children to "go to
work." What are, after all, a few
paltry dollars more or less if the
child is to imbibe at so early and
so tender an age those false prin
ciples that sooner or later will de
velop and not only tarnish his
youthful virtue, but at the same
time prepare his vigorous man
hood and declining age for an ex
istence perhaps disgraceful and
harmful to others?
We cannot too much insist on
keeping the child at school as
long as possible. Where. it ap
pears necessary to permit him to
engage in manual or other labor
when still in his teens, the parents
should make it a sacred duty to
watch over his moral develop
ment, and endeavor to ward off
any and every tendency that
might threaten the life of his soul.
The child should be made to real
ize the dangers to which he is ex
posed in being thus thrown in the
midst of such a promiscuous com
pany. These dangers are en
hanced a thousand fold when both
sexes are placed together. The
child and youth should be taught
to cultivate a spirit of reserve to
wards those with whom he is
obliged to come in contact. So
many dire evils follow a contrary
line of conduct that it is well for
both parents and children to be
on their guard in so serious a mat
ter. If boys and girls wish to pre
serve themselves free from any
pernicious influence, let them in
the first place guard themselves
against any undue familiarity
with those whom they have reason
to suspect. In the next place, let
them be faithful to their religious
duties, by frequenting the sacra
ments every month. Nothing is so
decisive in keeping the conscience
in a state of habitual purity as a
faithful and unfailing habit of ap
proaching the sacrament of pen
ance. Here the hideousness of vice
appears in all its appalling reality,
and the soul is the more easily de
terred from the pursuit of those
pleasures that at first sight may
appear enticing, and perhaps irre
sistible, but when viewed under
the light of reason and religion
exhibit nothing but repulsiveness.
On the whole, it is possible to pre
serve virtue in the places spoken
of, but at the same time it requires
the utmost vigilance on thfe part
of both parents and child, but
especially of the latter.
ABRMMJJNCailll.
THE GREAT PRESIDENT WAS
OPPOSED TO BIGOTRY.
In a letter written by Abraham Lin
coln to Joshua F. Speed on August 14,
1855, the future President wrote:
"You inquire where I now stand.
That is a disputed point. I think I
am a Whig, but others say there are
no Whigs and that I am an Abolition
ist. When I was at Washington I
voted for the Wilmot proviso as good
as forty times, and I never heard of
anyone attempting to un-whig me for
that. I now do no more than oppose
the extension of slavery. I am not a
know-nothing that is certain. How
could I be? How can anyone, who
abhors the oppression of negroes, be
in favor of degrading classes of white
people? Our progress in degeneracy
appears to me to be pretty rapid. As
a nation we began by declaring that
'All men are created equal.' We now
practically read it, 'All men are cre
ated equal except negroes.' When the
know-nothings get control it will read,
'All men are created equal except
negroes and foreigners and Catholics.'
When it comes to this I shall prefer
emigrating to some country where
they make no pretence of loving lib
erty—where despotism can be taken
pure and without the base alloy of
hyprocrisy."
Respectfully submitted to the per
usal of the Guardians of Bigotry, et al.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
PROOF THAT THE GOVERNMENT
18 ALIVE TO THE GREAT NEED
.OF SPECIALIZED TRAINING.
The House of Representatives has
adopted this resolution:
"Resolved, etc., That the President
of the United States is hereby author
ized to appoint a commission, consist
ing of nine men, whose duty it shall
be to consider the need and report a
plan, not later than December 1 next,
for national aid to vocational educa
tion.
"Section 2. That the members of
said commission shall be paid their
actual traveling expenses and sub
sistence while engaged upon the work
of said commission.
"Section 3. That said commission
shall have authority to employ a sec
retary and to make such investiga
tions into local conditions of the re
spective states as they deem neces
sary, the entire expense of the com
mission not to exceed the sum of
$15,000, or so much thereof as shall
be necessary.
"Section 4. That the sum of $15,000
be, and the same is hereby, appropria
ted to meet the expenses of the said
commission."
ANGLICAN AWAKENING
RETURN TO CATHQU€
PRINCIPLES.
Some remarkable statements have
been made recently by our Anglican
friends. The Bishop of St. Asaph,
speaking of the present government
and Welsh Disestablishment, said he
believed heartily in the unity, identity
and continuity of the Church as a
spiritual body, but not in the Estab
lishment, which was an entirely dif
ferent thing. This is rather cryptic,
and the bishop's flock are wondering
what "church" he is speaking of.
Then Lord Halifax threw a bomb
shell at Protestantism from the plat
form of the English Church Union.
Having loudly declared for the invio
lability of the marriage tie, and pro
tested against the diversion of church
funds to secular purposes, Lord Hali
fax said the time had come when Par
liament should relinquish control of
the church. The bishops and the
clergy should manage their own
affairs, that Parliament had no
time, no inclination and no experi
ence to deal with the spiritual affairs,
which were the churchman's province,
and we must remember that the
church had existed longer than the
state. This, after 350 years! Surely
the Anglicans are slowly drawing
nearer to a full appreciation of the
wisdom, truth and justice of the Cath
olic Church.
THE MENAGE IN THE SCHOOLS
You are interested in your school,
writes Bird S. Coler, in the Live Issue.
Your children's interests are involved
there. You pay cheerfully,—directly
if you own real property indirectly
and through your rent, if you do not—
for the construction of the school
buildings, for the immense teaching
staff, for the books and for all that is
connected with the education of your
children by the state.
Do you know that the Socialists are
trying to capture your schools? Do
you know that they are trying to teach
your children, by the use of your mon
ey, not only the political and economic
doctrines of Marx and Engels, but the
materialist essence of the red philoso
phy itself?
France seems very far away to most
of us. There has been wide publica
tion of what the Socialists are doing
in the schools of France, but most oi
us have not read this. It does not
seem to touch our own interests or our
own children.
Those of us who have studied the
question closely know that Socialism
is already influential in excluding cer
tain historical truths that have to do
with religion from the curricula of
our schools. Few of us know that the
organized Socialist Party, having pur
sued its campaign along lines of ex
clusion so far, is- now preparing to
take the bolder step along lines of in
clusion.
The" Socialists themselves know all
this. It is so little known outside the
Socialist Party, however, that we may
all be alarmed by this heading in the
New York Call of March 17, 1913, the
New York Call being the official So
cialist publication in New York:
"Socialists seeking greater grip on
nation's schools."
If we read the article underneath
our alarm will not be lessened. It
tells us in a dispatch from Chicago
that American Socialism is rapidly
moving for a greater grip upon the
school system of the nation that the
National Educational Committee of the
Socialist Party will have a prelimi
nary report to make to the National
Committee of the Party when that
Committee meets in Chicago in May
that among the members of the Edu
cational Committee are May Wood
Simons, of Chicago Emil Seidel, for
mer Socialist Mayor of Milwaukee
Warren Atkinson, of Norfolk, Va.
Caroline Pratt, of New York City
John C. Kennedy, of Chicago and
Frank Sanford, of the State Normal
School of Oneonta, N. Y. Mr. Sanford
is quoted as saying:
"There are world-wide indications
that the present status of society is
breaking up that we are moving
toward co-operation in industries. With
this change coming, it behooves us to
consider how our educational system
may advantage by it.
"In the newer, wider civilization
which must come, every child will re
quire not merely that education which
will fit him to work and earn, but that
which will give him a philosophy and
fit him to live. To crowd out the cul
tural from our primary school course
at the instance very largely of a selfish
demand for trained machines will be
dwarfing to the best development of
the future nation. Rather let the in
terests of private manufacturing make
room for the large education at the ex
pense of these industries if necessary."
They have secularized our schools
to the last dot. That was only prepar
ing the soil that was making it ready
for the seed of affirmative Atheism
that was pushing the school system to
the point where the public would be
ready for the Socialist school fore
shadowed in Spargo's "Socialism:"
"Whether," says he, "the Socialist
regime could tolerate the existence of
elementary schools other than its own,
such as privately conducted kindergar
tens and schools, religious schools,
and so on, is questionable. Probably
not. It would probably not content it
self with refusing to permit religious
doctrines, or ideas to be taught in its
schools, but would go further, and, as
the natural protector of the child,
guard its independence of thought in
later life as far as possible by forbid
ding religious teaching of any kind
in schools for children up to a certain
age. Beyond that age, religious edu
cation, in all other than the public
schools, would be freely permitted.
This restriction of religious education
to the years of judgment and discre
tion implies no hostility to religion on
the part of the State, but neutrality.
Not the least important of the rights
of the child is the right to be protect
ed from influences which bias the
mind and destroy the possibilities of
independent judgment in later life, or
make it attainable only as a result of
bitter, needless, tragic experience."
For the philosophy of life in which
the Socialists believe we must go back
of even the guarded opportunism of
Spargo and find it in all its naked ma
terialism and all its abhorrent immor
ality in Marx and Engels, Bebel, Bax
and Blatchford.
This is all the content of the cul
tural education which Socialism is pre
paring to pour into the innocent and
immature minds of your children.
SCHOOLS III SCOTUDO
Here is how they do with Catholic
schools in Protestant Scotland, as stat
ed by the Glasgow Observer:
"In all Catholic elementary schools
in Scotland at present receiving State
aid, a time table is framed by or with
the approval of his Majesty's inspec
tors. That time table is usually
framed so that religious teaching is
given before the beginning or after
the close of the State school day. For
example, if the State school day be
gins at 10 a. m., religious teaching may
start at half past nine, and if the State
school day finish at 3:30, religious
teaching follows from 3:30 to 4. It
is given in school hours, but not in
the hoars of the State school day.
The State pays nothing for it. The
school buildings are the property of
the Catholic Church. The teachers
are employed by the Catholic manag
ers. The State grant, of course, goes
towards the paying of those teachers,
but since the State inspector takes no
cognizance of religious teaching what
ever, no part of the grant can be said
to be made on account of religious
teaching."
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DRINFC
The psychology of drink is a sub
ject so comprehensive, so subtle and
in many respects so contradictory,
both in cause and effect, that, in a
short article I can only touch briefly
upon a few points which, I trust, may
prove not only interesting, but instruc
tive.
The lecturer on total abstinence
often detracts from the value of an
admirable address with some such
remark as: "I have been a lifelong
abstainer, and I cannot understand
why a man drinks." The failure on
his part to solve the problem may be
explained by the opening words of the
sentence.
Surely one who has himself, unfor
tunately, fallen a victim to this terrible
temptation—and in consequence has
known the direst pangs of poverty and
destitution—may be better qualified
to speak. Such a qualification, I
grieve to say, is mine, and the straits
to which I am reduced may be gauged
by the fact that I am writing this in
one of the great workhouses of Lon
don. Yet I venture thus to write in
the hope that my practical experience
of inebriety may prove o£ service not
only to those who are similarly
tempted, but also to those who,
through kinship, friendship or guar
dianship, have to deal with the
inebriate.
Only those who, like myself, know
the appalling force of this terrible
temptation can suggest, though inade
quately, some of the causes that lead
to a downfall so disastrous and so sad.
In the first place, let it be remem
bered that to the man who has once
acquired the drink habit temptation is
ever present.
Total abstinence—voluntary or com
pulsory—for a year or two, or even
longer, though it may dissipate all
acute craving for alcohol, does not
necessarily alter the disposition or
temperament of a man. But, it may
be asked, why does a man who has
overcome the craving for drink wil
fully return to what he knows to be a
fatal and overwhelming danger?
This is a question which is difficult
to answer, because, owing to the
many and varied conditions and cir
cumstances of different people, there
are many and varied influences which
affect different people in different
ways. I think I may even go so far
as to say that I believe that that which
may be a danger to one man may be
a help to another. However, speaking
from my own experience, I believe
that there is always more or less dan
ger in excitement. All extremes are
fraught with risk. I have found in
finite danger in very good news and in
very bad news, in overconfidence and
in despair, in too many cheerful,
thoughtless companions and in the
dire and terrible realization that I
have not a friend in the world.
Again, to the man making a valiant
fight, who himself alone is conscious
of the fact that in spite of many temp
tations he has yet managed to keep
straight, it is depressing and even
dangerous to receive a letter from
those nearest and dearest discrediting
his profession of steadfastness. The
danger here lies in the fact that,
realizing that no one trusts him, he
feels that there is no trust to betray.
Then there is the danger arising from
the loss of self-respect. Self-respect
may ebb away almost imperceptibly,
and a man may find himself regard
ing with complacency that from which
twelve months previously he would
have turhed away with a shudder.
And so, gradually, where drink is con
cerned, there comes deception—decep
tion not only to others, but also of
one's self.
I have known cases of men, other
wise absolutely honorable and true,
who have not hesitated to utter false
hoods either to obtain drink or to
shield themselves. But they are also
ready to deceive themselves. They
know the danger, yet they readily
beguile themselves with any specious
argument which will afford a pretext
or excuse for indulging "just in one
glass." Yet to such an argument, com
ing from any other source than from
themselves, they would not for a
moment listen.
Alas! it is only too often that It Is
just "that one glass" that leads—not
perhaps immediately, but sooner or
later, down the slippery stepping
stones to lower depths.
How, then, can such men be helped?
No act of Parliament, though it may
to some extent prove to be a safe
guard, will make a man sober. Other
influences, especially those that ap
peal to the good that is to be found
in every man—e. g., religion—must be
brought to bear.
In many cases it may be absolutely
necessary that the inebriate should go
into a home. His environment should
be cheerful, his friendships elevating
and not degrading. He should be
treated with kindness, and, as far as
possible, he should be trusted, and
made to realize the fact that his
honor is at stake. And last, but not
least, he should have healthy and
congenial employment, with cheerful,
manly society and good food.
And lastly, a word to the tempted.
Guard your self-respect. Embrace any
opportunity of self-renunciation. The
pruning of the will is an effective
tonic. Any self-renunciation voluntarily
undergone, whether it may involve the
trials of a workhouse or of an
inebriate's home, very greatly
strengthens the power of the will.
Above all, do not minimize the insidi
ous danger that besets you, yet never
despair. If you fall, pick yourself up
again. I once heard the late Bishop
Walsham How say: "It is not the man
who falls and rises again for whom I
fear, but the man who falls and makes
no fresh effort" While a well-known
London priest once said to me: "The
man who dies fighting is not lost."
Remember, too, that while we pray to
God for strength, others are also inter
ceding for us.
Following on the solemn warning of
our Divine Master, "Without Me ye
can do nothing," comes the triumphant
cry of His servant, "I can do all
things through Christ that strength
ened me."
M. A. in London T«mpm-anc« ChrmttM*.
There are no blockheads in Nature.
For them, we are indebted to society.