The Catholic bulletin. [volume], July 07, 1917, Image 4

About The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995

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(fatftolicj^ffulktiir.
OFFICIAL PAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE
OF ST. PAUL
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uary 12, 1911, at the post office, St.
Paul, Minn., under Act of March 3. 1879.
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 1917
Humanly speaking, there is no
ruin so pitiable as the wreck of a
shattered friendship.
The Knights of Columbus'* of
Vermont have voted $500 towards
1'urnishing Catholic reading and
other necessaries for the soldiers
of that State. As usual, the
Knights are nothing if not prac
tical.
A pious editor of one of our ex
changes remarks that the solution
of the world-war has passed be
yond the jurisdiction of the na
tions, and awaits now the ador
able decision of Divine Provi
dence, the Lord of nations.
The slogan adopted at the re
cent Catholic Educational Conven
tion should be in the minds of all
our Catholic people: Every Cath
olic child in a Catholic school.
Therein lies the secret of the suc
cess of the Church in this country.
Mr. Hilaire Beloe maintains
that the mass of our own people
do not know what ought to be
said 011 points as they arise. An
exchange comments on this and
notes that one cause back of this
situation is overtraining of the
memory and neglect of the rea
soning faculty.
1
A noted writer well remarks:
"A man that knows too much is
as liable to get into trouble as a
man that knows too little. A per
son with a sharper conscience
than others irritates us quite as
much as one whose moral sense is
duller than our own."
Your summer vacation may be
important, even necessary, to you.
Remember, however, that the sal
vation of your soul is somewhat
more important. This salvation
is endangered if you wilfully
select a location for your outing
where Sunday Mass is neglected.
There is no closed season for this
duty.
"Many people who would
hasten to offer their apologies if
they chance to crowd a person
whom they were passing on the
street, will force themselves upon
the attention of their friends and
acquaintances in a way that may
prove as annoying and disagree
able as a violent head-on clash
would be."
Since the beginning of the war
a number of so-called prophecies
attributed to various monks have
been going the rounds. These al
leged predictions are claimed as
foreshadowing present world
events. As their authenticity is
doubtful and the Church has
made no pronouncement on the
subject, no attention whatsoever
should be paid to them.
Frank P. Walsh of the coiftmit
tee on Industrial Relations has
entered a complaint to the Fed
eral Trade Commission. He claims
that a conspiracy exists to raise
the price of print paper and
hamper the press. He demands
immediate action, asking that five
individuals and corporations
"with others" be ordered to quit
their oppressive tactics. He states
that the Commission has ample
power under the law to stop this.
During the stress and tumult pf
war. occasionally raise your inind
and heart to the contemplation of
JDryjine Providence. Faith teaches
us that as God knows and permits
eyen the sparrow's fall, so also
loes He watch and permit for His
own good purpose, the desolating
blight of war and bloodshed. Try
to adjust the mind to God's view
point in all
earthly harmenimrg
,.«-h K »,\ /,. -s- Ni^y v,
and events. God still rules wise
ly, even though men shake the
earth in their fury.
Speaking of the want of leaders
a Catholic writer reminds us that
"by leaders is not meant men
with official authority, but simply
men of character and influence,
and above all, men of good-will
who have genuine zeal for the
things of God. Given a few such
leaders, and soon is realized the
reformation of a bad neighbor
hood or of an indifferent body of
Catholics.
Thirty-three Oriental oeggars
were released from Ellis Island,
New York harbor, on June 14,
where they had been detained for
two months by the department of
immigration. Deportation is now
impracticable. These professional
solicitors are Chaldean Nestorians
from Turkey and Persia who have
collected thousands of dollars
from churches and Christians
throughout this country, making
capital of the suffering and need
in their homeland. The federal
authorities found in their posses
sion many forged credentials, fic
titious letters and rubber stamps
(made in America) imitating the
seals of Oriental bishops.
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD.
From time immemorial' human
life lias been connected in every
way with blood. Biologically as
well as spiritually, the pulsing red
stream that courses through man's
veins is indicative of life. To
wantonly shed a fellow-man's
blood is murder, because it is tak
ing his life: to shed one's own
blood in a noble cause is heroism,
because it is giving one's life in
that cause. To uphold the princi
ples of right government men have
willingly poured forth this salu
tary life stream, and have satu
rated the earth in every clime that
right might prevail. To vindi
cate the honor of God Christians
have fructified every soil with
this seed of Christianity. The
world today is being inundated in
a deluge of human blood in de
fence of freedom, or what is sup
posed to be liberty.
If it be true that the dignity of
the man who sheds his blood adds
nobility and value to the cause he
represents, then must Christianity
be placed upon the plane of infin
itude, since it has been empurpled
and sanctified, cleansed and vivi
fied by the salutary streams from
the heart of a God. The month of
July has been set aside by the
Church for the solemn commemo
ration of the Precious Blood.
Christ's heart and His Blood have
been identified as the twin sym
bols of His love for mankind: the
Heart is the source of that love,
the Blood, its proof. For greater
love than this no man hath. While
torrents of human blood are being
poured forth vainly in a human
cause, Christians should be ever
mindful of that Precious Blood
that gushed forth and trickled
down on the hallowed Mount of
Golgotha.
NATIONAL PROHIBITION.
The prohibition movement
which has been agitated for some
years has gained great impetus
since the beginning of the present
war. The nations engaged in the
great conflict have come to realize
that alcoholic stimulation is not
conducive to the best interests of
the population at large. The pres
ent discussion, moreover, going on
in Washington with regard to the
food law is helping along the
cause of prohibition. It apparent
ly has succeeded so far in ex
eluding the manufacture of whis
key. Many arguments have been
alleged pro and contra to this
movement but in final analysis
the whole test must be based upon
the greater advantages or disad
vantages which may follow the
adoption of prohibition.
It is objected, in the first place,
that liquor in itself is not evil,
and therefore, not to be forbid
den. While it may be true, and
undoubtedly is, that there is not
essential evil in liquor, it is also
true that the liquor may and
should be forbidden when it be
comes a general nuisance to pub
lic morals and to public health.
It cannot be denied that intem
perance among practically all the
great nations has become a na
tional fault. This fact has given
rise to the anti-vodka law in Rus
sia, and the anti-absinthe law in
France. Thus the basis for pro
hibition is to be found in a na
tional evil. Since the welfare of
the people is admitted to be the
supreme law, it is necessary that
even those who are not directly
affected by the evil itself should
submit to the law for the public
good.
It is also said that prohibition
will diminish personal liberty
Such a state of affairs, however
is the direct- result and conse
quence of society. When men
gather and form a social unit it
is ever necessary that the indi
vidual submerge' his personal feel
ings and tendencies when these
clash wi|l\ tlie .^ood of society at
i
tobJiuttii wJuSk
human and divine. A man living
on a desert island will not be
j'orced to pay taxes. It scarcely
could be said, however, that his
personal liberty is diminished or
impaired when he becomes a
member of the social body and is
obliged to bear his proportionate
part of the burden of taxation.
Besides', personal liberty is fre
quently a changeable factor.
Where prohibition has been en
forced and has been given a fair
test the results have been so bene
ficial as to be recognized and ad
mitted by those who formerly op
posed it. This is shown also by
experience, since it is much more
difficult to make a prohibition
state return to the use of liquor
than it is to force a so-called wet
state to adopt the dry law.
Again, it is said that prohibi
tion cannot be enforced, and,
therefore, should be rejected. It
may easily be answered, that it is
enforced. True, large centers of
population present peculiar diffi
culties in the enforcement of such
a law,, but it scarcely can be main
tained logically that the violation,
even the frequent violation, of a
law is sufficient reason for the
repeal or the rejection of that
law. Were such a thing true,
then would it be necessary to
change both the natural and the
divine laws, as well as human
legislation, for all of these laws
are subject to frequent violation.
Where the law itself is directed
towards the public good |he
remedy for frequent fractures of
the law is more stringent enforce
ment thereof.
THE TWIN APOSTLES.
Next to Christ and llis blessed
Mother no other figures stand
forth more prominently in early
Christianity than the two great
apostles, Peter and Paul. One was
chosen by Christ to captain the
little band of heroic co-founders
of God's Church. The other, a
human firebrand, was snatched
from the flames of fanaticism by
God Himself, then quenched and
cleansed, and finally cast forth
amongst men as a flaming torch
kindled at the divine fires. Peter,
with mind and heart transformed
and elevated, entered the city of
Rome, took in with one sweeping
glance the enormity of its
iniquity, and gave vent to his feel
ings in one word, Babylon! Paul,
the cultured, intellectual, the in
trepid and unflinching apostle, en
tered the synagogue and confuted
the doctors of the law on the
heights of Athens he gathered
about him the flower of Greek cul
ture, and expounded the mysteries
of that God whom in their blind
grasping they had named The Un
known.
As the Church progressed in
numbers and in influence those
two great figures grew apace, un
til down to our present day they
have stood forth in heroic size and
stature as the impregnable outer
works that guard the citadel,
which is Christ, towering above
the nations. Having confessed
Christ in their lives, they sealed
this testimony in the violent death
which each suffered. Spurning all
human considerations, filled with
the Holy Ghost, fearless in profess
ing the faith, dauntless in the-facte
of danger, they ever remain as the
noblest examples of fidelity to
faith and conscience for Christians
of all tinles.
THE CATHOLIC SENSE.
It is a trait of human kind that
in all world affairs each man takes
a viewpoint based upon the condi
tions of his own country. He has
and cultivates, what might be
called the national sense. Thus is
explained the variety of opinions
and judgments which men of dif
ferent nations will entertain on
one and the same subject. The
same is true in other ways. Thus,
in family matters and politics, the
average man will view a question
through the glasses of his domes
tic or political affiliations. This
is all natural, and cannot justly be
open to criticism.
On the other hand, when there is
question of religion a Jew, an
atheist, a Protestant, will ever in
sist on the adoption of that point
of view suggested by his own re
ligious belief. Catholics to some
extent, but slightly, are possessed
of this sense. It would seem that
long ages of persecution in various
countries have accustomed Catho
lies to such timidity that they are
content to be exempt from trouble
with their neighbors in matters of
religion. When questions or prob
lems, of a public or private nature
arise many Catholics will sacrifice
their Catholic sense in order to ad
just themselves to political or so
cial exigencies. Frequently, pub
lie opinion clashes with this Cath
olic sense, as in cases of divorce
education, religious principle, and
this clash forms the test by which
the true Catholic is immediately
known and differentiated from the
imitation
The average Catholic seems to
be timid in advancing his view
point on' a given question, and
much more so if his Catholic sense
may entail a loss fr a lessening of
social or financial-prestige. When
o
new mo™yjMy ate originated
cV^ff
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, JULY 7, 1917
taken up by those whose power or
favor he courts, the average Cath
olic is strongly tempted to silence
his Catholic sense and to ally him
self with such movements which
cannot but be detrimental to the
interests of his faith. Thus it not
rarely happens that a man who
poses as a Catholic will affiliate
himself with societies, even those
condemned by the Church. He
thus incurs the 'stigma of renegade
from his religion, and at the same
time he is watched with suspicion
by his new associates. For the
keen observer in a forbidden soci
ety knows full well that a man
who will give up the practice of
the Catholic faith in order, to ac
quire position or influence from
his new associates is a man who
will bear watching. It would be
well if some of our Catholic soci
eties would insist more rigorously
in investigating the religious
standing of each and every one of
their members, for frequently
wolves are to be found in their
midst.
ORIENTAL MISSIONS.
The general intention recom
mended by Pope Benedict XV,
for the members of the League of
the Sacked Heart during the
month of July, is the Missions of
Levant.
By the Levant is meant those
countries that lie East of Chris
tian Europe and border upon the
Mediterranean Sea. They include
Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, Turkey
and the other lands as far as
Persia.
The Catholic Church was
founded by Christ in the Orient.
It spread rapidly throughout Asia
Minor and the countries around
the Mediterranean Sea. From the
very beginning false leaders ap
peared in the midst of the Chris
tians and sought to set up new
doctrines. The followers of these
leaders became, heretics and soon
separated from the true Church
Sects of various kinds arose, each
denying some tenet of Christian
belief. As a result of the efforts
of men like Nestorius, Arius, and
others, we find at the present
some seventeen different heretical
jurisdictions. In spite of this an
almost equally large number of
Oriental religions still recognize
the supremacy of Rome.
For many years zealous mis
sionaries and members of various
religious orders of men and
women labored earnestly and in
defatigably in order to bring
back to the True Fold those who
have wandered far from the Faith
The fortitude of the Armenians
the Syrians, and other Oriental
peoples, under the stress of con
tinued persecution, presents as
exalted an example of Christian
heroism as is to be found any
where. The Holy See at present
is endeavoring to bring back to
the center of unity these Orientals
who are still without the fold
For this reason the members of
the League are urged by the Holy
Father to offer up renewed pray
ers and supplications in order
that as there is one shepherd so
also there may be one fold.
Encouraging Friendship
BAVARIA AND THE HOLY FATH
ER'S GOOD OFFICES.
From the chief city of Bavaria, in
which the Papal representative, Mgr
Pacelli, arrived a few days ago, there
came words of praise and homage l'or
the successor of St. Peter. Reports
taken from the Zurich, Switzerland
papers inform us that Prince Alphon
sus of Bavaria has been charged by
the King to visit the various concen
tration camps in Switzerland, and to
convey to the Bavarian prisoners in
them the good wishes of their sover
eign and their country, and to the
Swiss government the gratitude of
the people he represents. During his
visitation the prince spoke to the
prisoners in one of the camps in these
terms: "According to what I have
heard, to my great satisfaction, in a
very short while a great number of
you will be enabled to return to your
own country.
"We owe it to the initiative and the
efforts of the Pope and to the gener
osity and charitable hospitality of the
Swiss that an exchange of wounded
prisoners can be made, and that so
many of you have been able to find a
refuge in this beautiful country, where
you get every attention necessary for
the recovery of your health and
strength. It gives me great pleasure
therefore, to give expression in this
place to my gratitude towards the
Pope, towards the Federal Govern
ment, towards the ecclesiastical and
civil authorities, and towards the
whole Swiss people."
Faulhaber
SAID TO BE THE NEW ARCH
B18HOP OF MUNICH.
From Bavaria comes the news that
the Bishop of Spire, Rt. Rev. Dr. Faul
haber, has been appointed to the va
cant Archiepiscopal See of Munich
rendered vacant by the death of Cardi
nal Bettinger.
School of Agriculture
The first school of agriculture lead
ing to the degree of B. S. A. (Bache
lor of Science in Agriculture) in
Catholic institution of learning, will
bo opened in the University of Notre
Dame next September.
.J-
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v
Consecration of Soldiers
TROOPS OF ALLIED ARMIES ARE
DEDICATED TO THE SACRED
HEART OF JESUS.
Following is the form of consecra
tion of soldiers adopted in the en
tente countries:
Amid the fearful trials through
which our country is passing, we
come, O Lord Jesus, to offer Thee our
worship and our prayer.
Created by Thine omnipotence and
redeemed by Thy blood, we adore
Thee as our God and acknowledge
Thee for our Lord and Master.
We beg Thy forgiveness for every
sin by which we have offended Thy
Sacred Heart.
To this Heart, which has so loved
mankind, Ave consecrate ourselves, our
families, our armies, our country.
We consecrate ourselves to Thee:
our minds, that they may believe
every truth taught to us by Thee
through Thy Church our hearts, that
they may love Thee always and
above all things our wills, that they
may obey all Thy commandments
our weariness, our sufferings, our
blood itself, to be spent at Thy good
pleasure, that Thy just cause may
triumph and Thy kingdom upon earth
be enlarged.
We consecrate our families to Thee
and, to establish therein Thy reign,
we will fulfil all our duties as sons,
as husbands and as fathers, and bring
up our children to be followers of
Christ.
We consecrate to Thee our armies:
give wisdom to our leaders, make
every soldier brave in battle and
generous in self-sacrifice. Keep each
one of us under Thy protection and
lead us on to victory.
We consecrate to Thee, in so far
as in us lies, our own country and the
peoples allied to us: grant that "the
justice which exalteth nations" may
reign among us, and that victory may
crown our struggle to defend the
right.
Adorable keart of Our God, the
allied nations cry to Thee! Let Thy
blessing rest upon us, and be Thou
our protection and our safety.
PIONEER PRIEST DIES
REV. FERDINAND LECHLEITNER
PASSED AWAY IN OMAHA.
The oldest priest in Nebraska in
point of service, Rev. Ferdinand Lech
leitner, passed away some time during
Saturday night, June 23, in his room
at St. James' Orphanage, Omaha.
Father Lechleitner was found dead on
Sunday morning, apparently having
been dead for several hours. The
cause of death was apoplexy. He had
suffered from asthma for some years,
but only two days before his death
he was about the city, arranging to
take a short vacation among relatives
in Cedar county.
The funeral was held at St. John's
Church, Omaha, on Tuesday morning,
June 26. All the priests of the dio
cese who were on retreat at Creigh
ton University, attended the Requiem
Mass, which was' celebrated by Rt.
Rev. Mgr. Colaneri. Archbishop
Harty preached the funeral sermon.
In accordance with Father Lechleit
ner's wish, the remains were taken
to Cedar county for interment at St.
Helena. The remains were accom
panied to St. Helena by Rev. Clement
Stratmann, who officiated at the inter
ment on Wednesday.
Father Lechleitner was ordained in
Omaha on August 12, 1869, by the late
Bishop O'Gorman, first Vicar Apos
tolic of Nebraska. His studies had
been made at Muenster, Westphalia,
near where he was born, in 1844, and
at St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee
About September 1, 1869, he was ap
pointed to St. Helena in Cedar county,
then the only mission north of Jack
son in Nebraska. The church was
built of logs, as was the priest's resi
dence, and railroads were unknown
in that section. In September, 1870,
he moved to Yankton, Dakota Terri
tory. He spent much time also on
the Indian missions.
Priests Pledge $100,000
CLERGY
SUM
OF OMAHA TO RAISE
FOR COLLEGE AND
CATHEDRAL.
On Wednesday afternoon bf last
week a meeting of the priests of the
diocese of Omaha on retreat was
called in the college reading room
at Creighton University by some of
the senior clergy. Father Muenich
presided and stated the purpose of the
meeting was to give all the priests
an opportunity to subscribe towards
the new Bishop OConnor Hall and
the completion of the new Cathedral.
Within half an hour $65,000 had
been subscribed by the priests pres
ent. From this amount, which is to be
paid in installments during the next
three years, the purchase price of
O'Connor Hall will be deducted and
the remainder devoted to the expense
of completing the Cathedral.
As the priests of the diocese have
already contributed toward the new
Cathedral about $40,000, the subscrip
tion last week brings the total of
their offerings to more than $100,000
It is the intention of the Arch
bishop to push the campaign for sub
scriptions to the Cathedral during the
summer so that the edifice may be
clear of debt when it is dedicated next
November.
Outdoor Campaign
VIGOROUS EFFORT TO MAKE
CHURCH KNOWN.
In Boston, on Boston Common, July
4, an out-door campaign was launched
"to make the Church better known and
loved," in the way of addresses on the
history, doctrines and practices of the
Church. The projectors are David
Goldstein, Arthur B. Corbett and oth
era, and recent nraduatos of Boston
College.
#jJL
W'^r
LAON, RICH IN HISTORY
ATTAINED GREAT IMPORTANCE
UNDER EARLY FRANKISH
KINGS.
Situated on a long, isolated hill that
rises abruptly to a height of nearly 600
feet from a fertile and extensive plain,
Laon, toward which the French army
is rapidly fighting its way, was a town
of 15,000 prosperous inhabitants at the
outbreak of the war. The capital of
the department of the Aisne, seventy
eight miles northeast of Paris, it form
ed with the Rheims and La Fere a
triangle of important fortresses in
France's scheme of defense along the
northern frontier, says a geography
bulletin issued from Washington head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society.
Surrounded by vegetable gardens
and fruit orchards for which it was
famous, Laon was also an important
manufacturing center for metals,
sugar and linens before the war de
stroyed all of its industries.
The first mention of Laon in the
chronicles of ancient Gaul appears
under the feame of Laudunum in the
fifth century. During the ascendancy
of the early Frankish kings it attained
great importance and in the tenth cen
tury was the royal residence of the
Carolingians. To St. Reinigius, who
baptized Clovis, the traditional founder
of the kingdom of France, Laon is in
debted for the establishment of its
bishopric which for nearly 1,300 years
was second only to the Archbishopric
of Rheims in prestige and power.
Under the walls of Laon in 1814
Napoleon met defeat at the hands of
his German nemesis Blucher, he
whose opportune arrival was to turn
the tide of- battle against the great
military genius at Waterloo the* fol
lowing year.
Laon figured conspicuously In the
military annals of 1870 through an
extraordinary incident. The town- had
capitulated to the Germans who were
entering the gates to take formal pos
session when Henriot, a private of en
gineers in the French army, succeeded
in blowing up a powder magazine,
seriously damaging a number of build
ings and killing and wounding fully
500 people. The explosion killed
three times as.many French soldiers
as it did Germans, however, and
Henriot was one of the victims of his
own enterprise.
On the ramparts of the thirteenth
century fortifications have been built
beautiful promenades commanding ex
tensive views of the plain in every
direction.
The town of Laon is of special in
terest to Americans as the birthplace
of the intrepid Abbe Jacques Mar
quette, the Jesuit missionary who,
with Louis Joliet, rediscovered the
Mississippi River in 1673, journeying
down the great water course from
Wisconsin to within 700 miles of the
Gulf of Mexico. Marshal Serurier, one
of Napoleons most gifted soldiers and
statesmen, was also a native of this
place and a monument #ta»d$ heje^in
his memory.
The Laon €athedral of Notre Dame
is one of the finest thirteenth-century
Gothic edifices in Europe.
SOLVING A PROBLEM
POPE IS TRUE TO. TRADITION
NUNCIO USED A NEUTRAL LAN
GUAGE.
A good story is told regarding the
recent presentation by Archbishop Pa
celli of his letters accrediting him as
Nuncio of the Pope to the court of
King Louis of Bavaria at Munich.
As customary in such cases, the new
Nuncio communicated beforehand to
Count Hertling—who, besides being
premier, is also foreign minister
copy of the speech which he had to
make in presenting his letters of cred
ence to the king. In accordance with
time honored usage, the speech was
couched in French, that is to say, in
the language of diplomacy.
To the amazement of the Nuncio, he
received an intimation from Count
Hertling that he could not be permit
ted to deliver his speech in French, in
the language of a country with which
Germany was at war, and demanded
that the address should be delivered
in German.
Now, the German of the Nuncio is
of a somewhat halting character, and
he referred the matter to the Pope for
instructions. The Holy Father was
not long in making up his mind. He
caused Cardinal Gasparri, the Secreta
ry of State, to direct the Nuncio under
no circumstances to make his address
in German, and that since there was
opposition to its delivery in French,
he was to use Latin, the ancient lan
guage of the Church and of ecclesias
tical diplomacy, for the purpose.
This rendered it necessary for King
Louis to" reply to the speech also in
Latin, and it was the first occasion in
modern times that ambassadorial cre
dentials have been delivered and re
ceived under such circumstances.
THE PAPAL FLAG
PROMISED IMMUNITY FROM SUB
MARINE ATTACK BY GER
MANY.
The-PSfcat Bag will give ffcrtikity
from submarines to a vessel which
sailed in the past week from New
York for Naples. The vessel has spe
cial signs painted on her sides as well
The steamer is carrying Archbishop
Cerretti, former Papal delegate to Aus
tralia, now on his way back to Rome to
take up his duties as Secretary of the
Congregation for Extraordinary Ec
clesiastical Affairs. Rome arranged
with Berlin for immunity of the vessel
which was to carry the Archbishop
back to Rome. On the Papal side
promise was made that only the Arch
bishop and his staff, with a few Ital
ian friends, and no contraband of
war, should be carried on the vessel
The arrangement was made only after
some interchange of messages l»c
tween the Vatican and Berlin.
('*r
3 v
*i5p?*
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
THE PLEDGE AND THE LEAGUE
OF THE SACRED HEART
Some tijne ago the Right Rev.
Regis Canevin, D. D., Bishop of Pitts
burgh, Pa., caused to be mailed to
the priests of the Pittsburgh Diocese
a circular relative to the formation
of bands of total abstinence from such
members of the League of the Sacred
Heart as would make the pledge one
of their acts of self-denial. These
bands are to be organized by pro
moters of the League, who are
brought in touch with their members
each month by the distribution of the
leaflets. The members are not
obliged to attend meetings nor to as-'
sume any responsibility except the
recitation of the morning offering
and the regular duties which the
League imposes.
This act of self-denial, this prom
ise to abstain from all intoxicating
drinks, may be necessary for the sal
vation of the soul. The poor victim
of drink may stand in need of this
supernatural assistance to overcome
his natural weakness—to keep away
from the proximate occasions of this
sin—and without this true resolve to
avoid the proximate occasion he can
not receive absolution in the Sacra
ment of Penance. For him there can
be no half-way measures, no mod
erate drinking—total abstinence is ab
solutely necessary for his salvation.
Hence, by becoming a member of the
self-denial band of the League, he
makes a supernatural virtue, out of
what must become a natural habit, if
he wishes to save his soul.
The man who has never tasted
liquor pledges himself to continue
that abstinence. Thousands of our
children have taken such a pledge,
which will carry them through the
most dangerous year of life, the years
when the habits are formed and asso
ciations make lasting impressions.
The difference between the life of
total abstinence and no pledge and
total abstinence with a pledge is that
in the first case it is only a natural
virtue with no reward beyond this
life while in the second case the
natural virtue is 'raised to super
natural state. This, the same act,
performed from a different motive,
merits a supernatural reward.
And what a sublime act this pledge
is! The Catholic does not pledge
himself to abstain from intoxicating
liquor because he may thus save the
hard-earned money, or prolong his
life, or gain a better social stand
ing and respectability he pledges
himself from supernatural motives—
for the glory of God and in honor of
the Sacred Thirst of our Lord on the
Cross, depending on the assistance of
divine grace.
Where is the degradation, the op
probrium, the sacrifice of personal
liberty in this act of self-denial,
either for the man who has never
tasted liquor or for the man who has
gone down to physical and moral ruin
from the abuse of liquor? Signing
the pledge and practising total absti
nence are the heroic acts of temper
ance, and the Catholic who decries
the Catholic total abstinence pledge
does not know the meaning of the
word nor the motive that is back of
it.
The self-denial form of the League
should appeal to every Catholic man
or Voman, irrespective of nationality.
—Catholic Temperance Advocate
"ONLY A BOOB BUCKS THE
BOOZE."
I oughtn't to "knock my own game,
maybe, or try to give a black eye to
the business that keeps me in food
and clothes and a roof over my head,
but take it from me, there's an awful
lot in what this fellow Bill Sunday
says. I know! I've been back of the
bar for a whole lot of years, and I've
seen drinking men come and go, but
I never saw one of them go away
from the saloon a better man than he
was when he came in it.
Bill's argument—"it don't get you
anything"—is about the best I know.
I wish I had a dollar for every young
fellow I've seen starting out to drink
and winding up in trouble. They
may have a good time with a couple
of cocktails before dinner and half
a dozen highballs before turning in
for the night, but they're not having
any fun when they sneak up to the
bar in the morning and get an ab
sinthe frappe to straighten them out,
and say to the bartender: "How do
I look, Charley? All right? Do you
think I can face the boss in the of
fice?"
And they're not very gay when
they ask the bartender—as they often
do—to slip them a dollar to see them
through the day. And many a one
does that—young fellows with good
jobs and fine chances in life.
A man's a boob to get started in
the drinking game. I don't know
whether Billy Sunday's statistics are
right or not about the increased
prosperity of a town and all that
when it is dry. Blit I do know from
what I've seen with my own eyes that
for the individual man the booze
game is all wrong.
It takes his money away from him.
It takes his job away from him.
It takes his health away from him.
Many and many a time in the last
few years I've put on a black hat
and a black tie and followed some
good fellow's coffin to the graveyard.
Maybe he wasn't a souse or a very
hard drinker, but the old stuff got
him through some disease or weaken
ing that whisky brought on.
I don't know how many men in
New York Bill will get on the water
wagoff, but I know he has put a lot
there already. The more the mer
rier. The end of the booze game is
in sight, anyhow, with prohibition and
local option laws being passed every
where, and, for my part, I'm going
to duck out of the business as soon
as I get a chance.
—Bp A Bartender
'3
and sages kneeling at the
Crib have learned their deepest Ickkour
of wisdom.