CATHOLICS AND PBOHIBITION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 84, 9 April 1919, Page 5

CATHOLICS AND PBOHIBITION

Iri> other,--' lands ! Catholics yhavg - been amongst the foremost workers for Prohibition, and their Influence has been a Vl fal, factor m its accomplishment, jfispeciaiiy* is' tiuS/ the, case in the Canadian province of' Quebec, which 5 hag l'harried Prohibition by a largb majority, and where over 85, per cent of the voters are Catholics. ’ Mad their mfluj cnee and that of the. .Hierarchy been I against Prohibition' this great ‘reform i would not have been achieved. Prohibition was anbt'^M&d (&©bec antif the leader of the Church had watched its operations in other provinces which had gone dry in earlier years, and the clergy were 'confident that ample supplies of sacramental wines would ’be available. ' ttoV , convincing ■ ■ VW« the proof that Prohibition was avgfbat subcess and achieved what Was claimed for ft is, shown b$ the fact 5 that thirteen Out of the fifteeii V Catholic* bishops in Quebec .are Prohibitionists, while the venerable and reverend Cardinal Begin, of the diocese df Quebec was one of its most ardent suppdftersi'

I ... Cardinal Merry del Vai; :writfing to the International Federation of the Catholic Anti - Saloon League, said: ‘'The Popes in, these latter days have not .failed •• ttj call attention' to, the deadly evilydu are combatting, and have proclaimed the necessity of prompt and 1 ' effective remedies, Jiow useful it is to show what a scourge alcohol is in its economical, moral, and physiological, effects, its connection with the deteridpition of the family, with of society, whose most important interest* are menaced by it. Hence among social works there a r e none more pressing than this.”

Manning ■ said: "I impeach the ‘liquor ®flic* of high crimes and misdemeanours against the ' commonwealth. It 13 mere mockery tp> ftsfir- ug to put down drunkenness by moral and ipllmoiis ■Jh’eans when‘the legislature' ftcibtates and ' muU'iphds' inducements- to know ‘ihow you yrili. help to break' Up thp unholy alliance between the-Govern-ment and the greatest’‘fraud of the age? Voto against it.” ' ,

Archbishop John Ireland saidi “The ; saloon"'"'; is ' the deadly enemy of the j health, of the home, of the - family, of • the country; and of God * and • demands—ap’d" , it' will demand—m 'ktrongeij. tones yet that' this" American saloon shall disappear fiOjm’Tho'face of our fair land. Wo ’must" wdik ■ said bend every -effort so that Catholics in political matters will always p$ arrayed against the'" liquor int-erefe , ts i /?*, 7f t . fid ■* -‘.h | Bishop”Mdl)oua':ld Catholic Bishop of Victoria) British Columbia, said: “It , seeing plain that everyone who ha„ at heart the well-being qf his country, and of those vthohfre in? any Avay’dependent du film should %fist' his vote’and use ifis influence in favour of Prohibition.” Bishop Cleary , doe*. not advise his people Sa to "how they shall vote on April lOtfi, He stands for the personal liberty of Catholic electors to vote as their consciences ;■ piay dictate. Bishop (Jieary, Catholic IBishop of Auckland, with- no personal'‘iifterest in either the liquor trade or The Prohibition party, saps i (l) r “H6' , is e Wished with the provision to be made for altar wine”; (2) , “For Catholics this question as stated i is. a free one, td %& determined in its i Inst rdsort by 'the individual con--1 - V T--T ! h’> ■’ r> f. 'll'-, ■ ) ,-.i fTTuvC 1 : ■ ; [ The *Tablet,” which is opposed to" - Prohibition, savs in its issue of April 3, 1919, page 17: “YOU ARE NOT BOUND IN CONSCIENCE TO VOTE AGAINST PROHIBITION. ’ ’

.Catholics ; The •’ evils of- thg liquor traffic ‘ affect ypu juet qjs thpy do iifi citizens. 'You have a supreme opportunity Stand 1 * ‘ ihotiJder to shoulder With your follow citizens against a commpn. moral evil. Your faith does not prevent your doing -this. T-fie provision for 1 wine- fOr-the’ mass is satisfactory, ton are tree to act according to your coWs(ile‘nce.’ ! -?Cet: your vote be cast as it wa«’ in ’ Qupbpc and in many other places for the welfare of the nation and the safety of the child.*

RTSHOP CLP ARY DOES VOT ADVISE HTS PEOPLE AS TO HOW TftEY SHALL VOTE TO-MOPBOW. He stands for the personal jibe.rt_y" of Catholic electors to vote as their consciences rnhy- dictate.*