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Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 8 November 1911, Page 4

striking ilut^^JH^Hf * fouud of this than that of thtr?^^mrt ] given to the movement by' our Koman Catholic friends. Sworn enemies they may be on religious dogmas and creed with the Protestant communities, but all differences c.re sunk in connection with the battle "with the Bars. There are a few notable pronouncements made by CathpHc Prelates Bishops. Pnests on this question. Arohbishop Carr of Melbourne declared last year that" Drink -was specially injurious to young men for three reasons:^ —1. Because they were more liable to temptation. 2. Because drink did them more injury than any other class. 3. Because the injury was not confined to themselves but was transmitted to those who came aftef them." Bishop Spalding (America) declared that:—" The influence of the Saloon uponiuiimcLu&l domestic and national life is wholly evil. As to the light oi the state to Prohibition, there can be --no question since the right to suppress crime involves the right to suppress its chief cause." Eather Reardon of St. Pauls, Minnesosto, said: " The great obstacle •which bars the way to individual reformation is the ever present saloon. It is the plague spot of our national life, Hence it is that the Catholic Church is arrayed against it, and is the avowed and uncompromising enemy, of the saloon." The most notable illustration I am acquainted with of the efforts put forth by the Roman Catholic Church is in Quebec. Every bishop of the Church is organising Temperance^ Societies amongsthis own people. Speakthis year, Archbishop Biucheso said : " You may enter the* house of any of my priests and my own as well, and you won't find a drop of Alcoholic liquors there. Dining the Eueharistic Congress in Montreal, over 2,600 people had dinner in my palace, and not one of them drank any alcoholic, liquors. One of my parishes in this city has not a bar- ' room in itj but has a splendid church and sehoois. But the conditions or Ville St. Pierre is even better than that, and only a week ago they voted for Prohibition." Last year 38 Roman- Catholic Archbishops, Bishops, and administrators signed a pastoral!otter to their clergy, urging them to attack the root of the trouble by absolutfly abolishing the Trade in strong drink. "What is the result? ; • In Quebec, 648 municipalities out of l.OliJare ixnderProhibitory By-laws, In other words two thirds of the Province has gone dry. The question is settled there, hs it ought to be Ivolc, by a bare majority vote, but they have never had a repeal contest. It is a thing unheard of to repeal Local ] Option in Quebec, and thero is no three-fifths clause compelling the piling up of big majorities against the Trade. What more shall wo say ? The grand example set by JTathor Matthew of olden days and father Hayes of to-day is being copied by quite a lot \ of our priests in New Zealand, who are workiDg right manfully and wholly ■fjjfepo free our fair Dominion from this ite%?-' vilest fiend of all." /"■r-V , . .