ARCHBISHOP MANNIX ON TEMPERANCE

New Zealand Tablet, 11 September 1913, Page 53

ARCHBISHOP MANNIX ON TEMPERANCE

In all the twenty-four years of its existence there has never been such a large assemblage of members of the Catholic Total Abstinence League of the Cross at i an annual meeting as gathered on a recent Sunday afternoon at the Cathedral Hall, Melbourne. The ; 'chairman, Very Rev. Father S. Hegarty, president of the league, addressed about 1100 people. He briefly pointed out the flourishing condition of the league, and stated that in twenty-four years 20,000 certificates of. pledges taken had been issued to the children, who had. at the time of Confirmation also signed a pledge for abstinence. His Grace Archbishop Mannix, who was heartily welcomed, said he was in no position to speak on thetemperance question in Australia, as he had not yet 'had time to look into it;. but he would give some aspects of the problem in Ireland. One of the consolations he found on coming to these shores was the existence of a vigorous branch of the Total Abstinence Association. He was afraid that Ireland had got a bad name in this; matter of drink, and temperance. It was scarcely a, consolation to know that the Irish did not consume as; much drink as the Scotch or English. But there was room for improvement in all countries. Dr. Mannix referred to the work of Father Mathew in Ireland a work good, but not lasting. But inspiration was; left, and great strides had been made in the last twentyfive years. "The advantages of causing children to take "the pledge could scarcely be over-estimated. The priests in Ireland had taken up the cause of temperance. There was always difficulty in getting people to change their, mode of living, and so the movement in Ireland had begun at the beginning, the young men 'and women and the students being enrolled as total 'abstainers. Dr. Mannix then elaborated the way in which a Jesuit Father, a ' rabid total abstainer,' had gradually inculcated the principle of temperance into the students at Maynooth College. There a band of ten students formed a total abstinence league; until to-day half the students from that college left having taken the total abstinence pledge. But throughout all the college schools this Jesuit Father had sown the seed, and the result to-day was a great difference in the people of Ireland. The young priests who went out from the colleges to the presbyteries had advocated 'the temperance cause. In any work that had to be accomplished in Ireland to-day the co-operation and •hearty assistance of the clergy of Ireland was necessary. Anyone who visited Ireland next year to see the opening of Parliament would note the number of young girls and boys in the streets coming from offices and the ' jarvies,' or whatever they were called here, 'who wore the Total Abstinence Association badge. From his own experience of twenty-five years amongst the people he no longer found them after Mass dawdling about the streets ' treating ' one another on holidays, fair days, or Sundaysfor though the front doors of the hotels were closed on Sundays, there was always the back door— they went home with evident signs of drink ; but they went straight home, and were able to talk civilly to the people at home. The only way to stimulate the temperance movement in Australia was for some one man who had got the idea of total abstinence deeply rooted into him, to throw himself heart and soul into the work of the cause. He had great belief in this being made a religious movement and a Catholic movement, supported and sustained by the Catholic institutions. Of course, it had to be recognisedand he .certainly recognised the fact " that only a limited number of the population would become total abstainers. There was a number of people throughout Australia who might be good Catholics, but not total abstainers;' yet did not go to excess in drink. There was no reason why, because one did not see eye to eye with a person, that one should abuse him. Harsh words spoken in the Total Abstinence Association of those outside would not help their cause. Had many who condemned intemperance had the troubles, and worries they might have gone down under the strain. ' Help ; where you can, and never have a harsh word for anyone, man or woman,' was the motto to observe. v , '