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Show THE CURSE OP DRIXK. (Written for The Jntermountain Catholic.) Under the caption "A Word With an Extremist,'' Extrem-ist,'' there appeared in one of our most estimable Catholic journals a protest against what might bo termed 'the intcmierate advocacy of total abstinence." abstin-ence." ' In this the editor a gentleman for whom the writer has acquired the most profound respect because be-cause of tho evident soundness and keenness of intellect, in-tellect, and judgment manifested by his published utterances, defends the moderate use of alcoholic stimulants against iho aspersions of an "lextrem- j ist." j ' Because of the extremely nainful experience of ' tho writer with drunkenness during- the past eighteen months or two years, and the very high ' esteem iu which he held and still holds this editor, he at the time felt moved to give voice, publicly, pub-licly, to the emotions of keen disappointment and regret aroused within him by the perusal of the article referred to, and, in his feeble way, to re-enforce re-enforce the plea of the total abstainer.- Erom this he was only deterred by a sense of the exceeding-gravity exceeding-gravity of the subject and his inability to do it justice. . . When, however, a dav or two ago his eve again fell upon this same article,-republished in another I influential Catholic journal, he felt that his humble hum-ble protest ag-ainst the publication of the views therein expressed would be neither impertinent nor unjustifiably presumptuous. Xo reasonable man, it may be granted, will feel disposed to quarrel with the moderate drinker because of his indulgence That such practice is j harmless and, at aj times, positively beneficial, 1 may be reasonably admitted. ' This observation, however, can. only saf'ely ap-I ap-I ply to the man who has proven the character of j his moral fibre, ,or that his natural temperament is such as to permit of his partaking of alcoholic stimulants without endangering- his habits of sobriety. so-briety. The fact that such a man has triumphantly triumph-antly withstood the lest which proves so lamentably1 lament-ably1 ruinous to many others is a matter for which he should feel profoundly grateful. His friends and associates will certainly esteem him none the less for persisting- in a practicing that affords him more or less satisfaction without harm or danger of harm, either to himself or to those dependent upon his best efforts for their well-being in life. But, to many, alas, the moderate indulgence in inebriating drink is impossible, and . to all the experiment is fraught with the gravest danger; that is lo say. no youth, on the threshold of his earthly career, can be certain that, if he indulges at all in the. "cup that inebriates" he will not, sooner or later, became a hopeless victim to drunkenness drunk-enness the most degrading, if not the most deadly, dead-ly, of all vices or sins. It is 'Ibis solemn aspect of the drink habit that should deter every right-thinking man from eu-oouraging eu-oouraging -one of his fellow-creatures to essay the habit of the moderate drinker; nay, every man, regardless, re-gardless, of his own habits or experience with drink, would do well to use his influence to' im press the young men with whom ho comes into contact, con-tact, or whom he may reach by his words, with the dangers that lurk in the cup. It has been the writers lamentable and exceedingly exceed-ingly poignant experience to witness the downfall of five or six of more than ordinarily devout church members, nearly all of them men whom he had been led to esteem above others for their devotion to their religion. These are extremely sad facts to thus publicly record, but if one reader of this article may be effectually warned hereby and saved from a drunkard's deplorable career, the publication will bo more than justified. For a time, as one after another of these men proved recreant, to their professions of piety -and devotion, the circumstance was sorely perplexing, and it required no slight, exercise of the will to keep from being seriously scandalized. To see irie.u who had been subsisting on the '"bread of angels," an-gels," so to speak, forsake their high estate and turn to. the husks of swine, instead, presented a' perplexing, an inexplicable, phenomenon. It was but natural that one of a sympathetic and thoughtful thought-ful temperament should earnestly seek an explanation ex-planation for the seemingly incomprehensible facts thus presented to his mind. Xow. after much fond and solicitous cogitation, the writer has arrived at the conclusion that there arc two, and only two, possible explanations of the vexed problem, and he would give the reader the benefit of his conclusions in the fond hope that they may be deemed of sufficient validity to serve as a warning to him who would recklessly court the danger of becoming addicted to the malady of inebrity: for that durnkenness is a constitutional .disease admits of but little doubt. 7 To proceed, then, with an inquiry into the strange phenomenon presented by the remarkable cases alluded to and the deductions' that may bo reasonably drawn therefrom : ' 1 We have under consideration a number of men who are, unmistakably, of a religious ''turn of mind" to an extraordinary degree. For month after month these nien might have been seeii prostrate pros-trate before the altars of the churches which they attended in and out of season, so. to speak. They frequented the sacraments much oftener than is the common wont, and in every way manifest an unusual degree of spirituality. They are, seemingly seem-ingly exemplary Christians when, lo and behold, one after another makes of himself a nauseating sot with drink. Xeither their own pious practices nor Ihe earnest and fervent prayers of their devoted de-voted friends seein to avail aught in preventing their moral and physical degradation. They finally final-ly reach a degree of moral debasement that is the very antithesis of the exalted state of spirituality that they orsfewhile. presented. Tn each instance inquiry led to the discovery that this lapse from sobriety was not the first that had befallen these men; that it was simply yielding yield-ing to a vice that, had fastened upon their constitutions consti-tutions at earlier periods in their lives; that, in short, struggle as they might, thy seemingly could ' (Continued on Fage 4.) - THE OPEX DOOR TO THE. CHURCH. (Communicated.) An editorial writer on one of the big Xew York dailies said in conversation recently that "were it not for the Catholic Church in Xpw York, Xew York would not be liveable." He was talking about the influence of the Catholic Church among the masses of the people in our large cities. The late Senator Hanna shared the same opinion, for he frequently, said that the Catholic Church' was the most potent influence for law and order in the country. Many public men are beginning to appreciate ap-preciate this great truth. They realize that in time of public disturbances there is no power to quell the turbulent elements of the people but religion and the only religious influence among the masses' of the people that counts for anything is the Catholic Church. In view of these significant statements it may bo questioned as to whether the Church realizes the tremendous responsibilities that are forced on hen. .It is quite possible for t!u. cj,,,..,. ,. , ' I tower of strength in every coinniuii;'-.- ;. ," i : but. broaden out the sphere of ,. :..,! ) '" i t she Confines her rninisf rations in ,. . ., '' h' f j way to the Catholics only, who : , . V' '"1"' will lose the best opportunity ih;,. ; , '.' U J given her. There is a vast, timm- ..... ,( I assistance, if they only knew h,,w ;., :. -p ' " I j is much talk about the "o)eii dni,r." ; .' n'r" ! ! ly necessary is to establish the ",.j.. . ,; J church, and make the way there;,, ,,; : " even the blind may find if. In significance of the non-('a th.li,- e:; I incut. It. has for its direct purpr.-e ,, , , the children of the household iMll 7, ,,, r f vast throng who are reached by i , -; . : j iluence, and "compel them to m, r." T:,. ' , f Mission House (located in Wa-i,;.;-; ,.''';" 1 I established with this purpose in i, v ' j priests to meet the in ui-Cii t ii-d i- , ' I so to present tin- teachings oi ih, i j,;; . j stranger may find in them the i;.-. ; , '" I of heart that religion alone can , ' I ! |