Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/543

 TEMPERANCE

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TEMPERANCE

ost. AlkoholgcgncrvcTcitxc"), in Vienna, serves as a common headquarters for most of these societies. Besides the " Neutral Independent Order of Good Templars", Hungary possesses a fairly important ab- stinence association for workmen (1100 members) and a central organization. The main organizations in Switzerland are international. Compared with these the national societies are not very important, ex- cepting the "Catholic Abstinence League" (see below). Among the national associations all that call for mention are: the "AUiance Abstinence Union" of Lausanne; the temperance societies, the "Society of St. Gall against the Abuse of Spirituous Liquors" {St. GalUschcn-ercin gegen den Misftbrauch geistiger Getrdnke), with 14,000 members, and the "Patriotic League of Switzerland against Alcoholism" (Ligue patrioliquc Suisse conire l'aIcoolis?ne). The total ab- stainers have complete control; the active participa- tion of pvipils in schools and children is especially worthy of mention. The "Swiss Abstinence Secretari- ate" at Lausanne is the headquarters for the society. In Holland there is still considerable rivalry between the total abstinence and the temperance advocates. The organizations of the latter arc large, particularly the "People's Union" (VolksbomI), which has over 20,000 members. Most of the societies are connected with the different Churches; the Protestant ones, five in number, have since 1907 been united in the "People's ITnion of the Christian Anti-Alcoholic So- cieties of Holland" {N iederlandischer Volksbund der christlichen Antialkoholvereine).

Hitherto the a.ssociat ions in Belgium and France have been almost exclusively temperance societies; in both countries temperance societies for school- children play an important part. The "French National League against Alcoholism" {Ligue nat. frangaise conire V alcoolisme) has nearly 100,000 mem- bers in 1730 branches, of which many are for children. Belgium has also a similar "Patriotic League" and 120,000 children in more than .5000 temperance so- cieties organized during the last thirty years through the efforts of school inspector RobjTi. Only the beginnings of a temperance movement are to be found in Italy. In 1907 various local organizations united in the "Itahan Anti-Alcohol Federation" {Federa- zione Antiatcnolista Ilalitma), which allows daily half a litre (about a pint) of wine at meal-times. The mem- bers of the federation are mainly Social Democrats. Still less organization is there in Spain, where the first associations are just beginning to be formed. Portu- gal is without organization. Total abstinence pre- vails in the Scandinavian kingdoms, Iceland, and Finland, although home-brewed beer appears to be still frequently permitted. The Norwegian society "Det Norske Totalafholdsselskab" has 1.35,000 mem- bers. In Sweden, besides the very strong "Inde- pendent Order of Good Templars", there are the Social-Democratic " Verdandiorden " and many total abstinence societies for different classes, as physicians, students, teachers, preachers, soldiers, merchants, nurses etc., as well as a society for giving instruction in abstinence. A central abstinence bureau exists in both countries. The largest abstinence society in Denmark is the "Danmarks Af holdsforening " (about 60,000 members). Many total ab.stainers also be- long to the " Good Templars" and the "Blue Cross".

(3) Catholic Temperance Organizations. — Just as Catholics shared in the earlier movement sixty or seventy years ago they have also of late years taken an active part in the battle against alcohol. At first the entirely Catholic countries, excepting Belgium, had not a very large share in the movement. Gener- ally speaking, (iermany, Switzerland, Holland, and England have been the chief champions of the cause. About 1.S8.5 the Catholic movement began in Bel- gium. Under the leadership of Abb<^ Lemmens there now exists a federation consisting of nine large

associations with about 600 local branches and 50,000-60,000 members, who, as a body, represent temperance, not total abstinence. The most impor- tant of these associations are the "Sint-Jansgenoot- schap" in the Province of Liniburg (which has a division for young people founded and conducted by Canon Scnden), the "Onthoudersbond van West- Flanderen", and the "Soci(5t6 beige de Temperance". The main organization in Germany is the "Alliance of the Cross" (Kreuzh&ndnis), a society of Catholic abstainers, with headquarters at Heidhausen near Werden. This organization was estabh.shcd in 1899 by Father Neumann as a temperance society; in 1904 a separate section for total abstainers was formed, and since 1909 the entire organization has been a total abstinence society, with sections for women {Frauenhund), for young people {Jnhannes- biind), and for children {Schulzengelhund). Alto- gether the a.s.sociat ion has a member.ship of 12,000 adults and 60,000 cliildren. LTnfortunately, the children's society has divided, about half of its members joining the "Catholic Temperance Society" {Kath. Mdssigkeilsbund), established in 1905 (head- quarters at Trier). Recently the relations of this latter society to the "Alliance of the Cross" have constantly growTi more strained, and it has even estab- lished a total abstinence branch {Kreuzbund) of its own. Excellent work is done by the CathoUcs of Switzerland, where the former Bishop of St-GaU, Augustine Egger (1S33-1904), laboured as an apos- tle of temperance. Good feeling exists there be- tween the different tendencies of the movement, although total abstinence is the most conspicuous. The "Swiss Catholic Abstinence League" {Schiveizer- ische kalh. Abslinentcniign), founded in 1895 with headquarters at St-Gall, has 90 branches and nearly 4000 members, three-fourths of whom are Germans. Affihated with this society is the "Young Peo- ple's Union of German Switzerland" {Dculsch- Schweizerischcr Jugendbund) which has over 60 branches with 10,.500 members; a similar union {Riveil) for PVench Switzerland has 22 branches and 1200 members. Nearly all the members of the society previously mentioned, "St. Galler Bezirks- vereins gegen Missbrauch geistiger Getriinke", are Catholics. In Holland Dr. Ariens and Dr. Banning established in 189.5 the "Kruis verbonden" which has over 30,000 members; both this and the special associations for women (M nriavereenigingen), which have about 30,000 members, admit temperance and total abstinence advocates. Instead of chil- dren's societies, associations have been formed of parents who promise not to give their children (minors) any alcoholic beverage; these are called the "St. Anna vereenigingen" (membership 25,000). These societies are arranged according to dioceses and since 1907 their central organization has been the "Sobrietas" with headquarters at Maastricht. Since 1901 Austria also has had its "Cathohc Alliance of the Cross" and "Schutzengelbund"; .so far, however, the membership has not readied 1000. Hungary has a Catholic temperance society with 10,000 members. The French CathoUcs have the "White Cross" society {Crnix blanche). Some beginnings of inter- national organizations should, finally, be mentioned: the "Abstinence Society for Priests" (650 members) in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, and Holland; the "Catholic .\cadcmic Abstinence Union" with about 100 members in Germany, .Vu.stria, and Switzerland. The "International Catholic As.socia- tion", opposed to moderate drinking of spirituous li(luors, is, so far, of littli^ importance. Mention should also be made of a branch of the Order of Bene- dictines founded bj' Father 1 lager, the members of which are both total abstainers and vegetarians; the mother-house is at Innsbruck.

(4) Congresses. — The great international congressea