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 TEMPERANCE

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TEMPERANCE

congratulate all in this commendable assemblage, because they are our associates and helpers in per- suading men to practise one of the principal Cliris- tian virtues — temperance."

The union is composed of men's, women's, and juvenile societies, and the Priests' Total Abstinence League, and numbers in all over 90,000 members.

The women's societies were iidmitted in 187S as honorary members, and in 1880 as active members; in 1888 women delegates were first received, the women's societies having previously been represented by men; three years later Miss S. A. Moore of Phila- delphia was elected third vice-president.

The union i.ssues a monthly pubUcation "The C. T. A. U. Advocate". In 1911 the union was represented for the first time at the (Thirteenth) International Congi'ess against alcohol, held at The Hague, Holland. It has also joined the Catholic International Society against Alcoholism founded in 1907 by Father Neumann of Miindt, Prussia.

In 1873 "The Women's Crusade" started in HiUsboro, Ohio. The members appealed directly to the saloon-keeper to desist from liquor traffic, visiting all the saloons in the towns in which they were organ- ized. The movement spread from Ohio, through the North Central States, to Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, California, Oregon, and eastward to the Atlantic coast. In Ohio the saloons in two hundred and fifty towns were closed by the crusade. The result of this movement was the organization of a total abstinence society called the Women's Christian Temperance Union, which was established at Cleve- land on 18 Nov., 1874, at a national convention of one hundred and thirty-five delegates from about a dozen states. In 1880 si.x departments were Insti- tuted — organization, preventive, educational, evan- gelistic, social, and legal. At the head of each depart- ment was a superintendent. Under each department were sub-departments, in charge of superintendents, the total number of departments and superintendents being thirty-eight. Juvenile societies were formed in the various local imions, and through the efforts of the union scientific temperance instruction was introduced in the schools. In 1910, 22,000,000 chil- dren received instruction on the baneful effects of alcohol. In 1883 the imion was organized in every state and territory of the United States, and was introduced into Canada. The World's Women's Christian Temperance Union, which has societies in many countries, was a fuller development of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. For nearly twenty years the destinies of the W. C. T. U. were guided by a gifted woman of high character, who had resigned her position as dean of the Woman's College and Professor of ^Esthetics in the Northwestern University to devote all her energies to the cause of temperance — Miss Frances E. \\'illard.

Canada. — In the beginning of the nineteenth cen- tury, the sale of intoxicating liquor was scarcely restricted by law in Canada and its use was almost universal. Intemperance developed and spread to such an extent that a reaction set in, and called forth active opposition. A meeting was held at Brock- ville, Ontario, in the autumn of 1828, and the first pledged Temperance Society in Canada was formed. It was not a total abstinence society. Moderation was inculcated in this and many other societies es- tabhshed throughout the country until 1839, when the total abstinence pledge succeeded the old modera- tion pledge, as was the case in the ITnited States. Moderation had proved a failure, and total absti- nence was adopted as the beat remedy against the drink evil. Immediately a noticeable progress was made against intemperance. Societies were organ- ized as "open temperance societies", with no bond of union till 1847, when the Sons of Tem])erance es- tabhshed a branch in Canada. An executive council

governed local societies and .systematized their work. An aid to thorough organization was afforded in 1858 by the Independent Order of Good Templars, whose pledge lasted for life, and who admitted women to membership. In 1874 the Women's Christian Temperance Union instituted a union in Canada, and by systematic work gave a strong impulse to temperance reform. The Canada Temperance Union came into existence in 1869, and, after various modi- fications in name and methods, was replaced in 1877 by the Dominion Alliance for the Total Suppression of the Liquor Traffic. The Alliance worked with vigour in securing legislation for the restriction of the liquor traffic, and was actively engaged in the enforcement of excise laws, throughout most of the provinces of Canada. Since 1850, nearly every Canadian Parliament has been called upon "to enact legislation prohibitiveorrestrictive of the liquor traffic. Repeated petitions made to Parliament for total prohibition, urged the enactment of the Canada Temperance Act of 1878, commonly called the "Scott Act", authorizing counties and cities to pro- hibit the retail sale of liquor. The popular vote was overwhelming in favour of prohibition, but disputes as to its constitutionality and controversy concern- ing the responsibility of enforcement by federal or provincial authorities rendered it inoperative.

The Church of England Temperance Society, estabhshed in a way in every province, was for a time active in the temperance reform movement. In latter years the success of the Protestant societies has been in the way of local option or "banish the bar" campaign. In the rural districts of Ontario this work is popular, and has been effective. The Catholic Church grappled with the drink evil, from the earliest days of the colony of New France. For many years her adherents have been most active in propagating temperance principles through the League of the Cross, the Catholic Total Abstinence Union, and other societies scattered throughout Canada. Since 1900 the Diocese of Peterborough has taken the lead in temperance work. In the episcopal city there is a society of 1200 men. Archbishop Bruchesi of Montreal has taken active interest in the work, and has developed a strong total abstinence sentiment.

Knights of Father M.\thew. — The Knights of Father Mathew, a total abstinence and semi-military body, was instituted at St. Louis, Mo., on 20 April, 1872. A life-insurance feature was adopted on 18 July, 1881, having been authorized by a charter empowering the society to include fife insurance among its aims and objects, and to form branches of the order, called "councils", throughout the State of Missouri. As the work and benefits of the society became known, invitations to establish councils beyond Missouri were received. At present (1911) it has councils in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Kan- sas. There are two classes of membership: active and honorary. To be eligible to active membership, it is necessary to be a practical Catholic, to pass a physical examination, and to be not less than sixteen nor more than seventy years of age. For honorary membership, it is sufficient to be a pr.actical Catholic. The Society has been active in promoting temperance and frugality, and has expended over eight hundred thousand dollars in benefits for the families of its deceased members. Councils of the order are per- mitted to organize branches of Catholic women, to be designated as "Ladies' Auxiliaries of the Knights of Father Mathew," and to be governed by laws in harmony with the laws of the parent organization. The Ladies' Auxiliaries have been instrumental in upbuilding the male organization, in promoting tem- perance among boys and girls, and have been active m charitable work among the poor. The Knights of Father Mathew antl the Ladies' Auxiliaries of