Roman Catholic Temperance
By Editor
THE Roman Catholic temperance spurt, over which the W. C. T. U. and several Protestant journals have been gushing so enthusiastically of late, seems to be nothing more than a wail because of the abuse of the saloon business. This is the burden of Satolli's temperance sentiment, and Bishop Watterson, who has been the recipient of so much Protestant praise because of his temperance stand, states his position thus: "The great injury that has been done to the progress of our faith in this country is the disgrace inflicted upon it by those Catholics—and their name is legion—who are abusing the saloon business, to their own infamy and dishonor of the church." It is not the liquor traffic, the saloon business, that is evil in the minds of these great temperance apostles, but it is the abuse of the business that brings dishonor upon the church. Yet we find a San Francisco Protestant journal indorsing such sophistry in this way: "We could wish all other Catholics might speak as well and wisely as these." The W. C. T. U. has all along taught that the saloon business is the sum of all evils, that "there is no genuine temperance movement but prohibition," but there suddenly comes such an anxiety for alliance with the Romanists that their president officially congratulates that church on having such temperance leaders as Watterson and Satolli. Verily Rome is buying Protestant homage very cheaply just now.