the auspices of the Union, was now approaching comple- This Catholic Temperance Fountain is one of the most elaborate and beautiful works of art in the Exhibition grounds, and one of the finest temperance fountains in the world. Four figures-those of the Revolutionary patriots Commodore Barry, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Archbishop Carroll, and of Father Mathew-stand on pedestals around the central mound, upon which stands the figure of Moses striking the rock, from which rushes forth founts of clear, sparkling water. It is a fine allegory, and will stand as a testimony to future ages of the mighty strides the virtue of Temperance has made in the first century of the Republic's existence. The sessions of this Convention were cheered by many messages of encouragement from the Catholic hierarchy of America, and by a most notable letter from Cardinal Manning, of England, a very illustrious prelate, who has himself taken the pledge as an incentive to his flock. In this letter Cardinal Manning cites the rule laid down by St. Paul in these.words: "He [St. Paul] lays down the law of generous charity: If my liberty in using what is safe to me encourage others in the use of the same, which is dangerous to them, then I will use it no more. If my denying myself in this, which I am free to renounce, shall help or encourage even one soul who has fallen through intoxication to rise up and break his bonds, then I will gladly abstain as long as I live!" This Philadelphia Convention brings us down to the present time. We find at present in the Union 600 societies of over 150,000 members. These comprise only those aggregated to the Union; of other Catholic total-abstinence societies there are probably 300 working as local associations. We may safely estimate the entire number of Catholic total-abstinence societies in this country at not less than 1,000, having an active membership of 200,000 persons. These 200,000 Catholics are active apostles of abstinence principles. Many of them being heads of families, and all of them being of the more intelligent and thoughtful class, they exercise a wide influence, probably being the means of detering one million of people from indulging in alcoholic beverages of all kinds-from the most fiery compound to, the most insidious decoctions, such as cider, weiss beers, etc. Though the movement depends on moral suasion and religious suasion, its efficacy in closing saloons is proved in countless instances. It is made a mark of social degradation to be seen frequenting these places; thus the customers are drawn away from them and they are forced to close their doors. Having seen the wonderful works of our Protestant brethren in the matter of producing a total-abstinence literature through the National Temperance Society, our Catholic temperance people commenced a similar work, on a small scale, some years ago. Fully one million of Catholic temperance tracts were spread abroad in 1871, 1872, and 1873. In the latter year, also, a further advance was made in starting a journal, the Catholic Total Abstinence Union, to make uncompromising war upon drunkenness and drinking habits. It was a novelty, being the first paper of the kind ever seen among the Catholics of this country. It started as a monthly, and encountered many difficulties; but it fought its way, enlarged its size, doubled its issues, and now comes out fortnightly, and is making the business of apologizing for the drinking usages and publishing the announcements of drinking places, by its Catholic contemporaries, a matter of common opprobrium among the Catholic public. The nature of the moral warfare being waged by the Catholic contingent of the grand army of temperance in America against its opponents can be judged from the code of principles put forth as the platform of this representative journal of the Catholic total-abstinence movement as follows: "Drunkenness is a great curse. "The root of drunkenness is in the drinking habits. "The drinking habits stand upon a vicious set of ideas forming sentiment, social and public opinion. "The ideas favorable to drink must be attacked and crushed in order to get at the root of the drink evil. A sentiment hostile to drinking habits must be created. Right thought must take the place too long held by wrong thought. "We must cry down the vice and make it odious in the eyes of society!" "Public discussion is the great lever to move any good cause to victory in a free land. "We are a reading generation; we live in a country where public opinion is fostered by the press. We want a brave and earnest press 'to force the fighting' against not only drunkenness, but against all causes that lead up to it. For this we want a Catholic press, whose principles, securely anchored in the ground of Catholic theology, will not run into rant, fanaticism, or folly; and a vigorous press whose pages have no taint of the distillery or brewery upon them, whose blows are not given in behalf of ' temperate' indulgence (light tippling) merely, but for entire abstinence from the treacherous drugs. "Papers trammelled with financial favors of whiskey advertisers, or hampered with a constituency of readers of that ilk, cannot, if they would, grapple with the vicious habits leading to drunkenness, nor enforce the thoroughgoing repugnance to 'drink and drinking habits' which the spirit of Catholic total abstinence teaches. "Papers made up to be equally acceptable visitors to the corner groggery subscriber or the temperance subscriber cannot, never have, and never will, handle the question at issue between the whiskey-saloon and the total-abstinence hall. That question is embodied in the ringing motto of total abstinence-' TASTE NOT! TOUCH NOT!! HANDLE NOT!!!' "A TOTAL ABSTINENCE press is needed to force this question upon public consideration; to defend it; to parry the thrusts made against it; to marshal in its behalf the reasons which theology, morality, science, history, and patriotism provide for so worthy a cause.” INDEPENDENT ORDER OF GOOD SAMARITANS AND DAUGHTERS OF SAMARIA. BY REV. GEO. H. HICK, R.W.N.G. SIRE. THE Independent Order of Good Samaritans and Daughters of Samaria found origin in the city of New York, in February, 1847, and was first known by the title of Independent Order of Good Samaritans, the prime movers in the work being Isaac L. Covert, M.D., C. B. Hulsart, R. D. Hart, and Wm. F. Hiatt. It was at first confined to males, but a very short time after its organization it extended its borders, and admitted the female sex to full membership, being the first fraternal Order that extended to women the same privileges enjoyed by men. This step was taken in 1848. In the first year of its organization, September, 1847, it made its first progressive move, and admitted colored people to its membership, being the first fraternal society recognizing humanity in man, no matter what his color. The Order has ever been a reformatory one as well as beneficial, and to this fact, together with the progressive steps taken so early in its history, may be attributed its snail-like growth. It found comparatively few men or women sufficiently gifted with the desire to reform their fellows, to be willing to devote their lifetime to the work. Many put their hands to the plough, but became disheartened and abandoned the work. Nor is this to be wondered at. The reformatory work, especially in this direction, requires much more than ordinary perseverance. Few, if any, can bear to see men sink back into drunkenness after repeated attempts to reform; and hence, the work being a discouraging one, only the strong in faith could be expected to continue faithful. This Order has had its ebbs and flows with all the other Orders; its days of prosperity as well as its days of adversity, the same causes producing it. It has, however, preserved its original char |