The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-11-25

sweet patience, love of poverty, in which
he declared he ever saw fhe image of the
Redeemer, and his Christ-like humility
would require space we cannot give.
When he could spare time from hearing
confessions he rested not, but sped away
on an errand Of mercy bent to some poor
family, and he was ever welcomed as an
angel of mercy. The poor were con-
stantly in his thoughts; he considered
himself on level with the poorest of
them, and vet at the same time their
protector and almoner, and his mind was
ever busy devising means for the inn
proment of their condition. It was this
tender solicitude that begot the indus
trial schools, the libraries tor young
men and the Josephiar Society; it was
this apostolic solicitude that begot the
total abstinence movement.
Father Matthew was one of the COVER
nors of the Cork workhouse Here mis-.
cry was always before his eyes, always
appealed to his tender heart. And it
was not hard to perceive that two thirds
of the misery that found refuge in the
workhouse was caused by rum. In the
wretched streets and houses in which
he was wont to seek out poor penitents
or objects of his charity, in the hospital,
in the lunat:c asylum, in the jails, the
same sad fact stared him in the face.
And this fact set him to thinking. Will
liam Martin. Quaker Total Abstainer,
afterwards known as the "Grand-father
of the Temperance Cause" was his CO.
league on the board of workhouse Cover
nors and often, when going the rounds
OF that institution, Mr.. Martin would
point out some peculiarly distressing
case saying: ''Strong drink is the cause
of this;'' and then he would exclaim:
"On! TheObald Matthew, ii thou would
only give thy aid, much good could be
done in this city, And Theobald Mathew
did give his aid, and not alone the city
but the whole world felt the great good
oiit.
For weeks and months the poor Ca
puchin thought over what he could do to
relieve his beloved poor from the
scourge OF whisky. In his miserable
little room, after his herculean daily la
Dor was over in the narrow confessional
of the badly ventilated little chapel,
when some tale of misery wrought by
rum was unfolded to him, in his jour.
neys from the chapel to sick calls and
back again, he thought and wearied
himself out completely, thinking how he
poor, and humble, and weak as he
was,-could grapple with thedemen rnm
and at last weaken him in his strong
holds. At last Almighty God gave him
the strength to decide to take up the to.
tai abstinence movement, and the frs
man he sent tor 10 consult with was the
Quaker, William Martin, and when the
old man left he said, Warmly pressing
the priests hand, "Oh! Theobald
Mathew, thou hast made me a happy
man this night" The poor Capuchin
was destined to make mill ons happy
ere the good work he had determined to
begin would end.
Well, our readers all know, in the
school-room of the Friary where,
through the instrumentality of Father
Matthew, the blessings OF education had
been vouchsaied TO the poor for the
proceed ng twenty years, the first meet
ing of the Father Matthew Total Absti-
nence movement was assembled on th-
10th day OF April, 1888. Father
Mathew took the chair and made short
speech. in the course of which he said:
If only one poor soul could be rescued
from destruction BY what we are attempt
ing. it would be giving glory to God, and
we'll worth all the trouble We could
take" And in closing he said, II will
be the first to sign my name in the book
which is on the table, and l hope we
shall soon have it full" Mr.. Mcguire
SAYS: Father Matthew then ap-
preached the table, and. taking the
pen. said in q voice heard by all. and
remembered by many to this day !:
Here goes, in tie name Of Godn and sign
ed as follows-"Rev. Theobcld Matthew.
C. c., Cove street. No. l." Six names
were registered at that first meeting.
And that was the beginning OF the
Father Matthew TOTAL Abstinence
movement. LIS end is not yet, nor will
it be till all things end. The story OF
his after lite may be put into small
space. 1t is \ glorious record OF good
done his fellow-man: Of millions made
happy and prosperous; of joy, and plen-
ty, and contentment brought to homes
where dark sorrow, cold poverty, aid
spirit-breaking misery had refined be-
fore his influence was felt. In three
months after that first meeting, q, OOo
persons had taken Father Matthew'S
pledge. and in a year over 200, 900 were
ranged beneath his banner. Then he
extended his labors to other portions Of
Ireland. meeting with the same wonder
full success everywhere, and it was esti-
mated that in two years two millions of
the Irish people had taken the pledge
from him. In Scotland and England his
success was equally wonderful. under
the circumstances. and in the United
States, where the national legislature
received the poor Capurhin, aud the first
men IF the land paid him honor, hund-
reds of thousands succumbed to his ill.,
fiuence. and rallied TO the banner of to-
tai abstinence. He seldom knew what
it was to rest i, all those years. and in
the last days of his lie a mortal malady
robbed him of that peace which one
would think he had earned by life OF
noble seif-sacrifice spent in the interests
Of his fellow-man. He died CT appoplexy
December 8, 1856.