Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-09
NEW SERIES--VOL. II, NO. 81.

der of Hibernians, is, beyond the lin
its of this county, good society or
not | cannot tell but / have believed
at sometimes that il was, and am
willing TO be satisfied OF that fact now,
if there is any evidence Of il, But
there has been an attack made upon
this organization, and up to this time
we have not had furnished to us any
evidence that in any place its objects
were laudable or commcndable. Grim
inal in its character, criminal in its
purpose, IL had frequently political
object. You will find the leaders Of
this society the prominent men in the
townships. Through the instrumen-
tality Of their order and by its power,
they were able TO secure offices for
themselves. You see here, and now
know that one of the Commissioners
OF this county is member of this or.
der You know that a previous Com
missioner Of this county was a mem
ber Of this order, convicted Of a high
ofiense, and pardoned by the Govern
or. You know that another county
Commissioner, before that, was mem
ber of this order, convicted ofan ofiense
and pardoned by the Governor High
constables, chiefs of police, candidates
for associate judges, men who were
trusted by their fellow men, were all
the time guilty of murder.
But in addition to the criminal and
the political motives, these people claim
national characteristics. They claim
that they were par excellence the rep
resentatives of the Irish Of this coun-
ty. They claim more than that that
they represent the Irish Catholics of
this county. ] shah say but little
about the Irish except that | am my
self the son an lrishman, proud Of my
ancestry, and Of my race, and never
ashamed Of it except when | see that
Ireland has given birth to wretches
such as these. These men call them.
selves Irishmen These men parade
on St. Patrick's Day and claim TO be
good Catholics Where are the hon
est Irishmen of this county2 Why do
not they rise up and strike down these
wretches that usurp the name of Irish
men If German commits an Of
iense, and engages in murder, do all
the other Germans take his part and
establish a false alabi to defeat the
ends of justice? If an American be-
comes q criminal, do the Americans
protect him2 DO they not say, away
with youl You have disgraced the
country that bore you ?" II an Eng
lishman becomes an offender, do the
English nation take him to their arms
and make him a hero2 Why then do
not the honest lrishmen of this coun-
ty come together in public meeting,
and separate themselves widely from
and denounce this organizationP Upon
what principle do these men, outcasts
from society, the dregs OF the earth,
murderers and assassins, claim to be
lrishmen and arrogate to themselves
the national characteristics Of the Irish
people? 1t is a disgrace to Ireland
that the honest Irish OF this county,
probably five or ten thousand in mum
ber, should permit a few hundred
wretchcs like these to say that they
are the true representatives of the
Irishmen of Schuylkill county.
Does an Irishman wonder why il is
sometimes difficult to get job in this
county, Does he wonder why the
boss at colliery hesitates to employ
him, when these people have been per
mitted to arrogate to themselves the
Irish character and have been permit
ted to represent themselves to the pco.
pie of this county as the proper repre-
sentatives of Ireland? The time has
come when there must be line OF de-
markation drawn. The time has come
when honest Irishmen in this county
must separate themselves from any sus-
pieion of sympathy with this assoeia.
tion. He must denounce its members
as outcasts from the land that gave
them birth. He must denounce them
as covered with iniamy and blackened
with crime. He must say that they
are not true lrlshmen and that they
arc not renresentives of Ireland
~ fL.I .i'ts ..
Duu iar oeyonu inns atocinPt 10 III
woke your sympathy on account Of
their nationality Is the attemnt fo in.
woke that sympatby on the ground
that thew beiong 10 n persecuted reliv
lion. Was there ever such sublime
such tremendous impudence in the
world. as that A member of this secret
society. society which has been de-
nounced bv its own Church, and each
member of which has been excommu.
nicated by the Archbishop of Philadel
phia. and by the Pope himself ont.
casts from society. and from the com
munion of their own religion. the dool
of the Church shut in their faces ant
the patos of heaven closed against tbon
by the accommodation of their priest,
these men. infdels and atheists car
ine for no Church. and worshipping M
| God. set themselves nm in this commu
nitv as the representatives of the Cath
olio faith.
aJu,, Allab wb., bo Inv ,oot,
when such a wretch before thee stands.
unblashing, with Thy sacred book,
uInns .s leaves yves w,.h blood stained stained hands
His creed ofi and hate and crime.
A few words more upon this subiec
of Irish Catholics. | was born ant
am Protestant, but | was PARTIAL,
educated among the Catholics and
have always had n kindly feeling iol
them, and when these assassins through
their counsel, speak of being Catho
lies, | desire TO say to YOU here. in th,
first place, that they have been de
nounced by their Church and excom
y : a. ~,