Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-04
CATHOLIC IMMIGRATION.
Lecture by Hon. Dillon O'Brien, at Chicago

Hon. Dillon OBrien, of this city, delivered
lecture at Maskell hall, Chicago, on Sunday,
in the interests Of Catholic immigration to
Minnesota. The Chicago Times gives the fol-
lowing report of the meeting: At the door,
circulars of the Minnesota Catholic immigration
bureau were distributed which gave an ex-
tended account of the four colonies established
by the Catholic bureau, under the auspices of
the Rt. Rev. Bishop Ireland, and instructions
to new immigrants.
The meeting was called to order about eight
o'clock by Dir. VIM. j. Onahan, who after a
few Introductory remarks on the Importance of
the subject of immigration and on the charac-
ter of the speaker of the evening, introduced
Mr.. Dillon O'Brien, who spoke for an hour on
the subject of Immigration to the Land
He considered it one of the greatest which can
engage the attention of the American people
to-day. AS a remedy for the labor problem a
problem which is knocking with menacing
blows at the very doors of our free institutions,
he looked upon it as taking the foremost
place. But he would not, at present, discuss
it in it's national bearings; he would only re-
gard it as it affected his own people. Too long
has Irish immigration been neglected, until the
time for taking their due proportion of the
soil Of their adopted country has almost passed
away. The Irish drifted to these shores with
out an intelligent friend to advise them before
they left or counsel them when they arrived.
Not SO the Germans. Their system of immi-
grafton is almost perfect Look at the results
here at home. What is the status of
the Germans in the great commonwealth
of Illinois to-day? 81 am aware said
the speaker, "that many, very many obstacles
stood between the poor Irish emigrant and the
land which could build him up and give him an
independent home; but the greater the diff
culties, the more need had he of intelligent
friends, and he had but few" While carrying
on immigration work in Minnesota, they had
| not failed to urge upon others to do likewise,
in other States. They had applied to wealthy
Irishmen all over the country, to organize q
land stock company ana thereby raise
a large fund to help families without
means of their own to go upon the land
The speaker then went into an account OF
| the Catholic colonies founded by Bishop Ire
land in Minnesota. Not to speak of the gov.
eminent lanas taken up by their immigrants
over 100, 600 acres of railroad land controlled
by the Catholic colonization bureau OF Mime
sofa have been sold to settlers, and the 100, 00C
acres remaining will be sold next summers
In conclusion, Mr.. o. Brien urged those of hit
countrymen adapted to agricultural life, to sci
out for the land; and his countrymen, il
general, to encourage the idea of making
brave effort to get their due share of the sol
of their adopted country. ''Let u.s. he said
anchor in the land, that we may not drift
| away, leaving record after us. Give me, a.
| levers, with power to WELD them, temperate.
and healthy immigration to the land, and
will raise up this old to be the glory of tn.
republic that opened its arms to receive u
when we fled all naked to its shores, and CAV.
| to cur sorrow-clouded brows the baptism o.
| freedom, American citizens Gfe.''