Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-27
IRISH COLONIZATION.
Ihe Movement Inassgurated By the Recent
Convention at CAtcnQO.

be called the Irish Catholic Association of
America. An executive board consisting of
fourteen members seven bishops and seven
laymen-is hereby appointed, with full pow
ers to act in the name and with the author
lty of this convention, to adopt such meas
ures and perfect such plans as may seem to
the members Of the board most wise and
practicable.
There are some people who may be found
who will object to this mixing up of farming
and religion, agriculture and Catholicism.
This, however, is nobody's business outside
those who are engaged in the enterprise. It
Is the right of any man, or association of
men, to get up colonization scheme in
which nobody shall be admitted who has not
wooden leg, or red hair, or who has pro-
nounced squirt. In the same way 1t is the
right of body, operating under similar cir
cumstances, to decide that no man shall be
assisted to farm who does not accept i'm
merslon, or the thirty mine articles, or tran
substantiation, or the belief that the world
is supported on the back of turtle. All
these are, or should be, minor considerations
to the general public. The utility of coloni-
zation in the country cannot be successfully
denied. The main thing is the colonization,
and not the religious faith of the colonist.
Moreover, the objection to the flavor of
Catholicism in this movement will come from
those who have the least right to impose any
difficulties. The objection will be wholly
entertained by class of sectarians
whose bette mosr is Roman Cathol-
icisrn, and who are incessant in their asser-
tions that the larger portion of the crime,
pauperism and Encouragement of our large
cities comes from the Irish element of the
Romish church. Believing this, or affecting
to believe it, they cannot, with consistency
object to an effort calculated to unload the
American cities of this class, and thereby, as
they would claim, purifying the moral and
political atmosphere by the removal of per-
nicious influences. Again, from the stand
point of class infected with no religious
fanaticism, but who are disposed to deprecate
anything like sectarianism in the conduct of
business affairs, the movement in proposing
to confne itself to a single religious denomi-
nation, must present itself as commendable
for at least one very substantial reason. The
bane of new communities, as we'll as some
not SO entirely new, is churehes-not religion
but the edifces. Whenever score or half q
hundred families get together under the or
binary circumstances of emigration or immi-
grafton, the first thing to be done
is to build from three to six
churches, each of which, with a heavy
mortgage, is solemnly dedicated to the
Lord. The effect is twofold; it keeps peo-
pie from the churches who would remain
were 1t not for their membranes, and il
burdens those who do remain with debt
which heavily handicaPs them in their bust
ness progress. It would be an enormous
gain, both in money and churchmembership
we1e all colonization plans to be projected
and carried out so that each colony would
in the main, represent only one religious
denomination. The saving in the cost oil
''sacred" ediices, contributions, subscrip-
tions, interest on mortgages, and the like,
would be beyond computation. One good
church, in the case of such unity, would take
the place of half dozen bad ones, and
would be one which would not constantly
flout 10 per cent, mortgage in the face Of
heaven. In Chicago the dead weight Of
church mortgages and the support of I'M.
necessary churches upon business is an evi
of the most serious magnitude. Were just
one-half the churches in this city obliterateo
it would, in thirty days, add one third to the
present membership; would tighten the
burden carried by business men, and ii
every way would advance the cause Of
Christianity to an unlimited extent.
In general sense, the effort to remove the
overplus population is one than which there
is nothing more needed with reference tc
the men and women to be moved or the
cities to be relieved. The Irish more than
any other foreign nationality flock to the
| cities. The majority of them are unskilIeG
| laborers; aud the result is an arduous strug
gle for mere existence. Lack of employ.
ment begets idleness and restitution, an6
these are often but hating places on the
highway leading to crime. There is g
much larger proportion of criminals among
this class than there would be were it placed
in more favorable localities, and surrounded
| by less hostile circumstances. Perhaps ter
Germans go to farming where one Irishma1
| takes up the same pursuit; and the result il
| that the average condition of the for
mer is largely in advance OF the latter. The
! distressing condition of so large an ele-
ment of our population would be remediec
at once were it transferred from the I'M
healthful air and influences of city life tc
| the breezy and healthful country.
In view of these facts, intelligent people
will wish this Irish colonization scheme {
most abundant success. Not only this, bu
they will wish that others may be started
now struggling and sometimes starving il
our great cities, shall be located on tn
boundless prairies of the great Northwest.
A PROSPEROUS COMPANY.
| a Senaj-AsanasGl Dividend OF Three and
Half Per Gent. Declared by the Chicago
MilsUaeskee d St. Paul Rail,cay.
The directors of the Chicago, Milwaukee.
& st. Paul railway have just declared divi
dend for the second half of the year 1878 or
the company's preferred stock of 81 PEI
cent, payable April Is. The following state
ment of the operations of the company fo
the year ending December 81, 1878, has beer
submitted for the information of stock
holders:
Gross earnings. Sc, 451 767 2
Gross expenses (ncluding ta1es). ..... 4,7s23l3 0