Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-01
Bishop ireland on the Irishmans
Enemy.

Bishop ireland, of st. Paul. who
does not rank second to any of the
Catholic Bishops in the west, made
the address in Chicago on the ooea~
sion of the st. Patrick celebration.
He closed with the following brave,
true words in reference to the drink
trahc, and the effect of drinking
upon his countrymen
The Bishop said in conclusion
that be had not referred TO these
things simply to please them with
thoughts of home or to excite mem
ores of all that had been so glori-
ously suffered for home and religion.
He, as the minister of God, was
bound TO make an application that
should be useful to them and that
shoIld come home to their hearts
with force and truth and bear fruit.
What he wanted to impress upon
them was that their forefathers had,
for the sake OF the faith, boon saints
and martyrs, and had gladly suf-
fered all things to uphold that faith.
They therefore owed it TO their
ancestors, they owed it 20 their sna-
lion and church. TO do the hest and
be the best they could.
He did not speak in reproach5 hat-
in loving kindness.
lie would have them be all that
they could be if they would.
Many of them were poor and dc,
graded, when they might BIO inde-
pendent and well educated.
Their children were poor and ig-
norant when they might be com.
Portable and well trained.
He said these things to them can
didly, because BIO loved tho grand
old race. and it was dear to his heart,
and be wished that it should be all
that God and nature intended il to
be.
This Irish, in the now world, did
they net all know that q grea:
many of them were not anything
like what they might DO if they
chose?
They might own their own hous-
es. If not in the cities. then upon the
broad prairies.
They might if they pleased be IN
dependent, safe and happy?
Then why was it that so many
of them we're not?
They should bear with him while
be told them the truth, 10 kindness,
AID because he would If he ceuid,
take al the dear children of the
saints, and confessors, and martyrs
of the early church and gather them
up 10 bis arma, wash all the STAINS
from them-stains brought about
from the peculiarly painful history
that bad been stamped on them in
centuries of oppression, and point
them to the best and brightest Ia
the future. both on earth aud ia
heaven.
If they were asked what was tho
principal drawback they had tocon@
tend With, in this and other new
countries, some Of them would say
it was the fact that tbep are foreign.
ers in this country.
But it was not that.
The deadly enemy of the Irish
was the saloon keeper.
Il was useless TO theorizs about
the matter.
Their one bitter, reletless enemy
was the saloon keeper and no one
else.
Just go long as they allowed the
saloon keeper to make them the
inmates of his place, to become init
mate with them, TO influence them,
TO control their politics and indeed
influence their whole life, just 30
long was 1t hopeless to expect that
anything of the best could be ex.
pected from the Irish.
The Irish saloon keeper vas the
enemy of the Irish race, and the
portal Of his place was the gate Of
hell.
The Bishop said he had been
ashamed 10 learn that it was said
shat there were nearly fourteen
hundred Irish saloon keepers Ia
Chicago.
They knew their enemy.
Let hem profit by their knowl-
edge, for so long as they freqnent
the saloons, 30 long would they
find it tho deceptive ground from
from which they would reel from
ono abyss to another and recovery
WAS hopeless.
He said this because he wished
the Irish race TO take the place that
God intended them to take-a place
which they had the quality of heart
aad the talents eff brain to take and
to keep-a place among the fore-
most of the earth.-The appeal.