National Republican., 1883-02-09
THE DISTRESS IN DONEGAL.
The Condition OF Anhirs Described by
INsbop LOgue.


LETTERKENNY Jan. 10, 1sS3.-My Dear Mr..
Rcdpdih: As the person who should feel most
keenly the misery with which many of our
poor people have again been visited, con-
slider it a special duty to thank you most sim
cerely for your eloquent advocacy and exer-
tions in their behalf.
OFTEN, since we have been threatened with
this now visitation, have thought of your
promise to help us If ever the necessity should
arise. Still L hesitated, even after having re-
ceived your circular, to claim its fulhllment,
not because / doubted your generous eager
ness TO fly to the aid of the suffering, but be-
cause l shrank from tho humiliation of hav-
ing our people again paraded before the world
as beggars.
l thought they might weather the storm
with the aid of some little means which had
kept together with more than q misor's care
TO meet such crisis. thought the distress
would have been confined to limited area.
l thought, if the worst came, that the govern
ment warned by the misery and evils which
sprang from criminal neglect in the past,
would furnish employment for the people.
But the event has talsiiied my calculations.
My little hoard is as drop in tho ocean
compared to the wants to be met the distress
is spreading to districts which l believed to be
secure; tho government authorities stand by
majestically to watch the death struggle be-
tween the endurance of the Irish peasant and
the wasting action of hunger.
They have even thrown the odds against the
poor PEASANTS courage by keeping before his
eyes the dark Lhadow of the workhouse with
its horrors, physical and moral or by offering
to dcport him and his family at the rate of G5
per head and cast them ON the mercy of your
countrymen in the states, or to send them to
freeze in their rags in the arctic climate of
Manitoba.
There seems, therefore, to bo no hope for
the people except from charity; and, God
knows, we have already taxed the charity
of America beyond endurance You may
easily judge, then, how gratiied we are TO you,
and TO the friends who Joined you, i'll making
spontaneous appeal on our behalf to your
generous countrymen.
You have kept your promise well, even with
out waiting to be reminded of it, and l trust
that you and all who have Joined you in this
work of mercy, shall reap the reward which
the prayers OF the poor and suffering never
fail to bring.
am, dear Mr.. Redpath, yours most grate-
fully. tM1cHAEL LoGUE.
->
Public schoois-Lccture by DIR. Mayo.
The first of three lectures on education by
DR.. Mayo, Of Massachusetts,, before the pupils
of the Miner Normal school and teachers of
the public schools was delivered yesterday
afternoon at the Sumner school building the
subject being How to Govern u School"
The speaker very ably presented the requi-
sites toward successful school government,
and aptly applied his experience as u school
teacher in olucdating his subject. On the
matter of discipline he remarked that too often
teachers waste valuable time in arranging their
children like machines, requiring them to
sit still like statues-an unnatural position
for children-whereas if they (the teachors)
would use their head to cOntrive some kind
of work to keep the children employed, less
occasion would occur for machine discipline.
In regard to controlling turbulent pupils, DIR.
Mayo suggested that the teacher should first
thrash herself into the cXactions required of
tho pupils before attempting it upon them,
for be said it was impossible for teachers to
teach that which they did not feel or prac-
tice themselves. DIR. Mayo stated that in
Massachusetts, teachers were regarded in the
eyes of the law as officers. In Washington
their responsibility was still greater. The
action of congress in legislating for
the public schools of the District of Columbia
made them officers of tho United States. He
also spoke of the Importance of teachers cul-
tiVating the friendship of the parents, and
indicated quite forcibly the method of so
doing. DR.. Mayo cautioned the teachers rs
to how they should conduct themselves in the
presence of their pupils, remarlng that chill
dren of tender years were the most unrelent-
ing critics known, and il was next to an inn
possibility to remove thcir first impressions.
The lecture or talk, as DIR. Mayo termed it,
was full of practical common sense, and,
doubtless, will exercise u healthy influence
among the teachers. Tho next lecture will
be given Wednesday evening next, commence
ing at 6 o'clock, at the same place. All friends
of education arc invited.