Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-08
Father McTighe Charged Father Sheedy
With Casting Slur on the Catholic
Clergy and Laymen.
REPORT OF TIE FATHER MATHEW FUND
The Mass Meeting in the Evening Was Attended by
Thousands of People.


game would not have missed the fun at the
convention for a dozen ball games. The
proceedings of the morning meeting were
lively enough, but the afternoon session was
q battle Of gigantic intellects, interspersed
with cries of "order," Kisses and groans.
Rev. Fathers Sheedy and McTighe, of this
city, hurled shafts of criticism and sarcasm at
each other until they got tired. Each had his
friends in the convention, and the latter
backed up the principals. 1t was hot work
for the reverend gentlemen, but it was fun
for the spectators.
The afternoon session was called to order
at 2:30 o'clock sharp, BY President Father
Cleary. DR.. 0'Hars, of Philadelphia,
Chairman of the Father Mathew Chair
money raised to date was $17, ,615 65. To
this should be added S192 interest from the
investment of the money. Since the open
ing of the convention he had collected S.
457 80. The total expense for two years in
connection with the fund was S210. The
total amount to be raised for the endowment
of the chair is $50, 900. A special vote of
thanks was rendered j. A. Kirby, of WASH
ington, D. c., for contribution of 81 900.
ABOUT THE WORLDS FAIR.
Delegate Gallagher. of this city, made
motion that the union be represented at the
Worlds Far, according to the suggestion of
DR.. COnaty. Mr.. Mccarthy, of Scranton,
objected, saying the union had enough irons
in the fire, and the Father Mathew fund
was taking up all its time and money. DR..
Conatv urged that action be taken about the
Chicago representation. A ter considerable
discussion and good humored cross-fring,
the matter twas referred to the Executive
Committee.
Bishop Cotter, Chairman of the Commit
tee on Resolutions, reported for the commit
tee. Among the resolutions which were
adopted was a recommendation that the
Board of Government communicate with
the Catholic book publishers, and urge
them to select for publication in the Catholic
readers the utterances of the leaders of the
union, and thus familiarize the Catholic
youth with the best thoughts of the day on
the question of total abstinence.
After the adoption of the resolutions the
report of First Vice President Sheedy,
which had been laid on the table, was taken
MP. In the forenoon Rev. Father McTighe,
pastor of St Malachi's Church, on the
Southside, and who is q delegate by virtue
of his Office as spiritual director of st. Ma
lachi's societies, spoke adversely on the re-
port. When it was taken up in the after
noon for adoption, Father McTighe took
the floor and, with fire in his eye and an
afternoon paper in his hand, he said:
''Iu nv remarks of this forenoon, see 1
have been quoted as saying that the actions
Of the convention would turn the Germans
away from the church. Before going any
further Iwish to state right here that made
no such remark. What did say, however,
was that the Germans would be turned away
from the temperance movement. object
to the adoption of the report, for the reason
that Itrehects on the Catholic clergy of Amer
ica and this convention ought not to adopt
8 slur on such hard-working body of men.
As Father Elliott stated in his paper yester-
day, it is due to the inactivity of the Cath
lie clergy.
CALLED DOWN AT ONCE.
At this point he was called down by
Father Elliott, whose giant form loomed up
in the rear of the hall, and after a sharp
discussion, ended it by saying: 81 will say
1 did nothing of the kind, either in sub
stance or in words"
Father McTighe continued: 81 say again,
it is a slur on the clergy. A great many
temperance people seem to labor under the
mistake that the only one demon that takes
possession of tine Catholic soul is whisky.
There are six other demons, as bad as
whisky that must be expelled from the
heart. Because these same temperance peo-
pie are not possessed OF the demon whisky,
it does not follow that they are not possessed
of any of the other demons, and it will re-
quire the closest attention on the part of the
clergy to drive the demons out of the hearts
and minds of these same temperance people. |
"Then there seems to be holier and phar-
isaical sentiment among some of the dele
gates. They want to go to Chicago TO make |
themselves known They want the world to |
look at them and wonder in amazement.
They want the people to say they are not
like the rest of mankind, and no report COW
ering such impressions should be adopted |
by this convention"
A murmur of dissent ran through the |
house. and several of the delegates wanted |
President Cleary to choke the speaker of. |
Father McTighe's friends insisted that the |
rules be suspended and an extension of time |
granted, which was done, and the speaker |
continued: ''I heard it stated in the conven- |
tion here that intemperance has possession |
of the field. This is not true, and shows the |
temperance people have been hypnotized and |
allowed themselves to be deceived by the |
lying, prejudicial reports of jailers, who |
make it point to exhibit the Catholics in |
the worst light possible. They are the peo-
pie who do not want any popery in the coun- |
try, and this plan of lying prison statistics |
is systematic effort on their part TO rob |
Catholics of their manhood. 1t is done to |
convey the idea that the Catholic Church |
raises men not fit to be citizens of the coun- |
try. L am surprised to find clergyman |
here who will admit that Catholics are |
worse than any other denomination, when |
they know such statements are not true.
DOES NOT BELIEVE 1T.
II have been told that one-half of the |
criminals are Catholics. This is not true, |
Ninety-eighT per cent Of all the Catholics |
are honest, upright, true citizens. Business
men know how seldom their trust has been
betrayed by Catholics. The roaring lion
who goes about from house to house seeking
whom he may devour knows how impree-
nsble is the Catholic maiden's virtue. We
know these things, and why should we stand
idly by and accept such statistics and re-
peated in this convention? 1t brings back
the hereditary doctrine of belief that the
saloon must go, but 1t cannot go. Kisses
and grosns.
'Instead OF losing so much power, saving
that the saloon must 90, and then witness
il not going" continued the speaker. I'VE
should direct our efforts into suitable chan
aels that pan out other results. 1t is not