The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-03-28
0RAT0RlCAL
Tributes to the Memory Of
Ireland's Patron
Saint.
MIR. P. E. Burke, Jr., Grows
Eloquent on His Subject
'"The Ladies"
MIR. Fl. Il. Gillen Treats of
S'Ireland and Her Rela-
tlOnS to America"
County Atty. 7. D. 0'Brien
of St. Paul, Speaks on
the A. @. Fl.
Hon. CYRUS WELLINGTON of the
Same CITY, is on
'tAme1ica."
IT,. ~ - Gall
Hon. J. G. NethawaV, of Still
water, Responds to the
Toast minnesota"

In connection with the celebration of
st. Patrick's day at Saltwater, several
prominent MinnesOtabs delivered elo-
quent addresses which The IRISH
STANDARD deems it It's duty TO publish.
They are master pisces OF oratOry,
and deserve more praise than can be
accorded them in these columns. They
are here given in the order of the pro,
gramme.
The first address is that Of Mr.. P. E.
Burke, jr., who responded to this toast
''Tne Ladies'" On being introdu eed by
the chairman, Mr.. Burke said;
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:-Duri
my student life in this City, before had
fully learned to understand womanklnd
as in after years she appeared to me, [
plead guilty of having dared to quote in
class composed entirely of young la
dies, with the single exception of my
self, the following lines:
''What mighty ills have not been done by woman?
''Who was It betrayed the capitoi7 A woman.
t'Who lost Mark Antony the world2 A woman.
''Who was the cause of q long ten years war.
s'And laid at last old Troy in ashes? Woman.
''Destructive, damnable, dece1tful woman.
This evening an opportunity has been
afforded me of making due apology to
the ladies who were thus so 1utblessly
slandered. Indeed deem it great
honor that am allowid to address my
remarks solely to them.
Although my sense of chlvalrv at the
time I uttered the above lines had not
fully matured, yet there was present
within me germ that was to make
itself apparent at some future time,
That time has come this evening, at
least I hope that when I am done will
have kindled spark Of love in the heart
of every lady present.
will not go back to the beginning of
time and relate to you the horrible con-
dition Of your sex, to the time when
woman was nothing but a mere slave.
The pages of history are filled with
the valiant deeds and grand achieve
ments of man, while it is a mere blank
in reference to the deeds of woman.
And why is this? Simply for the reason
that she has been continually crushed
by the heel Of the stronger sex.
Not until the time of Christianity did
the condition Of woman change, and
even then it was difficult to overcome
the hard superstitions Of the ancient
past. But change has gradually taken
place. The capabilities Of women are
becoming better known. They are as
capable of eminence in language, as
tronomy. mathematics and writing as
men. There is no department. of purely
intellectual labor in which they do not
hold their own with their brothers. It
is the gentler, the weaker. the more
emotional sex who first perceive. then
accept and are finally carried away with
those great and vital enthnsiasms that
transform and elevate the world.
The last quarter Of centu. has been
remarkable for the advance made by
4 woman. AS thorough an education as
that Of man is her possibility. Her ca
pacitY 10 acquire and use it has been
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