Echo de l'ouest. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929, 1894-12-07
'BlIfr BOYLE" TALKS INTERESTINGLY
ON WUHW TOPIC AN OLGA
CONVENTION
Make aDesirable Dish
HE ENTWIMES THE LILY and THE SHAMROCK IN
A. WREATH OF G0ODFELLOWSHIP

Mr. President, Reverend CzergA Ladies and Gentzemen:-
Until this moment I have never attempted to address a public
assembly. That I should tremble in arising before you is only natural
when we consider the influential, intelligent sea of faces which greets
my eye as I look about on this occasion. And as this is my maiden ef-
fort to exercise my tongue in public you being intelligent must also
be SO generous and charitable that you will overlook the many faults
of expression which my verymeagre education is incapable of guarding
against I have not words adequate to express the honor which I feel
has been conferred upon me by your worthy president, Father Pouliot,
notifying me of his good intentions in this particular our reverend
friend gave me to understand that I should con6ne my remarks solely
to "pease" and "potatoes,' and endeavor to prove beyond question
that these products of vegetation 'can make a very desirable dish in
this country. Thus my Scoth, Dutch, Norsk and other friends will
not construe my, words as meaning that French and Irish are the axis
round which the earth rotates. And if I boast that I am a native of
while you who first saw the light of day in other lands may crow
lover us. saying that you netered this country with clothes on your
backs. The great majority OF you are wholly unacquainted with me.
I am the enlargement of a "kid" who was born at Grow Point, New
York, one day in my early childhood; Therefore in the legal phreseo-
logy of this county I may be called a s'natural born citizen" Two
years after my birth another potato grinder" joined the OReilly firm
and the fifth parental smile inumined my papas countenance when my
beloved motherehonored him with an introduction to my brother Luz
Ike. Now Luke was destined to be a far seeing, adventurous lad and
when only two months old, without asking advice Of his older bro
Their Bill, he induced our parents to break camp and cross the Cana
dian border. The family motto was, "LUnion Fait La Force" for
when Luke said: Forward, march," our respected father and mother
obeyed and al the little Paddles followed in the rear. Whether our
trip to the land Of the Canucks was made la Coxey or not [ can not
distinctly remember. But that l have spent many happy years among
the frogs and mosquitoes, oats, pea vines, potato blossoms and maple
leaves is still clear in my mind. AS my father put down his stake in
the county Of Glengarry on the north bank Of the noble river ST.
Lawrence, u g turned 10 IL TSuG duu I6lt W DouOu u yellow 1OWerSI
of the tuber mingled with the variegated petals of the pea vine, both
side by side with the stalwart oat plant and all proclaiming to man
kind the fertility Of the soil and the hospitality Of the people in the
locality which father chose as a be6ting place to bring up his child
rem in the way they ought to go. have lived with French-Canadians
in Canada for twenty one years, nine years of which their children
were my playmates at school. Az I take a retrospective glance at ear
ly life among the French I can recall nothing but pleasurabe associa-
tions. Nor is there anything remarkable in for to my mind tt only
natural that the French and Irish ever maintain close relationships
Of cordially and goodwill with each other. The first link in our bond
of friendship was formed when ST. Patrick, the sApostle of Irland !"
a son Of France, conferred upon the Irish the greatest boom of civii-
Ito know Christ and him cruciGed. And to the credit Of the
Irish be it said chat the blood of Patrick did not stain the altar Of
Then again in the different attempts of the Irish to over
the oppressive yoke Of England, the French were our foremost
Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for
his fel]owman." When the patriotic sons Of Erin we're banished from
the Emerald Isle, twenty thousand Of them sought refuge under the
dc Lis. And perhaps some of you, my French-Canadian fellow
are lineal descendants of those homeless wanderers whom your
sheltered from the storm Of tyrannical inhumanity. I say
the French people are gifted with as great q share Of intelligence andl
as any other nat on existing on this floating mudball. They
not the discovere1s Of America but we're the first to foresee the
vast possiblitiesof this great country, Il was their interchangeable per-
their undying courage which explored the valleys Of the. st
Ohio and Mississippi from Nova Scotia tothe Gulf o.
Mexico. This being day Of jublaton it may be inopportune for me
unearth the trials and calculations Of those courageous pioneers
whose cabins and corn hills dotted the fertile hill sides and valleys Of
New France. It's not necessary, nor is il possible, to enumerate