The Irish standard., 1896-02-29
THE PRIEST I'm IRELAND
Why the People in ireland Love Their.
Priests. - 4

Priests.
In the religious discussion now being
conducted through the San francisco
daily papers, references have been oe-.
casionally made uncnnlp]imentary to the
Irish priesthood, Says the Monitor.
Apropos of this matter the words OF the
| late David r. locke for many years the
editor of the Toledo Blade, and staunch
|: Protestant, may be interesting. Mr.. Locke
went to Ireland full of the usual preju-
dices against the. Catholic Irish cher
ished by the average Protestant who
knows nothing whatever about the eoun-
try Or the people. The evidence OF his
own eyes and cars wrought complete
revolution in his opinions and ever after
ward his pen was an able and earnest
champion of the cause Of down tIodden
Ireland. This is what he says OF a priest
| whom he met III Ireland, and whom he
considers fair representative Of the
Irish priesthood:
"Hs is q magnificent man. In face anu
figure ne is the exact picture OF the Ia
mented Salmon P. Chase, one Of the
greatest OF Americans; and venture the
assertion that had he chosen any other
profession and come to America where
genius and intellect mean something
and where great ability find great re-
wards he would have been one OF the
mcst eminent OF men. A man OF great
learning, of wonderful intuitions, of cool
and clear Judgment, Of great nerve and
unbounded heart, he would, were he to
come to America and drop his prie5tly
robes be president Of q great railroad COL
poration or senator, or anything else he
chose to be.
"But what is he in Ireland? His apart
r1ents consist of bedroom just large
enough to hold a very poor bed, and q
study in better class farm house. for
which he pays rent the same as anybody
else does. His floor is uncarpeted, and
the entire furniture of his rooms, leaV-
ing out his library, would not invoice
ten dollars. His parish lis one OF the
widest and bleakest in Ireland-2o miles
long and Is wide.
Now, understand that this man is the
lawyer. the friend. the guide and director
in temporal as we'll as spiritual matters
of the entire population OF the district.
Every trouble. great Or small,
is referred to him and he must act. He
is their everything. He supplies to them
the intelligence that the most Internal
government on earth has denied them.
"But this is small part of his duties.
He has to conduct services at all the
chapels in this stretch of country. He
has to watch over the morals OF the peo7
pie. But this is not all. No matter at
what hour Of night no matter what the
condition of the weather, the summons
to the bedside of dying man to admin
lister the last sacranents OF the church
must be obeyed. 1t may be that to do this
requires twenty mile ride on horse
back in a binding storm but 1t must
be done Every child must be christ
ened, every deathbed must be soothed.
every sorrow mitigated by the only com
fort this suffering people have-faith in
their church. !:
After explaining that for all this labor
and sacrifice the priest receives as Il
yearly salary but one hundred pounds,
or s481, which, after paying his rent,
and for his clothing, food and keeping
of his horse, he gives entire to charity,
Mr.. Locke says he asked the father:
"Why do you man capable of doing SO
much for this world. stay and do this
enormous work for nothing?' I was
called to it," was the answer; what
would these poor people do without me. ;.
Mr.. Locke closes his account OF this man
with this feeling tribute:
81 am a vigorous Protestant and nave
no especial love for the Catholic CHURCH,
but I shall esteem myself especially for
tunate il / can make a record in the
world that wiz give me place in the
next within gunshot of where this man
will be placed am not capable OF max
ing the sacrifice for my fellows--l wish
to heaven l was. I found by actual de-.
monstration why the Irish so love their
PRIESTS. They would be in still worse
way, if possible, without them