The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-06-12

whether from want Of organization, lacl
Of means. or the urgency Of Other
claims, little was done, save through
religious institutions. to resist the fierce
assault or tho insidious approach Of
the proselytizer."
The author cites a sectarian. publica-
ton called "The Heather Of New York,
in which this passage occurs: "Fhe
mass of the population consists Of the
most ignorant, bigoted, degraded for
eign Catholics, who know no higher
law than the words Of their priests.
Their Christianity is mere baptized
heathenism. Our mission is in front OF
one of their large churches-under the
shadow of their cross. They listen to
our songs, while we witness their idola-
try. They curse while we gather in the
children, teach them the truth, feed.
clothe, and send them to kind. Christian
homes. Last year 1923 persons land
ed here from Europe, of whom 92,S6l
were from poor, ignorant, bigoted, Cath
olic-cursed Ireland"
John Francis Mcguire, commenting
on the foregoing quotation, exclaims:
"The children are always the objects
of the pious solicitude of these apostolic
missionaries; they first gather them in,
and they then send them to kind Chris
tian homes in which all memory OF
their former 'heathenism' is lost"
He then goes on to say that 1t has
been computed, at low calculation,
that 10000 children of Catholic parents,
mostly Irish, have been sent to kind
Christian homes" through sectarian re-
formatories and institutions of a kin
bred spirit. He heard that the number
was as high as $4,000, and he thought
it not improbable, from the fact that
one institution boosted of having sent
10000 Catholic children to the West.
81 was confidently informed" he says,
chat thirty children had been sold in
Michigan to the highest bidder, not two
years previous to the time at which
the circumstance was mentioned to me.
The children must be disposed of in one
way or other; and if a profit can be
made for the institution, or for the 1nd1-
vidual, through the keen rivalry OF
western farmers, who look approvingly
at the sturdy thews and sinews and
strong limbs of a brawny young heath
en- of Irish birth or blood, who can be
unconscionable enough to object to an
operation so legitimate, or so strictly
in accordance with the entire system OF
kidnapping may be too rude term
to apply to such institutions and such
men,-so we shall say, of gathering lit
tie children in
The eminent Irish writer and states
man says many other things on the sub
ject; but what we have given will
suffice to convince any reasonable per-
son, Catholic or Protestant, that the
term EVOLVES" is not too harsh to apply
to persons who pushed such tactics in
their proselytizing vocation. They were
following the example Of British socie-
ties in Ireland in the famine years, who
absolutely refused to render assistance
to a starving people unless they sent
their children to soup schools for the
purpose Of robbing them Of their faith.
Out upon this despicable system of ben
evidence! Our blood boils when we
think Of the methods adopted by these
emissaries of Professionalism for the con-
version of a prosecuted race. It was
bad enough to be ill-treated at home,
but in the "land of the Free it was a
crime!
Some of the very boys of thirty years
ago who were sent West in the manner
described are among the enemies of
their own kith and kin today. Some
of them are among the doctors of divin-
ity occupying sectarian pulpits and ut
tering the vilest diatribes against the
faith Of their fathers and it's faithful
adherents, the Irish.
Taking into consideration everything
said by Mr.. Mcguire on this question
we think the Irish Standard is warrant
ed in characterizing the proselytizing
agents as wolves of the worst kind;
for like the Assyrians they "came down
like wolves on the fold" and seized and
carried off the lambs of the flock.