The record-union., 1898-02-23
ON WASHINGTOA'S BIRTHDAY
HOW THE Y. M. I. CELEBRATED
THE OCCASION.
Literary and Musical Exercises
Address by Rev. Father Quinn
of Ukiah.

The third annual celebration of
Washington's Birthday, under the aus
pices of Capitol Council, No. II, and
Sacramento Council, No. u, Young
Mems Institute, was held at the Metro
politan Theater last night. and while
aGmitsance was by invitation
every seat was filed long before the
first number Of the programme was
rendered. The stage was hung with
the national colors, and a large pic
tune of Washington occupied the fore
ground. while the beautiful banners of
the two councils We're displayed to adj
vantage.
w. r. Gormley, in introducing Hon
Frank d. Ryan as President of the
evening, took advantage Of the occa-
sion to speak a few words respecting
the Young Mems Institute. It's aims
and objects, he said, We're the social
moral and intellectual Improvement of
its members, as we'll as their advance
ment in the walks Of life. 1t is more,
he said, than mere fraternal organi-
Zation, and has taken a strong hold up
on the Catholic young men of the coun-
try. and While it's members are Cath
olics there are no religious duties to
be observed, nor any distinction of ma
tionality. 1t so conducts itself that
rather in rendering unquestioned 10y
atty to God and country it may help to
found and enlighten public opinion in
time-confident that none in fair mind
edness can question the right of his
fellow-man to worship his God as his
conscience dictates.
Mr.. Ryan thanked the committee for
the honor it had conferred upon him.
The Young Mems Institute, he said,
was formed for mutual aid and benev-
olent purposes, and for the moral, men
tai and patriotic betterment of its
members. Patriotism, he said, is one
Of its prime objects, and it was with
that point in view that the celebration
was held. In conclusion he introduced
the Sacramento Institute Orchestra,
which rendered Rollinson's Cavalier
Overture with a snap and vim seldom
exceeded by veterans.
George Shannon sang a baritone solo,
for which he received hearty and de-
serving applause, and E. P. Carragher
did exceedingly well in declaiming Kel-
loggs "Spartacus to the Gladiators at
Capua." He was encored, and respond
ed with Don Quixote's Ghost" which
brought down the house.
J. ]. Leamor and Miss Pearl Baldwin
gave an innovation in Illuminated club
swinging. The lights We're turned off,
and the effect of the flashing, revolving,
rotating clubs was pleasing to say the
least. They too were recalled and ex
ecuted some fancy work that was gen.
erously applauded.
Next c. d. Brier, the clever local ne
gro impersonator, sang one Of his ini-
mitable songs entitled, Nit, Nit, Nit!"
and followed it, in response to an en-
core, with Honey, I'm In Town"
Then President Ryan introduced
Rev. Father Quinn OF Ukiah, who de-
hvered a lecture on The Church and
the People" Father Quinn divided
his lecture into two parts, The
Church as a Conqueror." and THE
Church as a Protector"
The church as a conGuerer, he said,
presented many wonders. Christ him.
self was of humble origin, and his Apos-
ties were fishermen and publicans. The
religion Christ taught stood face to face
with an armed and armored giant-the
Roman Empire, but the little Christian
community grew, and for 300 years wars
were waved until at length Rome,
Greece and Egypt We're sunk, lost,
abandoned, while the church came out
victorious.
Constantine, the lecturer said, gave TO
all liberty to worship as they chose. So
it followed that after 300 years Of perse-
cution the church came TO sit on the
throne of the Caesars In the seventh
4 f-y,s ~
ST. Peter was crowned king of the great
est empire ever seen. Then came the
barbarous tribes of Europe, who threat
ened to destroy the work Of the Apos-
ties. They flung themselves again and
again upon the soldiers of the cross, un-
til they too fell under the influence of the
church.
Father Quinn followed the church
through its triumphs, reverses and con-
quests. and traced in vivid lines the gov
ernments of the several Popes during
the middle ages. He spoke of the Ref
and vindictive, which followed the
teaching OF Luther.
Through everything. he said. the
church had lived and conquered and
what it had done in the past was small
compared WITH Wnat Is 70 Dt SAPeSteu
OF IT in the future.
Father Quinn next turned to the
church as protector. The papers for
the past few weeks were, he said, fun
of rnmors and statements that the
Catholics Of France were going TO mas
sacre all the Jews in that country. Such
statements were nonsense. The church
never had done such a thing and would
certainly not begin now. Catholics, he
said. ever feel kindly toward the He
hrews, and Tom Paine, the great inf
del spoke truly when he said the Pope
was the natural protector OF the Jews.
1t had been charged, Father Quinn
said. that the church had been the pro-
ponent Of slavery. As a matter Of fact
the church had ever proclaimed the
slave to be the child OF God, and had
left no stone unturned to overcome the
laws and awful prejudices Of paganism
which had passed into its hands. He
told how in the year 4J6 a number OF
Irish priests, who had assisted slaves 10
escape from their masters were made
to pay for them IN hard cash, and said
that abolition in those days WAS not as
popular as il was 1 100 years later. when
the New England Purltans did precisely
the same thing for which the irish
priests were made 20 suffer. Later. ne
said. ireland liberated all the English
slaves within its borders. a compliment
which England has not yet returned.
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