The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-24
HIBERNIANS MEET
AND AMALGAMATE
Board Of Erin and Board OF America No
Longer Exist Ia This County.
REUNITED AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS
First step in Bishop McFaui's Plan
for the Bringing Together of the
Two Branches Of the Ancient Order
OF IIibernians-- History of the Dis
ruption and What Led to the Re-
uniting.

Alter fourteen years OF usSehSi'"
the HIbernians Of the county were yes
terday reunited ard there no longer
exists in this district any Board OF Erin
or Board of America. All OF the thle
ty-three divisions are now designated
simply as the Ancient Order OF Hlber-
mans as they were known before the
split at the Cleveland convention IN
1884. Wherever there is a county IN
the United States containing two OF the
heretofore rival boards this same WORK
of amalgamatiOn is under way In
April the state organizations will come
together and re-organize as one, and IN
June a national convention will he
held at Trerton, n j., TO wipe out the
last vestige Of the long continued fra
ternal strife.
The cause of the disruption at the
Cleveland convention was rather triV-
ial considering its consequences. Maui
rice t. Wilhere. the well known Phil
adelphia politician, who was a nation
al director of the order, introduced
resolution opening the doors of the
society to men who had only one par
ent Of Irish birth or extraction. This
| engendered such d fight that the OPP
poncnts of the resolution left the hall
title Of the Ancient Order of Hiber-
mans, Board of Erin. 1t grew with
remarkable, rapidity and before many
| years was quite as strong numerically
and covered about as mucn territory
as the other branch which came to be
known as the Board of America, al
| though the members themselves al
| ways held that the word board" was
no part of the title of their organiza-
| ton; that it was simply the Ancient
| Order of Hibernians, OF America.
! EFFORTS TO CONSOLIDATE.
Attempts We're frequently made in
late years to bring the two organiza-
tons together again but they proved
unsuccessful until last year when Rev.
f. $. Phillips. of Plains, now or Ha-
zleton, who had been elected national
delegate-which corresponds to nation
| al preSident-of the Board OF Erin, set
about in a determined way with the
aid of leading officials of both branches
of the order to accomplish the re-unit-
ing of the divided forces.
Last August at Atlantic City a con-
ference was held. p. j. O'Connor ma
tional president; Maurice F. Wilhere
cf Pennsylvania; John c. Weadock,
of Michigan; John p. Murphy. of Con-
necticut; James O'Sullivan, of Phila-
tlelphia; Rev. William Il. Mclaughlin,
of New Jersey, all national officers,
represented the Board of America.
Rev. f. S. Phillips, national delegate;
F. r. Hays, of Philadelphia; national
secretary, Hon. John p. Quinnan, of
Scranton, state delegate; Joseph Nc
Laughlin, of Philadelphia; Miles F.
Mcfarland, Of Brooklyn, and James
TT. Murphy, of New Jersey, represent
ed the Board of Erin. After a lengthy
session ii was decided to amalgamate
and it was agreed that the whole mat
ter of the plan of re-unitlng should be
referred to F;ishop McFauls OF Trenton,
| and that his decision should be final
| in everything. A committe waited on
! the bishop to see if he would assume
the task; he accepted and recently
gave out his plans for bringing about
the reunion. They We're wholly ac-
ceptable to both sides and at once the
work of wiping out The dividing line
was begun.
Yesterday the plan received its first
local application. Five delegates from
each division of both branches through
out the county met in st. Thomas
college hall. There were twenty-five
divisions Of the Board of America and
eleven of the Board of Erin in this
county and all We're represented, max
ing an attendance of 165 delegates.
CHOSEN BY LOT.
The meeting organized by choosing
a temporary chairman by lot, accord
ing to the plan prescribed by Bishop
| M1Tv n,h .Nft hn luz
county chairmen, William Dawson, OF
the Board of America. and Hon. Johr
p. Quinnan, of the Board of Erin, were
placed in a hat. Mr.. Quinnan's name
was first drawn and he became chair.
man. Mr.. Dawson. by the arrangement
of Bishop McFaul. became secretary
Hon. j. c. Vaughan and c. C. Dono
van. of the Board Of America, and C
r. Boland and William Peel, of Car
bondale, of the Board OF Erin, Were
appointed committee on credentials
When they had reported one hundred
and sixty-five delegates present anC
no contests or questions, the conven
tiOn proceeded to the election of per,
manent officers according to the rule:
of the Board of America, which remain
in force until the national convention
meets.
William Dawson was chosen presi
dent; James p. McAndrew, of Winton
vice. president; James j. O'Hara, o.
Dunmore, recording secretary, vii
liam McAndrew, of the. West Side
financial secretary; John j. Costello, o.
Providence, treasurer; Hon. j. G
Vaughan, Anthony McAndrew, William
McDonough, A. j, Mulderig, of Scran
ton; John p. Collins, of Carbondale
and w. j. Costello, of Dunmore, boarC
of directors.
All of these are Board of Americ;
men. The Board Of Erin men declined
to accept any offices, holding that al
the others were in the majority the,
should rule. They had agreed upol
this before going into the convention
and their determination could not b.
shaken, although the Board of Americi
men tried by every means to persuade
them to accept at least share of tn,
honors.
MR.. DAWSON'S REPORT.
President Dawson reported that ol
Jan. l. 1898, the Board of America II
this county had a membership of LIS
and that the combined membership
now figures up to about 200. DurinI
the past two years the Board Of Amer
lea paid out $4,000 in sick and funera
benefits. The Board Of Erin did no
have it's financial report completed.
The state convention OF the order vii
be held in this city, beginning Tues
day, April 8, and will continue fou
days. The presidents of each count
organization, and delegate from eacl
division in the county, together Will
| the state officers will COMPRISE hi