The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-11
FATHER iIATHGIi'S BIRTHDAY
1T WAS OBSERVED YESTERDAY BY
THE CATHEDRAL = Alb
STINENCE 6
Judge William L
j. j. keane H.
Leader of the
MOVpnanf

- y. Ae0nS ~ =
Leader of the
Movement.
The anniversary of the j.
Mathew, the Irish apostle of
was fttingly celebrated by ~.
Catholics last evening at Crltin
Every seat was taken and, alth /
some of the speakers were pessimistic III
speaking of the progress of temperance,
the enthusiasm of the audience indicated
that the cause of temperance here in
st. Paul is not dead. T.. McKernan
presided at the meeting. Sea ell on the
stage with him were Judge W. L. Kelly,
Rev. Father Keane, of Minneapolis,
and Rev. Father LAWYER
Miss Hopes orchestra played an
opening selection, after which Father
LaWler addressed few words Of well
come to those present and delivered a
brief eulogy of Father Mathew.
Miss McQuillan played the Polish
Dance" and Miss Elizabeth Barnes re-
cited in a very spirited manner a tenn
troduced Judge Kelly, who delivered a
vigorous address on Father Mathew"
'Longfellow's Psalm of Life has taught
US, said the speaker, that there is al
ways a reward for we'll doing. For the
man whose efforts have been strong for
the right there is no such thing as death.
1t has been said by some one that that
man, who by his industry causes the
smallest blade of grass to grow where
none grew before, is a benefactor to his
race. How much more is that man en-
titled to the crown of Immortality who
lifts man, latest and best work Of the
Creator, from the depth of misery"
The speaker gave a brief sketch Of
the life of Father Matthew from his
birth, Oct 10, 1870, in the county of Tip
perary, his entrance to the priesthood
and Order Of FRANCISCAN Fathers, the be-
ginning of his temperance work and
his ceaseless fight in the face of almost
superhuman difficulties, until the wonder
full life went out.
I'VE may we'll do. honor to one Of Gods
noblest men," concluded the speaker,
but honor alone Is not sufficient. We
must learn to walk in the footsteps of
the great apostle of temperance" A
short musical programme consisting Of
solos by Mrs. Harris, Miss Mile Pott-
grew and John f. Gehan followed The
singers werein excellent voice and each
was obliged to respond to an encore.
Rev FIR Keane, of Minneapolis, took
for the subject of his address not the life
of Father Matthew but the great moral
monument in Ireland that is so indissol-
ubly connected with his name. Happy
is the nation" said the speaker, whose
ideal is not the war hero but the man Of
nobler deeds. The career of Father
Mathew is less interesting as a biog-
raphy than as an episode in the moral
progress Of a nation The story of the
temperance movement in Ireland is Won
derful Inspired by one man. Men of
all faiths young and old, protested they
would do what at that day seemed well
nigh impossible ireland was in that
day drinking nation. Men had been in
the habit. of signing pledges and then
using their ingenuity to get around thoes
pledges Father Mathews eorts, how
ever. made them firm and the moral
uplifting of the Irish begun. But in
spite of all that has been done and is
being done in the cause of temperance,
Father Keane affirmed emphatically that
intemperance was in the increase. Am
erican women, he said were fast acqu1r-
ing the habit 1t had started among the
upper classes where the influence was
strongest and was fast becoming preva-
lent among the middle and lower classes.
The speaker scored the laws that al
lowed a systematic liquor traffic and de-
cEared that prohibition, and prohibition
only. would stop the dl R.dful habit. -
Father Egan, of Watertown special direc-
tor of the temperance movement in this
state. delivered a brief address on local
efforts in temperance work.