The Irish standard., 1900-03-24
LETTER FROM A PATloTIC PRIEST
A Graphic Picture Of Hardships
to be Endured Here.
DIGGING in The new YORK SEWERS
Crusade Against Their Coming
Should be Organized.

Should be Organized.
The following letter of Rev. ]. B.
Dollard, St. Mary's church, Toronto,
Ont, better known under the poetic
nom de plume of "Slievenamon," re-
Gently appeared in the Dublin "Irish
People" and is worthy of serious atten-
ton by Irish boys and girls intending
to emigrate to the United States:
In the name of God, why cannot the
Irish people stay at home and make en-
deavor to better the condition of them
selves and their country. Were they
to work in ireland half as hard as they
are forced to do when they arrive here
they would be comfortable enough to
get along WE'LL am not speaking now
of our peole, who, through eviction and
misrule, are driven from their homes,
and can find absolutely no means of
subsistence except to come out here to
some of their friends who have left the
old land already.
1 am speaking of the great multitude
of young men and women who leave the
country without sufficient cause
through restlessness, Or pride, OF a de-
termination sto see life" !
Many of these-the greater number
if they would only humble themselves
to seek opportunities for self-support,
or work more assiduously at their call
ing, could better themselves in the old
land, and derive a comfortable subsis-
tencc.
The Strong farmers" son in ireland
who is too proud to be clerk, school
master or small merchant says he will
"go to America" Not long afterwards
he may be seen with Italian laborers
for his companions, digging the New
York sewers under blazing sun, and
bursting his heart to keep pace will,
men who have been brought up to con-
slant, sordid, unremitting toll. I've
heard the exclamation dozens of times:
II often cursed the day left Ireland"
Here -with-hard- -taskmasteEs- -abeve
him, is no pausing to unbend his wear
led muscles. Here is no holiday be-
| cause of rainy weather. Here is the
| motto continually before his eyes:
Work hard, or go down and be tram
pied upon-starve." For men, in the
rush fo, living, trample upon each
other mercilessly. Here is no sympathy
| or pity for the man out of work-he is
| simply called "bun" "a loafer). He
is shortly told to get up and hustle
or take the consequences. And should
| the man ego under" in this struggle
for the Survival of the fttest" here,
about his sick bed are no kind neigh
bors to comfort him-nobody takes any
interest in hin-each is too busy "hust-
ling" for himself. He is but another
crushed worm on the busy thorough
fare-none pays attention to his dis
tress or his agony, He is buried with
scant ceremony. One or two mourners
who are so busy themselves they forget
him next day, and that is the end. All!
on those death beds of which a priest
has an especial knowledge and expert,
ence, how often one hears the groan
| and the sigh: ooh, that I had never
left ireland, where, at least, I was hap.
py; where many kind neighbors knew
me and made my sorrows light. Ah
here nobody cares for US. The people
here have no hearts! My Godl
should have been better off at home on
one meal day." I have heard senti-
ments like this last expressed even by
Irish people who were comparatively
we'll off here. Only week ago an old
man said to me-he had nice home
and a good family who were earning
wages, and care for him like good chill
dren, but the old Celtic yearning was
in his soul: Father" he said, II wish
| to JOd was IN ireland dead an
buried"
I have spoken about the "strong farm
er's" son digging sewers in New York
want it distinctly understood that my
remarks apply to all cities of the United
States and Canada, where Irish immi
grants are wont to come in large mum
bers.
Why should not this young man be
digging sewers? There is scarcely any
thing else he is able to do in thi:
country. There are thousands of tn.
alert, intelligent, native-born American
youth, so full Of Cheek and "imart
ness" of every kind, who are lopkine