The Irish standard., 1901-10-12

-, horses with their riders of soldiers who
attended to keep order were lifted from
the ground and carried away for q
short distance; and so densely were
the people crowded that several in
their eagerness to approach Father
Mathew ran along to their destination
quietly and securely on the heads and
shoulders of the vast assemblage"
Father Mathew was not naturally a
great orator. The charm of his SER
mons lay principally in his simple, con-
vincing style, and his intimate knowl-
edge of the needs of his people. AS
the venerable Dean Collins said: GA
ther Mathews whole life is sermon"
But as he saw the unbounded and un-
dreamt-of success Of his crusade the
confidence it developed in him added
to his power and eloquence.
His progress was veritable tai
umphal march. At Athay the coach
was delayed five hours by the people
who flocked the street kneeling around
the vehicle. At Limerick the excite
ment ran so high that the military had
to be called out to restrain the excited
people. who fought to secure positions
within hearing Of the APOSTLES voice.
In his four days visit to this city he
administered the pledge to fully 10000
people. Nor was his success less mark
| Il Gn nf1 1,o, ,;4;, ,iov
he visited. At Waterford $4,000 were
pledged, at Kilkenny $4,000, ut Dublin
10000, at Galway 100000.
1t was an effective blow to those Of
his enemies who said that his success
was due to the religious superstition
of ignorant Catholics, when he visited
the most bigotcd Orange districts, and
not only did effective work, but was
enthusiastically received by men who
had absolutely no tolerance of his re-
ligious belief The following anecdote
told by himself is interesting. A new
recruit said to him tragically: "Ah,
Father. If you only knew what l am
'tisn't after blessing me you would be-"
and what are you, them" "Father,
am an Orangeman." God bless you,
my dear he answered. 81 don't care
If you are Il lemonman"
lit Is unnecessary to follow in detail
| Father Mathews mission from town to
town over Ireland. East and west
and south and north, he carried his
crusade to all parts OF the island. The
following from Cork newspaper of
November, 1917, helps us to understand
the immense quantity of work he got
through: FEATHER Mathew leaves town
this evening on a temperance tour. lie
is to preach and administer the pledge
in Derry on Sunday, the It'll; in Sligo
on Wednesday, the 10th; and in Stra-
banc, OH Sunday, the 18TH. He will
return to Cork on Thursday, the 18th
| inst"
The inaugural meeting took place on
April 10, 1888, II the school room es-
tnblished by Father Mathew, where
for nearly 20 years the children of the
poor had been taught, trained and fitted
dor the business of life under him who
had lent them willingly his services.
The attendance was not large when
Father Mathew took the chair. After
making a short address he advanced
to the table ana said: "IIerc goes, in
the namc of God" signed his name to
what came to he known as Father
Matthew's Total Abstinence Pledge.
His example was followed by sixty,
ana during his life time by the amaz-
Ing number of seven million persons.
| In the month Of January, 1880. nine
months from the day when Father
Mathew had signed his name in the
new roll book of his temperance Or
ghnization he had already 100000 asso-
clates, u success so unexampled TINT
his name began to be known far be-
You'd the Limits where 1t had been so
long rcvered and loved Heretofore
pilgrims from the neighborlng counties.
drawn by the fame Of his dolngs,
fockcd to his little dwelling in Cove
street, certain Of n kindly reception,
and of having the pledge administered
to them by the apostle of temperance
HIMSELF
Many of these visitors needed to be
fed and to be sympathzed with and
advised, some of them to be helped
with a trlfle toward the expenses of
their return journey. The expenses en-
tailed OH Father Mathew by his multi
tudlnous visitors was very considera-
bic, and as his resources were not in.
creased he soon became involved in
debt.
And from this time forward he had
the added expense of missionary work,
for soon applications came pouring in
from every side begging him to come
to distant parts Of the country to ad-
minister the pledge. Limerick was tho
first scene Of his temperance labors
outside his own county.
The news Of his coming was borne
from village to village, everywhere
producing the utmost enthusiasm.
In 1912 he had, as he himself ex-
pressed it, hoIsted. with the assistance