The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-11
ANCIENT ORDER MEN.
Hibernians' National Convention In
Denver.

Savannah members of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians will watch with
interest the proceedings of the Nation
al Convention of the order in Denver
next week. The delegates from parts of
the country are on their way to Den
yer now Mr.. P. ]. O'Connor of Sa-
vannah, former national president, and
now one of the national directors, will
be a conspicuous figure in the cOnven-
ton. The order has had a remarkable
growth and. according to late reports,
there are now 1868 divisions in the
United States, with a total member
ship of 100000. Tho order is enjoying a
healthy and fiourishing growth. The
order has paid out over $1,000,0 10000 in
the past few years in sick and funeral
benefits. Last year the national con-
ventfon was held in Boston, and pre-
viously was held in Trenton.
The present officers are: President,
John 7. Heating. of Chicago; vice pres
ident. James e. Dolan, of Syracuse;
secretary, James P. Bree, of New
Haven, Conn; treasurer, P. T. Moran,
of Washington, D. c.. chaplain, Arch
bishop Feehan, of Chicago; directors.
w. j. Cronin, Boston; Patrick O'NeiH,
Philadelphia; Rev. w. F. Byrne. In
diana; Judge p. ]. O'Connor, Savan-
nah.
One of the chief questions that will
come before the convention will be the
Gaelic chair in the Catholis University
of Washington, D. G., for the endow-
ment of which the Hibernians sub
scribed $4,000 in 1897
1t has been charged by some of the
members of the Gaelic League. which
lie CT fhro,rI.,,4 ~
that the funds have been diverted for
other purposes than those intended
The refusal of the trustees 10 reappoint
Father Henebry as professor of Gaelic
has caused much comment among his
friends, who make the retirement the
bone of contention in the whole mat
ter.
This side of the question has been
championed by Father Yorke, of San
Francisco. who has received a severe
castigation in the July issue of The
Gael, published in New York He has
succeeded, The Gael says, in enlisting
several Gaelic Leagues support in or
der to bring the matter before the COM
ing convention.
Vice President Dolan has issued a
statement in which he says:
when the Hibernians voted $4,000
to the Catholic University for the en-
dowment of a Gaelic chair we did so
with the utmost confidence in the abil-
ity and integrity of the trustees of the
faculty to administer the affairs of the
institution in a manner censonant with
their ability and the intentions of the
Hibernians, and l see no reason yet
why we should consider our confidence
misplaced or entertain any idea to the
contrary.
THE trustees of the Catholic Univer-
sity, of which Cardinal Gibbons is the
chancellor, are supreme with us and |
fail to see why we should be called
upon as body to take up the cause Of
any individual whom the faculty in its
good judgment, have no doubt, may
have seen fit to depose. The matter
most likely will come before the con-
vention and will be properly and finally
disposed of.
THE Gaelic chair is in good hands
with the trustees in charge. The con-
vention will be one of the largest and
one more fraught with interest to the
society at large than any convention
ever held in its history. My friends
have decided and are united in present
ing my name to the convention for the
presidency. l shall abide by the re-
Sl1lf -