The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-10-24
FATHER MATHEW.
The Apostle of temperance Among the
Greatest of kefOrmerS.

born in Thomastown, near Cashel. in
the county of Tipperary, Oct. 10. 1870.
He began his temperance work on
April 10, 1888. in Cork when he
uttered those famous words. Here
goes in the name of God" and signed
the pledge of total abstinence. says
Edward l.. Grimes in Father Mathew
Herald.
The 60 names given ut the first
meeting We're increased in nine
months to 10000 and in two years to
100000 From all parts of Ireland
pilgrims came to Cork to see Father
Mathew, to take the pledge from him
and be blessed by him. No conqueror
ever led so many people i'll his train,
no general ever commanded such an
army. His march through Ireland was
Il continuous triumph. The Catholic
south and the Protestant north alike
proudly received medals and wore
| them.
Daniel O'Connell was in the midst
of his repeal movement, agitating for
the emancipation of nation from the
slavery of civil and religious wrongs.
lie was quick to recognize the element
of strength of the temperance body,
and he took the pledge himself on
Easter Sunday. 1912. and entered the
Father Mathew ranks. That year
Father Mathew went to Scotland and
the following year. 1913. to England.
where half million were pledged to
his cause. and the same enthusiastic
success met him everywhere.
We all recall the difficulties which
followed. as difficulties always come
in the pathway of reform. The great
est of all was the famine which makes
one sad with the thought of its horrors
and which devastated Ireland and
broke the courage of the leader of
the people. America had opened it's
llospitahlc doors to the oppressed and
starving peasantry of Ireland. Father
Mathews care and anxiety followed
the eXiled Irish. He saw them in this
land of freedom With character and
intellect inferior to none. in the
presence of gifts and honors free to
all: he saw the tcnd that destroyed
their character abroad: he learned Of
the inroads that intemperance was
making among them. and despite en-
treaties, threats, despite almost GER
tain death by reason of his health. he
set out for America in June. 1910.
No man before or since over met
With such Il welcome. New York re-
ceived him with enthusiasm. The gov
ernor of Massachusetts and the prom
inent men of the state irrespective of
race and religion welcomed him to
Boston. Philadelphia gave him
princely reception as he journeyed to
Washington. and thousands of men,
Catholic and Protestant alike, knelt
at his feet, took his pledge and wore
his medal.
The abolitiOnists in Boston who
strove to utilize him for their party
against slavery found that he had one
| idea and that the abolition of the slav-
cry of intemperance. He hated the
slavery of the black man and had so
| expressed himself in Ireland. hut he
hated still more tho slavery Of drink
| which unclaimed white and black
! alike. He refused to be led into
| any political ENHANCEMENT. His well
known opinion on slavery drew upon
| him from the south in certain quarter"
and even in congress the criticisms o.
prominent statesmen. but he was de-
tcrlniucd to allow no shade of politics
to enter into his temperance move
mpnt.
In spite of this opposition he WA"
| hon0rcl in congress. and CASS. Clay
and Seward culoYiHcd his @lOrinu'
deeds in the interest of humanity. lie
traversrd tho United States. visitill!
over q, states. administering the
pledge in over 900 cities and towns
carrying With him on his return a
| scroll hearing the names Of over 60O,-
600 men pledged to total abstinence.
| No man had ever won men to Il moral
idea as Father Mathew had done. All
races. all creeds. all colOrs, recognized
him as Il man of God. and they were
made better by his word and example
His work was DONE and he returned
to Ireland in 1851 shattered in health,
but full of honors from grateful hui
manity. He died Dec. 8. 1856, in
| Queenstown and was buried in his be-
loved Cork under the cross which he
himself had erected.
The great DR.. Charming said of HIM:
! History records no revolution like
this 1t is the great work of the pres
ent day. Father Ma thew, the leader
of this moral revolution, ranks far
above heroes and statesmen of our
time" Smith O'Brien. a Protestant
Irishman. said: "Whether he be canon
lied as saint in the Roman church
or not, am disposed to regard him as
an apostle and invested with powers
almost miraculous. To none of the
ordinary operations of human agency
can ascribe the success which at
tended his efforts to suppress one of
| the besetting sins of the Irish nation"