The Irish standard., 1905-02-04


President Roosevelt has strong
literary passions. One of the most
intense is that for Mr. Connelly's
books "Ah, there is man," he once
said to Bishop Spalding, chs style
is like the singing of a gale. There
is no man writing today who can do
the sea with its mysterious sunsets
and gray tragical dawns as we'll as
Connolly. He is immense"
No wonder a recent issue of The
Spectator halls him as world author!
The statehood bill is among the
thOrns in the flesh of the average
congressman. Arizona and New Mex
leo are Justify clambering into the
sisterhood of States, and if the work
Of Hon. Bernard A. Rodey of New
Mexico bears fruit, their wishes will
be gratified. Mr.. Rodey has consecrat-
ed himself to the task. The very adj
mirable Robert Lincoln O'Brien, who
represents The Transcript in Wash
ington, draws an Illuminating pen
picture of the indefatigable delegate
from New Mexico. Gle is everywhere
at once" he says. mo one is too en-
crossed in work to be approached by
the energetic Rodey, no one is ever in
too dark mood to be keyed up to
enthusiasm by his fervor and eloquent
presentation of the claims Of Arizona
for statehood. He is marvel-a
miracle of well-directed and ceaseless
energy"
The man whom The Transcript so
growingly eXtols is proud Of the fact
that he was born in Ireland and re-
ceived his start in life in New Eng
land. His family caem from Ireland
and settled in Vermont. In 1878, Mr..
Rodey made his entry into the business
life of Boston. He read law in the
Office of Gen. Ben Butler. In 1887,
the glamor of the West fell upon him
and he went to New Mexico rs private
secretary to Il. w. Smith, who built
the major portion of what is now
known as the Santa Fe System. He
gave his loyalty to the country that
was bursting into the leaf and bud
of a splendid life. His ascent of the
ladder of fame has been rapid. His
Celtic energy was tireless. He never
fell into the habit of taking things for
granted. He always deared to dissent.
1t is natural for most men to run with
the crowd; it comes equally easy for
others to give the benent of the doubt
to the other course. That is the sort
of man Mr.. Rodey is. He is as full
of opinions taken from books and from
the larger book Of life, as rose is Of
perfume-and there is usually an
excellent SAVIOR about most of his opin-
ions, too. His Celtic temperament
accounts, in large measure, for that.
Another man of Celtic lineage who
looms large in the public eye is DIR.
Charles P. Neil, who is to succeed
Carroll d. Wright as Commissioner of
Labor. DR.. Neil is IL splendid repre-
sentative of the scholarship of today
brilliant, suggestive, stimulating, show
ing the union of vast learning with
the graces Of the popular writer. He
has the inimitable Celtic racial wit
that springs up in the most uneXpect-
ed places, lighting up long train of
argument or a fatiguing table of
statistics. He is a graduate of George
town University, and his doctors cap
was won at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore.
He has fiuency, ease and grace of
style. And it is this human touch that
the President leans on as the most
directive in bringing the work of the
governmental departments to the
knowledge of the man on the street.
No one familiar with the quiet, force
ful methods which DR.. Neil lavished
upon his work at the Catholic Univer-
slty as professor of economics, can
doubt the wisdom of the Presidents
selection. DR.. Neil is member of
Division No. ., y. O. H.. OF Washing
ton, he is interested in the progress
OF Keane Council, X. of c., of WASH
ington. and vitality interested in
ameliolting the conditions of life in
our congested cities.
These men are leaders in what
Bishop Spaulding calls the ",rhings of
the Mind" They indicate-in the re-
suits Of theoir careers-tlat the move.
ment Of the Irish-American is in an
upward direction, and that the glitter
ing prizes of life are to be plucked in
increasing numbers by Celtic hands,
guided by Celtic energy and Celtic
mental power
This cluster of names, over which
the American press is lust layishiny
treasures of adjectives. cause us to
believe that the best things in Amer
lean life are his if the Celt will harness
his dreams to the commercialism of
the times. The Celt has long since
followed Emersons advice and hitched
his wagon to star
He needs now the patient, the quiet,
Unconditional love of drudgcry. of the
sterner tasks of civilization. With
discipline he can accomplish wonders.
In fact, he is doing so today. The
newspapers are heralding his triumphs