The Irish standard., 1908-01-11
JOHN MlTcHELL's REASON

JOHN MlTcHELL'S REASON
Why the Great Labor Leader Became
a Catholic.
John Mitchell, president Of the Unit
cd Mine Workers, did not become a
Catholic simply to please his wife.
who is of that faith" as some of tho
dailies in indianapolis and elsewhere
put it. His embracing Of the Catho-
lie faith was the result of deep thought
and careful investigation. This was
Mr.. Mitchelrs own statement after he
had perused some of the stories print
ed in the Indianapolis papers.
The many friends Of the president
of the mine workers will be glad to
know that he is now quite recovered
from his serious illness. Mr.. Mitchell
left for Excelsior Springs, Mo-, last
Friday at noon. He was Joined at
Chicago by Mrs. Mitchell and his
brother David, who went to the Springs
with him. Up to the time that Mr..
Mitchell left Indianapolis he was in
structed daily by Rev. Peter Killian.
assistant at st. Johns church, who
responded to the call when a priest
was sent for at Mr.. Mitchclrs request.
Just before leaving Indianapolis Mr..
Mitchell, in talking with Father Kill
lian, said that his motive for becoming
a Catholic, as published in the daily
papers, was far from correct.
"Of course" said Mr.. Mitchell, sit
pleased Mrs. Mitchell very much, but
that was not the motive that guided
me in the matter / had carefully in
vestigated the subject and had long
since made up my mind that I wanted
to die in the Catholic faith.'
The sponsors for Mr.. Mitchell at his
baptism were w. D. Ryan of SPRING
field, president of the Mine Workers
of that state, and Herman Justi of
Chicago, member of the Illinois op-
orators association.
Turning to Mr.. JUST, after he was
baptized, Mr.. Mitchell said: "Justi,
am going to do my utmost to be a
good Catholic and not one Of whom
there are many in the world, who use
the Catholic church only when they
are in sore distress. want to be a
consistent Catholic and a useful one.
I have given much thought to this
subject for a long time"
Mr.. JUST, who is himself convert
is deeply gratif1ed at the conversion
of Mr. Mitchell, and at the sincerity
Of his feelings as expressed since his
reception into the church. There were
ten miners and operators in the room
at the time of Mr.. Mitchell's baptism,
among whom were two non-Catholics.
Quite an interesting incident in con-
nection with the reception Of Mr..
Mitchell into the church was the fact
that just at the moment he was taken
i'll in the Miners conference, Mr.. Ryan
of Illinois, the miner leader, and Mr..
Justi of the operators, were engaged
in very heated debate. When Mr..
Mitchell was asked by Father Killian
who he wanted as his sponsors, the
sick man said with smile: 1T would
not be bad idea to have Ryan and
JUST act; I'd like to see them get to-
gether."
Mr.. Mitchell took with him to Ex-
celsior Springs a catechism, Gibbons
Faith of Our Fathers" and several
other Catholic works. The day before
Mr.. Mitchell left Indianapolis he had
among his callers Bishop Chatard and
Rev. F. H. Gavisk of st. Johns, both
being introduced to Mr.. Mitchell by
Father Killian.
Father Killian, the young priest who
attended Mr.. Mitchell, comes fron
German stock. He was reared in Ev-
ansville, attended the parochial schools
there, and took his college and semin-
airy course at st. Meinrad's. He was
ordained May "a, 1905, by the Rt. Rev.