Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-03
IRISH NATIONALISTS
QUARREL ENDLESSLY
ANCIENT ORDER HlBERNIANS
CAUSING TROUBLE
Head of Church Threatens to Excon-
municate Order Unless Discipline
and Harmony Are
Restored

DUBLIN, July ITO Nationalist
quarrels there seems to be no end.
Serious trouble has arisen over the do
ings of the Ancient Order Of Hiber-
mans, the secret society which Mr.,
Redmond once described as the un-
known power behind the Nationalist
party. In Ireland apparently there are
two branches of the order, which is a
purely Roman Catholic association and
is supposed not to concern itself with
politics. Recent events have, however,
abundantly proved that the board Of
Erin section, presided over by Joseph
Devlin, M. P, and boasting a MEM
bership Of $4,000, wields a potent in
fluence in the counsels of the national
organization. 1t has even been ac-
cused of usurping the functions and
undermining the position of the United
Irish league. Those developments
and particularly certain propagandist
methods of Mr.. Devlins followers,
known as the molly Maguires," have
incurred the displeasure of the hier
archy, and the other day matters cul-
minated in a threat by the head of
the church in Ireland to excommuni-
cate the order throughout his diocese.
ENJOYS Rebuked
Cardinal Logues remarkable denun-
citation is the sequel to q futile at
tempt to restore discipline and to bring
about the fusion of the Irish sections
and their affliation with the kindred
body in America. The work of con-
ciliation was undertaken by two en-
voys from the United States, one of
whom was Matthew Cummins, ma
tional president" of the American order.
Union was to be based on the con-
ditions that the united organization
must be non-political and that 1t must
be obedient to the authority of the
Roman Catholic church. With the en-
voys and their mission, however, the
board Of Erin would have nothing to
do. Not only were their credentials
called in question, but they were de-
nonuced as mischief makers, whose
real object was to disrupt the Nation
alist party and to substitute revolu-
tionary for constitutional methods. 1t
was alleged that Mr.. Cummings was a
member of the Clan-na-Gael and
Indignantly and actively hostile to
the Irish parliamentary" whose policy
he had described as false and hum
bug nationality" Mr.. Cummings, for
his part, declared that in ireland he
had been the victim of methods so
despicable that he would not have be-
lieved any set of Irishmen could stoop
to them" In the circumstances it is
hardly surprising that no union was
effected.
Order Denounced
Whether or not Mr.. Cummings de-
serves all the hard things said of him, |
he seems to enjoy the confidence of
Cardinal Logue, who twice received
him and his colleagues and is said to
have expressed his entire approval of
their mission. The cardinals own in
tervention in the controversy occurred
at q confirmation service at Carrick-
more, where he described the Hiber-
mans as an instrument introduced by
the devil to draw the people away from
their religion. "In this and other
parishes" he declared, 'the order has
become a pest, cruel tyranny and an
organized system of blackguardism.
Not content with being Hibernians
themselves members of the order en-
deavor to compel others to join, by
means of boycotting, threatening, in
terfering with persons buying and sell
ing and with tradesmen carrying on
their trade. Persons who do not join
their society are waylaid and beaten"
This state of things, continued his
eminence, he could not tolerate, but he
would be obliged to take sterner
measures, and If the remedy he was
now about to apply did not bring these
practices to an end he would, in the
discharge of his duties as bishop, eX- |
out his diocese. Some time ago the |
rules of the society had been submitted |
to the bishops of ireland at their gen.
eral meeting. There was nothing in |
the rules to which anyone could object |
That, indeed, was one of the greatest |
dangers of the society, because the
members boasted that they were all |
good Catholics, and they boycotted, |
threatened waylaid and beat their |
neighbor for the honor Of religion. The |
cardinal added that in future he would |
strictly forbid all priests to give abso- |
luton to anyone who, by boycotting, |
waylaying or any other |
means should try to compel any person |
to join the society Meantime he ex-
horted parents to keep their children |
from joining it.
Disturbances End
The announcement in the Dublin Ga
zette that Kings county. Leitrim and |
have ceased to be disturbed |
and that the extra police on duty will |