The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-20

President Eliot, for so many years
connected with Harvard University
and soon to retire from active con-
nection Herewith, is just now tour
ing the country on a lecture trip; CIV
ing his audiences his views on various
subjects, especially what he is pleased
to call the serious problems which
confront our country. He is much
advertised and over-rated man--ha
Lacks poise and balance and is very
often in his talk affected with narrow
ideas and ill-bred views that i'll he
comes q man of such reputation, says
r. C. Cleaner in the Columbian.
He spoke recently in the city Of
Memphis, Tenn, and here is an ex-
traordinary statement that he made, as
Gull it from the Commercial Appeal Of
that city of Feb. 18th: I'm all parts Of
the country there are problems to be
solved that would tend to interfere
with our advancement. In the South
it is the Negro problem. The same
T,,r similar problems exist in all parts
'or the country. In Protestant Massa-
cfusetts, the land of Pilgrims and
Puritans, the population today is
mostly Catholic. There are Irish, Ital
ian and Portuguese that present the
same race problem to that part Of the
country that the negroes do to tine
South"
At first glance one can scarcely
realize that any man would dare to
put the race problem" ~ New Eng
land in the same category as tho
negro problem Of the South and yet
President Eliot does so without any
inincing Of words. Did John Boyle
O'Reilly or Mayor Collins or does ex-
Mayor Fitzgerald of Boston or ex-
Gov. Higgins OF Rhode Island come
in this category or the thousands Of
Celts who on battlefield and in Con-
gress, in civil and national life have
shed lustre on the New England
States? Eliot is a bigot - simply that
and no more, and it is his expiring cry
OF agony at the failure Ct the Puritav
and the upward trend of the Celt.
In his vocabulary he has had opportu-
nifty often to use the expression-so
frequent among men of his standing
(they liked to roll it off their tongue),
"the survival of the fittest." Well
here is an example brought home to
him, but evidently he does not relish
it any too ravenously.
The Southern gentleman who was
kind enough to forward me copy Of
the paper with the address, is con-
nected with a system Of railroads that
penetrates the South from the North,
is well posted on all parts Of this
country and is Catholic and a Celt.
He declines to. permit me to use
his name, saying, II am always glad
to help make balls, but let 9TH
crs who can throw harder AID
SLTdl6uCoi, HE Iiclil. CdIIlOL TelIdlll
p from using his comments on this OK.
traordinary attack upon the Celt, if
for no other reason than to prove
that the Celt, in whatever walk of life,
is as a rule amply able to defend him.
self. l reproduce word for word as
Given in a personal letter to me.
What is the race or negro problem
in the South? .....
Is it as much problem to the people
of the South, as it is to the supposed
friends of the negro, in the New Eng
land States?
In what respect is the race question
in Massachusetts, with relation to the
Irish, Italians and Portuguese. similar
to the negro question in the South?
Have the Irish demanded social
equality? If so, with what superior
race?
Have the Irish demanded equal
rights? If SO, from whom, and what
rights?
Have the Irish sought entertain
100