The Irish standard., 1915-08-07

State Secretary John O'Dea of Penn
sylvania has published in circular
letter recently issued, series of rea-
sons at once eloquent and forceful, re.
minding young men of Irish ancestry
of their duty in regard to the interest
they should take in affairs connected
with their Faith and Race. In doing
this Mr.. O'Dea brings to their atten.
tion in terse, logical and eloquent
manner the aims. ideals and tradi-
tions of the Ancient Order of Hibernl-
ans.
In setting forth the reasons why
Irish-American Catholic young men
should join the order Mr.. O'Dea writes
as follows:
THE Ancient Order of Hibernians
is the most ancient Of organizations
now existing in the world, tracing it's
history to the ancient orders Of pagan
Ireland; receiving the cross as its
badge from the early Christian mis-
sionaries; defending the faith in bat
tie and dying for 1t on the scaffold;
fighting for country and suffering in
the cause Of freedom, not only in the
old land, but in the new; standing for
equality of opportunity; determined
to conquer prejudice and to win for
lrish-American Catholics that respect
to which their manhood is entitled.
"'rhe Ancient Order of Hibernians
holds fast to the old Irish ideals of the
home, protecting the weak and accord
ing to woman the chivalry due to vir-
tue and the defense needed against
the evil influences which menace her
position as the noble mother of the
generations destined to guard religion
and civilization.
THE Ancient Order of Hibernians is
u fraternal benefit organization-fra
ternal in every sense of true brother
hood, but not narrow in its limitations
of beneacence. 1t pays sick and death
benefits from the smallest assessment
collected from the members of any
benefit society now in successful oper
alton.
1.-THE Ancient Order of Hibernians
is an organization of Industrious, hon
est and patriotic men, animated by its
motto of Friendship, Unity and Chris
tian Charity devoted to its duty OF
educating the young to carry on the
| work of faith and motherland when
the task falls from our hands-the
work which has passed to us through
generations Of warriors, scholars and
statesmen, and work that we cannot
abandon without surrendering all that
is dear to us and must be dear to oul
children.
1.-THE Ancient Order of Hibernians
is managed with economy, it's officers
performing their duties without salary
or with salary pared to the mini
mum-and the full strength of the or
| ganization, the intellect of its leaders
and the energy of Its machinery, is
engaged in the alienation of human
suffering, the promotion of human
happiness and the advancement of the
Irish race.
1.-THE Ancient Order of Hibernianf
exists not merely for the assistance Of
its own membership. Its charity Ii
broad enough to cover the whole range
of suffering, and its beneflcence has
been extended over almost the whole
world. To the Italian earthquake suf
ferers 1t contributed thousands of dol
lars, and to the unfortunate people
made homeless by the San francisco
and Charleston earthquakes 1t gave
over forty thousand dollars, as we'll al
large sums to the sufferers from the
YOUNGSTOWN, Kansas, Galveston ant
Ohio floods, and in every Division
County and State Board meeting, al
we'll as in every State and Nationa
Convention, there are appeals granted
to some worthy cause.
1.-The Ancient Order of Hibernianl
is true to the traditions of history, ant
promotes education in these days, JUS
as in the days of the Penal Laws Il
protected the hedge schoolmaster whit
taught the children in the shadow o
a rock or by the hawthorn bushes
In the meetings of our Divisions tn,
story of Ireland and the deeds by Ire
lands sons and daughters are being
told. These meetings also are educa
tional in parliamentary sense, To-
who shall number the lawyers an,
public leaders who received thei
training in the debates and discus
sions which make Division meeting
SO interesting and Instructive? Gu
devotion to education has been illus
trated in a substantial manner by ou
numberless gifts of volumes of Irisl
history to schools and colleges; by on
medals and prizes in money offere,
throughout the United States an,
Canada for excellence in the compost
tion of essays on Irish history; by GU
endowment Of the Hibernian Chair o
Celtic Literature in the Catholic Uni
vetsity at Washington, at a cost o