The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-08-07
The Irish American
Catholics and A. OH.

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 Hiberni-
ans.
In setting forth the reasons why
lrish-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 its
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
Irish-American Catholics that respect
to which their manhood is entitled
"'The 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.
1.-The Ancient Order of Hibernians is
Il fratcrnal benefit organization-fra
ternal in every sense of true brother
hood, but not narrow in its limitations
of beneticence. 1t pays sick and death
benefits from the smallest assessment
collected from the members of any
benefit society now in successful oper
alton.
"The Ancient Order of Hibernian.
is an organization of Industrious, hon
est and patriotic men, animated by its
motto of Friendship, Unity and Chris
tian Charity devoted to it's duty o
educating the young to carry on the
work of faith and motherland wher
the task falls from our hands-tht
work which has passed to us through
generations of warriors, scholars and
statesmen, and work that VIC cannot
abandon without surrendering all that
is dear to us and must be dear to oul
children.
"The Ancient Order of IIibernians
is managed with economy, it's officers
performing their duties without salary
or with Il salary pared to the mini
mum-and the full strength of the or
ganization, the intellect Of it's leaders
and the energy of it's machinery, is
engaged in the alleviation of human
suffering, the promotion of human
happiness and the advancement of the
Irish race.
"The Ancient Order of lIibernians
exists not merely for the assistance o
its own membership. It's charity ii
broad enough to cover the whole range
of suffering, and it's beneficence ha.
been extended over almost the whole
world. To the Italian earthquake suf
ferers 1t contributed thousands of dol
lars, and to the unfortunate peopl,
made homeless by the San Francisc,
and Charleston earthquakes it gav'
) over forty thousand dollars, as we'll al
large sums to the sufferers from th'
Johnstown, Kansas, Galveston an,
Ohio floods, and in every Division
, County and State Board meeting, q
well as in every State and Nationa
Convention, there are appeals granite,
to some worthy cause.
1.-The Ancient Order of Hibernian
is true to the traditions of history, an,
promotes education in these days, jus
as in the days of the Penal Laws
protected the hedge schoolmaster VIII,
, taught the children in the shadow o
q 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 bein
told. These meetings also are educa
tional in a 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 substantial manner by ou
J. numberless gifts of volumes of Iris
: history to schools and colleges; by GU
n medals and prizes in money offere
;. throughout the United States an
3 Canada for excellence in the compos
5 tion of essays on Irish history; by ou
!, endowment Of the Hibernian Chair G
= Celtic Literature in the Catholic Un
versity at Washington, at a cost {