Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-11
ARCHBISHOP TO PASS
UPON RESIGNATION OF
FATHER M'DERMOTT
st. Mary's Catholic Priest Con-
tinues Attack on Hibernian
Order, Replying to De-
fense by Secretary
SEES HARMFUL ACTIVITY

The expected return to the city today Of
Archbishop Prendergast adds to the inter
est in the controversy arising from the
resignation Of the Rev Daniel ]. McDer
mott as pastor OF St Mary's Catholic
Church, Fourth and Spruce streets
Pending the action of his ecclesiastical
superior, Father McDermott has not aban-
doned his attacks upon the Ancient order
OF Hibernians. His latest statement, issued
in reply to a public statement made by
John O'Dea, state secretary Of the order
In Pennsylvania. Ia In part:
~ have been reading the articles pub
llshod In the National IIbernian by its cru.
dlte and resourceful editor, and find that
Mr. oDsa Is almost entirely given to what
the Irish call 'romanclng' when discussing
the A. o. II. and It's official organ.
A. o. H. CONDEMNED.
Archbishop Wood who ruled this
diocese for 27 years. and all of his priests
with two exceptions as far back as 1874
condemned the A. .. II. as responsible for
the crimes charged against the so.called
Molly Magulres in the coal regions. They
made this charge against the A. o. II. years
before there were trials of members of
the A. o. II. In the coal regions The Arch.
bishop and those priests came into court
with clean hands, they had accepted neither
gitta nor congratulations nor endowments
from the A. o. II.
'"rhe Archbishop was not only a COM
petent witness himself against the A. o.
III. because OF his full and accurate inforna-
tion concerning the influence and deeds of
the order but he also made mo a credit
able witness by vouchinR for my testimony
against the A. o. H., and therefore made
my testimony in itself superior to that Of
the three cardinals, who had not the op-
portunltes that the Archbishop and the
priest had for acquiring incontrovertlble
testimony concerning the character and
deeds OF the A. o, II.
WORK OF "MoLLIEs."
THE fact that two Cardinals received
appointments as national chap.
lalns of itself adds weight to their APP
proval OF the A. O. H. II the office were n
sinecure and II they were never called upon
TO decide A. o. II. cases OF conscience. etc
After considerable acquaintance with A. o.
II. chaplains and the way their duties are
discharged, ! may assert that the title of
chaplain is as purely ornamental as a pea
cocks tail, which is the only thing on earth
that is beautiful and not useful The pea
cocks tail is often quoted in questioning
that rule OF architecture which says that
nothing is beautiful unless 1t is also useful
I'm the interview with the late Arch |
bishop Ryan relative to printing and circu- |
ating a memorial among the bishops OF |
The Third Plenary Council, the Archbishop |
told of an A. O. II. chapel in New Or |
eans who meant to be spiritual director In |
fact as we'll as In name. When the A. o.. |
II. meeting had reached a certain stage in |
is proceedings the chaplain was requested |
TO retire. as some secret business was to be |
transacted, When lie refused to retire and !
old them they had no right to withhold /
heir secrets from him. lie was forcibly
,jected.
MIR. O'Dea's effort to prove that the Mol
les were not Ancient order OF Hibernians
shows that he has Az little personal itnowl-
edge of events In tse coal regions in the
seventies as he has OF tho A. o. II. that
existed in Ireland In embryo 900 years be-
tore Christ as he contends ill., tho National
Hibernlan"