Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-27
A Great Citizen
The Outlook, February /, 1902.

Archbishop Ireland is one of the foremost
citizens OF the United States, and his eminence
and influence are explained by one of his own
phrases: The watchwords of the age are rea-
son, education, liberty. the amelioration of the
masses" An ecclesiastic, he has been in SYM
pathy with the rational liberty the ordered free
dom, of modern life; priest, he is profound
believer in education; the representative of a
great and powerful religious organization, he is
devoted friend of freedom: and his life has
been conspicuous by reason of his manifold and
influential endeavors to share with the masses
of the people the religion morality and intellec-
tual and social capital of the world. For more
than 40 years Archbishop Ireland has lived in
St. Paul, identifying himself from the beginning
with the life of the northwest in all its best
aspects. Born in Ireland his boyhood was
passed in America. His earlier education was
obtained at the Cathedral school in St Paul, his
theological education in France. Forty-two
years ago he was ordained priest. During the
civil war he served his country as chaplain for a
Minnesota regiment. Twenty-six years ago he
was consecrated bishop of St. Paul. Since that
time his personal history has been part of the
history of the country. His vigorous person
atty, his frankness. his courage and his decided
views on many questions have sometimes
aroused the animosity of influential men; but
his sincerity and his disinterestedness have never
been questioned. Every year has cleared away
the misconceptions which always surround the
path of bold and able man; and he has won
the profound respect not only of those who
agree with but of those who differ with him.
Archbishop Ireland is first and foremost an
American citizen. He is patriot of the old
fashioned kind; man who loves his country
with passion of enthusiasm; who is not blind
to her faults; who does not evidence his devo-
ton by belittling other countries or antagonz
ing other forms of civilization; but who shows
in his attitude his spirit and his habitual utter
ance the affection of man who never forgets
that he is member of great nation; that his
country is something more than an abstraction;
and that, in all relations of life he is a true
patriot who puts the interests of his country
above those of his party, and who never fails
to remember that he owes allegiance to ma
ton.
Every man who has the patriotic feeling
must be a representative citizen; for no man
can love his country in any intelligent way
without taking profound and immediate in
terest in public affairs Bishop Ireland has been
conspicuous as a friend of public education. Un-
like some priests in every church, he has never
shown the slightest fear of the spread of truth;
on the contrary, he has thrown all his influence
in the direction of opening the doors and letting
in the light
Archbishop Ireland has been conspicuous
also by his advocacy of many reforms, among
them the temperance movement. The first
Catholic total abstinence society was organized
by him 80 years ago; and he has put his mark
on St. Paul in the noticeable reduction of drunk
enness in that city, in the obliteration of the
vest resorts, and in unchanged atmosphere
throughout the entire community on the tenn
perance question. He has used all his influence,
not only as citizen, but as an ecclesiastic, to
make ntemperance dlsreputable, and to restrain
it by public opinion and by wise restriction. He
is a speaker of magnetic quality; direct, effec-
tive, pictorial, convincing, with gift of humor
which comes from his race and is indicated by
his face--a gift which puts him at ease with
men and has added immensely to his influence
with them.
Archbishop Ireland is fine type of the
American Catholic; progressive, broadmnded,
thoroughly loyal consecrated to his work. and
interpreting the spirit of Christianity in terms
of practical service, of everyday fidelity to po
ltical duty, and in rational efforts to reach and