USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of contemporary biography of Pennsylvania, Vol. II > Part 14
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reform by introducing the reform measures himself. The day determined upon was Nov. 21, 1867. The scene in the Select Council chamber on that day- writes an eye-witness in describing the event- " was one to lastingly impress the most hardened spectator. Members and privileged friends crowded the floor, and the galleries were literally packed, a large portion being roughs and blackguards from the city slums." President Stokley occupied the chair, and with proper deliberation allowed the regular routine business to proceed systematically. When this was disposed of he calmly designated a temporary President and left the chair. With the first evidence that such was his intention the oppo- sition began to create confusion and by the time he took the floor a veritable tumult reigned. In the face of this disorder and as calmly as though noth- ing unusual was occurring, he announced the object of the ordinance he proposed. "Pandemonium ensued ; cat-calls and shrieks, howls, curses and groans made the old 'cradle of Liberty' tremble with very indignation. Every form of vitupera- tion, menace and threat that language can express was hurled at the stout-hearted hero." All this and even worse had been anticipated by Mr. Stokley, and when it came in all its blind rage and fury he faccd it with the determination of a man who glor- ied in being the champion of right and justice, and was willing to accept all risks in the discharge of a public duty. When the opposition had almost ex- hausted itself in this unparalleled demonstration, "President Stokley raised his voice and in tones which told of his inflexible purpose, commanded instant aud continuous silence under penalty of em- ploying his official prerogative to clear the galleries by arresting the offenders. Most likely astouish- ment and curiosity as much as fear induced quiet. The ordinance was then read and Mr. Stokley fol- lowed it by a ringing speech, in which the demand of the community for law, order and justice, was so forcibly presented, and the warning from the audacious outbreak they had just witnessed so sol- emnly urged, that his eloqueuce and pluck carried his colleagues with him and the ordinance was passed." While the law-abiding citizens applauded this courageous action on the part of Mr. Stokley, few imagined that he would escape punishment for his loyalty to the people and to duty, and on all sides his political destruction was predicted, even by those most anxious to avert it. But as yet the people of Philadelphia little knew the mau who had risen up voluntarily and at such hazard to defend their rights aud protect their interests. But a few weeks had passed wheu President Stokley attacked another abuse almost as firmly eutrenched as the
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one he had just so successfully routed, but which depended for its continuance solely upon the power of money. "On January 16, 1868, he caused to be introduced in the Common Council an ordinance (prepared under his personal direction by his own private counsel) which provided for the transfer of the Philadelphia Gas Works to the city; for their subsequent care and management under a depart- ment to be created and to be called the ' Depart- ment of Gas ;' for the election of the Chief Engineer by Councils (who should nominate such other of- cers as were necessary, by and with the advice and consent of the Select Council) ; and for the transfer of the Sinking Fund to the city." This important measure passed the Common Council January 23d ; on the 30th of the same month it was passed by the Select Council, receiving twenty-three yeas to three nays, and on February 1st it was signed by the Mayor and became a law. These two notable re- forms were by no means the only ones instituted by Mr. Stokley, but they must suffice as illustrations, for to specify in detail the many beneficcnt pub- lic measures planned and executed by him would require a large volume. His brilliant and aggressive action as a reformer made him numerous enemies, whose schemes for public plunder or corruption were sucesssully thwarted by his courageous and disinterested course, but through it he won the re- spect and support of the great law-abiding mass of citizens who, on October 10, 1871, testified their appreciation of his great services by electing him Mayor of Philadelphia. Inaugurated January 1, 1872, he served the interests of the people with such a degree of vigor and honesty as to earn two consecutive renominations, and his term as chief magistrate of the city, which began January 1, 1872, was prolonged through three full terms and closed the first Monday of April, 1881, his first term occupying three years and the last two three years each. One of the first important results of Mr. Stokley's election as chief magistrate of the city was the organization of an effective police force. This work occupied him between the date of his election and that of his instalment into office, and was per- fected by him down to the smallest detail. His new appointments reported at the various station-houses to which they had been assigned, werc sworn in the same hour in which he himself took the oath of office, and marched at once to their respective beats. During the whole period he filled the chief magistracy he wagcd incessaut war upon gambling, lotteries, illegal liquor traffic, and many other dan- gers and nuisances, all of which he checked or modified if not actually suppressed. Finding that a number of other nuisances and indecencies-the
existence of which had not been contemplated by their projectors or noted by the law-makers, when the Criminal Code of the Commonwealth, then in force, was framed-he bent every effort to their extirpation, securing for this purpose a special revision of the statutes. To his efforts, while serving as Councilman and Mayor, Philadelphia is largely indebted for many of the supplemen- tary enactments, among them those restricting the sale of liquor and the employment of waiter girls, and providing for the summary arrest and imprisonment of professional thieves. The sale of illegal medical diplomas by so-called medical colleges, which extended so far and was fraught with so much danger as to call forth a special protest from the governments of foreign coun- tries, was vigorously attacked under his administra- tion, and the entering wedge driven in which ultimately suppressed these fraudulent institutions. During Mr. Stokley's second term as Mayor, the great International Exhibition of 1876 was held in Philadelphia. Anticipating a rich harvest, criminals from all quarters hastened to the city and began laying their plans to trap the unwary and unpro tected. Confidence schemes without number were essayed, and attempts were made to import the highest developments of European vice. A bribe of half a million dollars was covertly offered to secure the establishment of a single gambling house. It is scarcely possible to over-estimate the value of Mayor Stokley's services in suppressing vice and main- taining order during this period. With the aid of but three hundred extra policemen, who were on duty only seven months of the Centennial year, he successfully dammed this torrent of vice and fraud, prevented the sharpers and gamblers from securing a footing, and preserved the good reputation of the city. Notwithstanding the immense influx of visi- tors and the excitement which is inseparable from crowds, he maintained the best of order, and life and property were never more secure. The citizens of the United States regarded his success in this matter as little short of marvelous, and every foreign nation represented at the Exhibition has testified with most honorable mention to his ability, zeal and in- tegrity. No task of equal magnitude has ever con- fronted the chief executive of any other American city, and for this achievement alone, were there no other to be placed on record to his credit, Mayor Stokley's name would deserve enduring remem- brance. During the great railroad strike of July, 1877, Mayor Stokley signally distinguished himself in maintaining order in Philadelphia. He was rest- ing at Long Branch when news of the Pittsburgh disturbances reached him. By the first train he re-
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turned to his post, only to learn that the worst reports did not equal the reality. With excellent judgment he at once established his headquarters at the West Philadelphia Depot of the Pennsylvania Company, in the vicinity of which large bodies of idle and disorderly men had already assembled. Massing a large force of police in the neighborhood, ready for instant service, he calmly awaited develop- ments. When the news of the ravages of the rioters in Pittsburgh reached him and it became known in Philadelphia that the National Guard of the State was powerless to suppress the outbreak of the strikers, he caused a number of special patrolmen to be sworn in, that he might concentrate a sufficient force of his tried men on the west side of the Schuylkill. Further demands made Saturday night and Sunday morning, drew to the theatre of the strike all the available militia of the city and the immense crowds assembled in West Philadel- phia, mainly in active sympathy with the strikers, gave the police considerable trouble, and were only restrained from working serious damage to the railroad property by the firm front displayed by the police. Learning that the mob contemplated firing a train of oil-cars standing near the depot, Mayor Stokley resolved to remove it at all hazards, to a place where, if the threat were carried out, the dam- age from the conflagration would be slight. Al- though opposed most vigorously by the superinten- dent of the yard, who feared that moving the train would precipitate the outbreak, and warned that he must assume the full responsibility were he to act according to his own judgment, Mayor Stokley wisely resolved upon action, feeling that then and not later was the time to assert and maintain the dignity of the law. Ordering the entire police force of the city to this point, he divided the men into three detachments and dispatched them to advan- tageous points along the route to the Delaware River. He then ordered an engine from the round- house, had it attached to the oil train, and, in the face of the most determined opposition from the mob ran it out of the yard, through the tunnel and down to the river. The police, using only their clubs, successfully resisted the assault of the mob, although outnumbered twenty to one, and arrested several of its ring-leaders. The subsequent firing of the train proved the wisdom of the Mayor's course. Had it not been removed in time to a spot where its destruction could not affect other property the loss might have been millions of dollars, and a reign of terror would probably have been inaugu- rated which could hardly have terminated without an appalling loss of life. In this affair Mayor Stok- ley proved himself a man of heroic courage in the
discharge of duty and the possessor of remarkable judgment and foresight, carrying his point without unduly exasperating the excited element which opposed him and vindicating to the fullest degree the majesty of the law while employing but the minimum of its power. It has been truly said of this achievement that great generals have won im- mortality by the exercise of no higher degree of judgment, courage and foresight than were displayed by Mayor Stokley in accomplishing it. Surely it is deserving of grateful and enduring remembrance. Having effectually broken up the mob at this quar- ter, the Mayor now bestowed his attention upon the great banking institutions of the city, which he had reason to believe would be attacked by the lawless element in the city ready to make common cause with the workingmen solely for purposes of plunder. His prompt steps in this direction undoubtedly pre- vented the contemplated attack, and it is not too much to assert that the mob's defeat on all sides in the city of Philadelphia had a potent effect in pre- venting outbreaks elsewhere and in terminating the general disturbed condition of affairs. Although not caring to remain longer in office, Mr. Stokley was persuaded by his friends to run a fourth time for the office of Mayor. In this canvass he was de- feated by the Democratic candidate, Hon. Samuel G. King. A life-long Republican, having cast his first vote for Henry Clay, the Whig candidate for President, in 1844, he has conscientiously adhered to the principles and fortunes of that party and for a quarter of a century has stood high in its councils. He is at present Director of the Department of Pub- lic Safety of the city of Philadelphia, a position of highest trust and responsibility, to which he was appointed by Mayor Fitler under the new City Charter, which was approved June 1, 1885. In this capacity he holds extraordinary powers, having charge of the Police, Fire, Health, Electrical, Boiler Inspection, Building Inspectors, City Property and Fire Escapes Bureaus. He is also a Commissioner of Fairmount Park, and a Commissioner for the erection of the new Public Buildings at Broad and Market Streets. From early youth he has been an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and a warm friend and supporter of its religious and chari- table work. In private life as in public he has been faithful at all times to his duty. He is the only surviving member of his father's family, all of whom he cared for with paternal solicitude during life and buried with becoming respect at death. He married, July 7, 1845, Miss Mary A. Miller, a daugliter of Robert Miller. Five children have been born to them : four sons and one daughter. One of his sons died in boyhood.
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PATRICK JOHN RYAN.
THE RIGHT REVEREND PATRICK JOHN RYAN, D.D., LL.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia, and widely known as one of the most learned and eloquent prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, was born at Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland, in the year 1831. While but a mere child he evinced a predilection for the priesthood, his whole soul seemingly being bound up in that sacred calling. To this end drifted the whole current of his thoughts. He attended school in Dublin until he was sixteen years of age, when he entered Carlow College, noted for the scholarship of its teachers and the thoroughness of its ecclesiastical training, and for the fact that not a few of its alumni have risen to distinguished emi- nence in the Catholic Church, among the number being Cardinal Cullen and Bishop England. While a pupil at Carlow he was devoted to study, and won the respect and regard of his teachers by his unassuming piety, genial character and mental acumen. Among the honors that fell to him were first premiums in philosophy, theology and the ap- pointment as prefect of the lay house. At the age of twenty-one he had completed his seminary course and was ordained a sub-deacon. The great and growing country across the Atlantic, where so many of his compatriots had already found a wel- come and a home, seemed to him a congenial field for the exercise of his priestly talents, and in 1852 he bade adieu to the "old country" and sailed for America. His destination was St. Louis, and upon arriving there he had a cordial reception from the worthy Bishop of the diocese, who assigned him at once to the chair of Sacred Eloquence in the Theo- logical Seminary of the Diocese, and gracefully ac- corded him the privilege of preaching in the Cathe- dral, although he had not as yet reached the dignity of the priesthood. The deep impression which his remarkable zeal and commanding talents made upon his superiors from the very first, intensified with acquaintance, and even thus early a brilliant future was predicted for him. In 1853, having then attaincd the age required, he was ordained to the priesthood and appointed assistant rector of the Cathedral in St. Louis. In 1856 he was made rec- tor, remaining in this position until 1860, when he was placed in charge of the parish of the Annuuci- ation, in the same city, in which he built a beauti- ful church edifice and a parochial school, both being located on grounds at and near the corner of Sixth and Labadie Streets. During the unhappy period of the Civil War he acted as chaplain to the Gratriot Street Military Prison and Hospital, and
was assiduous in his devotion to the bodily and spiritual welfare of its inmates. Hundreds of men, who, by the vicissitudes of war, had become inmates of this place, now scattered through the South, remember with feelings of gratitude his hu- mane ministrations and kindly words of cheer. His sincere and unselfish devotion to their service profoundly affected the prisoners and led many of them to embrace religion, no less than six hundred voluntarily taking the rite of baptism and becoming professing Christians. A commission as Chaplain in the United States Army was sent to Father Ryan, at this period, upon the recommendation of General Blair, but the young priest modestly declined to assume the rank and pay, although he faithfully continued his ministrations in the prison and hos- pital until the close of the war. After completing his work in the parish of the Annunciation he was appointed rector of St. John's Church in St. Louis. In 1866, being in attendance at the Second Plenary Council at Baltimore, Father Ryan preached a ser- mon before the assembled prelates on " The Sanc- tity of the Church." This is regarded by ecclesias- tical critics as one of the greatest efforts of this learned and eloquent divine. In addition to his parochial duties Father Ryan was a great deal in the field as a lecturer throughout the State of Mis- souri, and occasionally in neighboring States. He was ever on the alert to advance the holy cause of religion, and hesitated at no sacrifice furthering its interests. For years his labors were incessant, and could only have been prosecuted by a man gifted with a robust constitution. In several in- stances, at the special request of the General As- sembly of Missouri, he has addressed the assembled wisdom of the State, and on those occasions the Hall of Representatives, at Jefferson City, has been crowded by an eager multitude of all religious de- nominations, anxious to listen to the gifted orator. Feeling the need of rest and relaxation, after the tension of years of severe discipline and earnest work, he took a trip to Europe, where he devoted a year to travel, visiting the scenes of his boyhood in Ireland, and journeying through France, Germany and Italy. He was in Rome during the celebration of the eighteenth centenary of St. Peter's death, and enjoyed the high distinction of being invited by the Papal authorities to deliver the English course of Lenten sermons in that city. This honor is considered one of the greatest that can be be- stowed upon a priest, and in previous years had bcen bestowed upon Cardinal Wiseman, Arch- bishop Hughes of New York, Father Thomas Burke, and other brilliant orators, whose names will go down to posterity as those of the greatest
Atlantic Publishing &-Extravio CONY.
Archbishop of Philadelphia
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divines of their day. In 1868, upon his return to | gift of the President of the United States, Grover America, Father Ryan was appointed Vicar-General of the arch-diocese of St. Louis, and was adminis- trator of the diocese, while his superior, Archbishop Kenrick, was attending the Ecumenical Council in Rome. His able discharge of this highly responsi- ble trust was the theme of admiration both among the clergy and the laity, and was always remem- bered with affectionate consideration by Archbishop Kenrick. When the weight of years began to tell upon the Archbishop and he applied to Rome for an assistant, the Sovereign Pontiff, upon the recom- mendation of the Bishops of that Province, and the Archbishop of the country, recommended that Vicar-General Ryan be appointed Coadjutor- Bishop of St. Louis with the title of Bishop of Tricomia, in Palestine, in partibus infidelium. He was formally consecrated Coadjutor-Bishop of St. Louis, at St. John's Church in that city, April 14, 1872. In 1876 he was invited to deliver the centen- nial oration on Daniel O'Connell, in Dublin, Ireland, but was unable to leave home. In 1879 Cardinal McCloskey invited him to preach the sermon on the occasion of the dedication of the New York Cathe- dral, which took place in the early summer of that year. In November of 1883 he visited Rome to take part in the preliminary deliberations of the American Archbishops and their representatives before the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. On that occasion he again preached in that city and was promoted to the rank of Archbishop of Sala- mis, continuing however Coadjutor of St. Louis. The next year saw him translated to the Arch- diocese of Philadelphia, where he was kindly received by his own people and also by many Protestants. At one of the social receptions ten- dered to Archbishop Ryan, Bishop Stevens of the Episcopal Church delivered an address in which he most warmly welcomed the new prelate to Phil- adelphia. The opening sermon of the Third Ple- nary Council of Baltimore in November of 1884 was preached by the new Archbishop, as also the sermon in New York Cathedral, when Archbishop Corrigan received the Pallium, and in Baltimore, when Cardinal Gibbons received the Cardinal's hat. In 1888 Archbishop Ryan again visited Rome in accordance with the rule that Bishops shall visit that city every ten years, and, as it was that period of time since his predecessor Archbishop Wood had been in Rome, the new Archbishop was obliged to represent the diocese. On this occasion he preached the sermon no the laying of the corner- stone of the National Irish Church in Rome. He also delivered an address to His Holiness, Pope Leo XII., on occasion of his presenting to him the
Cleveland, and received from the Pope a copy, in two large volumes, of his Holiness' Encyclicals. The sermons of ArchbishopRyan were all published in newspapers, and some lectures in pamphlet form. His lecture on " What Catholics do not believe," went through five editions and was re-published in Lon- don, with the author's consent. The occasion of it was very peculiar. A Protestant clergyman of St. Louis (Rev. Dr. Snyder) invited the Bishop to preach in his (Dr. Snyder's) Church on "the claims of the Catholic Church." The Bishop ac- cepted the invitation, but requested that the place selected be changed to Mercantile Library Hall. A vast audience assembled, and many others could not obtain entrance. A request to have the lecture published in pamphlet form was signed by several Catholic and non-Catholic citizens -amongst the latter by General William T. Sherman. Subsc- quently the Bishop delivered and published his lecture on " The Causes of Modern Religious Skepti- cism." It is contemplated to re-publish these lectures and those delivered by him before the Legislature, and University of Missouri. The Arch- bishop since his advent to Philadelphia has been honored by receiving the degree of LL.D., from the University of Pennsylvania. He had previously received the same degree from the University of New York. The Archbishop delivered the sermon at the Pontifical Mass on the occasion of the celebra- tion of the establishment of the Catholic Hierarchy in the United States. This celebration took place in November, 1889, and lasted during three days. The sermon was chiefly devoted to a review of the life of the founder of the hierarchy, Most Rev. John Carroll, cousin of Charles Carroll, of Car- rolton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It also reviewed the history of the Catholic Church in these States during the past century. The sermon has been published in the Souvenir Volume of the Centennial Celebration and Catholic Congress, by Wm. H. Hughes, Detroit. Archbishop Ryan is nearly six feet in height, with a purely classical head, set firmly upon a pair of broad shoulders. His voice is peculiarly pleasing, and when he warms up to his subject, his eloquence is irresistible, and sweeps every obstacle before it. Modest and unassuming to a marked degree, earn- est and active in beneficent work, conscious of the great responsibilities of his exalted position and worthly striving to meet the requirements of every duty, Archbishop Ryan stands to-day one of the most conspicuous, as he is certainly one of the most honored and loved prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.
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CHARLES W. MACKEY.
CHARLES WILLIAM MACKEY was born in Frankliu, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1842, of mixed Scotch, Irish and German parentage. He is directly descended from William Mackey, of Tubeg, Scotland, a member of the Abrach branch of the Clan MackIye. The name is spelled in many different ways, arising from the idioms of speech in different countries, but it is generally Mackie, Mckay, McKie, Mackey and Mackay, Mackghie, Mackaye, Macky, etc .; while Sir James W., who was Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1874, spells his name Mackey, and claims to be directly descended from Angus Dow Macky, whose successor, Donald James Mackay, the present Lord Reay, is now the chief of the Clan. The Clan is one of the oldest in Scotland. An ancient manuscript discovered within the last few years in the Advocates' Library at Edenboro, written by AndrewSymson, has been published and edited by Thomas Maitland, Jr., of Dundru- man, Advocate, and it mentions the Mackies as far back as the time of Robert Bruce .. Sir Robert Gordon, who is considered an authority, says that Donald, the son of Iye, was the first who went under the name. The Mackies must have resided for many centuries in Galloway, for an old parish there is called Balmaghie, i. e., Mackie- town. A book published by Robert Mackay, of Thurso, Scotland, in 1829, called " A History of the House and Clan of Mackey," gives a history of the origiu of the various branches of the Clan and the various ways of spelling the name, and shows that the name originated in the twelfth century and that all of the Mackeys are descended from a common ancestry. The name "Iye" is from the Gaelic word "Oidn" and signifies stranger or guest, so that MackIye literally means "sou of a stranger " or guest. Mr. Mackey's great uncle, John Mackey, who came to America in 1765, located in Chester County, and was a delegate to the convention that framed the first constitution of Pennsylvania. Mr. Mackey's father was born at Port Deposit, Cecil County, Maryland, April 21, 1791, and was a soldier in the War of 1812, as were also his brothers William and Thomas. He removed to Franklin December 27, 1831. He was a man of energy and force of character and was one of the most upright and houorable citizens of Venango County. He was ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church; was coro- ner of the county, a Mason of high standing, and a prominent Democrat. His father, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born near Inverness, Scotland, came to this country in 1765, and located at Port Deposit, Maryland, aud
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