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MEMORIAL 
 
 PATRICK A. COLLINS 
 
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MEMORIAL 
 
 OF 
 
 PATRICK A. COLLINS 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 CITY OF BOSTON 
 
 PREPARED BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL BY JOHN F. DEVER, 
 CLERK OF COMMITTEES 
 
 <L. 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 Municipal Printing Office 
 
 1906 
 
 
 l v8, 
 
City of Boston, 
 In Boabd of Aldermen, December 22, 1905. 
 
 Ordered, That the clerk of committees be directed to pre- 
 pare an edition of two thousand copies of a memorial volume con- 
 taining an account of the memorial services to Hon. Patrick A. 
 Collins, held by the city government on December 20, 1905 ; 
 the expense of the same to be charged to the appropriation for 
 city council, contingent expenses, each member of the city 
 government of 1905 to receive at least three copies. 
 
 Passed. Sent down for concurrence. December 28th, came 
 up concurred. 
 
 Approved by the Acting Mayor December 29, 1905. 
 
 tf-J -u- 
 
ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. 
 
 Special meetings of both branches of the City Council were 
 held in their respective chambers on Friday, September 15, 
 1905, at noon, pursuant to the following call: 
 
 City of Boston, 
 Office of the Mayor, September 14, 1905. 
 
 To the Members of the City Council : 
 
 You are hereby requested to meet in your respective chambers in the 
 City Hall, Boston, on Friday, September 15, 1905, at 12 o'clock, noon, 
 for the purpose of taking appropriate action on the death of Mayor 
 Patrick A. Collins, which occurred this forenoon, and of expressing the 
 sorrow felt by the citizens of Boston at the loss sustained through his 
 death. 
 
 Yours respectfully, 
 
 Daniel A. Whelton, Acting Mayor. 
 
 IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 
 
 The Board of Aldermen was called to order by Alderman 
 Bowen, senior member, and the call for the meeting, as printed 
 above, was read and sent down. 
 
 The following was received : 
 
 City of Boston, 
 Office of the Mayor, September 15| 1905. 
 To the City Council : 
 
 It is my painful though manifest duty to officially communicate to 
 you the deplorable fact that the Mayor of Boston, the Hon. Patrick A. 
 Collins, is dead. 
 
 Far from the city, whose affairs he directed with exalted wisdom and 
 admirable grace, he has been quickly summoned to the Kingdom of 
 his God. A type of self-made man, than whom none was higher, has 
 
6 MEMOEIAL OF 
 
 closed his earthly exile, and upon a common altar the entire people of 
 our bereaved city kneel, breathing to heaven a fervent prayer that the 
 immortal soul of Patrick A. Collins may rest in peace. Nearly all the 
 major years of his life were dedicated to public service at home and 
 abroad, and the record that survives glitters with brilliant achievement 
 in a setting of stainless and rugged character. His illustrious career 
 fitly attests the possibilities of wordly success, without sacrifice of 
 honor or manliness, in our country of liberty, equality and opportunity. 
 It is unnecessary for me to suggest any specific action on your part, 
 as I am satisfied that the proprieties of the sad occasion will be fully 
 
 met. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 Daniel A. Whelton, Acting Mayor. 
 Read and sent down. 
 
 Alderman Fred E. Bolton offered the following : 
 
 Resolved, That the City Council have learned with deep sorrow of 
 the sudden death of Mayor Patrick A. Collins, a sorrow felt keenly by 
 all who knew him in public and private life. 
 
 The example he set of noble manhood and high achievement may 
 well be emulated by the youth of our country. Starting as a poor 
 boy in an alien land, undergoing severe hardships in order to obtain 
 the education he desired, he became by his indomitable will and force 
 of character a commanding figure in national, state and city affairs. 
 
 A man of unswerving honesty, of high ability, of absolute fearless- 
 ness, sincerity and directness, whose motives and actions throughout a 
 long and useful career were never even questioned, his life will long 
 remain an inspiration to his fellow-citizens. His life and achieve- 
 ments are a striking illustration of what may be accomplished in our 
 country by courage and determination in the face of apparently over- 
 whelming odds. 
 
 Resolved, That we tender our respectful sympathy to the family of 
 the deceased, joining with them in their sorrow. 
 
 The resolutions were read a second time, and the question 
 came on their adoption. 
 
 Alderman James M. Curley said : 
 
 Mr. Chairman, — As an humble member of the City Government I 
 arise here to express my heartfelt regret at the great loss sustained by 
 the entire country in the sudden death of the chief magistrate of this 
 great City of Boston. 
 
PATKICK A. COLLINS. 7 
 
 General Collins reminds one in many respects of the late martyred 
 Lincoln, being appreciated and loved by those by whom he was best 
 known. The story of his early life, his struggles and grand progress, 
 will ever be an incentive to the young men of this country as well as to 
 the emigrant from all parts of the entire globe. His fortitude, courage 
 and earnest devotion to duty marked this Christian gentleman and 
 model American citizen. 
 
 By his death the nation suffers the loss of one who had ever taken a 
 keen interest in the country's progress, and who contributed to its great- 
 ness in no small degree. The Irish race has lost the brightest star in 
 its firmament since the days of Charles Stewart Parnell. He was a man 
 whose love for his race was second only to his love for humanity. The 
 Democratic party suffers the loss of a wise, conservative and skilful 
 mentor whose splendid intellect has ever been considered a tower of 
 strength. Suffering humanity the world over mourns the departure of 
 one whose heart ever bled for the oppressed and the down-trodden with- 
 out regard to race, color or creed. The entire city, perhaps, will best 
 realize the injury only after he has been laid away many years. 
 
 His love for the city in which he had lived and labored was prover- 
 bial. His hope for its future greatness and his regard for its good name 
 was voiced in his every word and act. No man ever filled the Mayor's 
 chair with loftier grace or left it in higher esteem. A man among men 
 who had ever the courage to say no, and who could neither be swayed 
 by the prospect of political preferment or seductive promise of gain. 
 
 Labor and the interests of labor have lost an advocate whose conser- 
 vatism saved it many trials. His family loses a devoted husband 
 and a father whose presence was the sunshine of happiness and joy 
 supreme. 
 
 Virgil has truly said: " Great men hallow a whole people and lift up 
 all who live in their time." Collins living earned the right to live, so 
 has he earned the right to rest. May his soul rest in eternal peace. 
 
 Alderman William J. Hennessey said : 
 
 Mr. Chairman, — We are assembled here this day to pay tribute to our 
 late chief executive, and to express our sorrow at his untimely death. 
 We mourn the strong man, the true, the patriot, the jurist, the states- 
 man and our friend. Himself born among the lowly, he rose to be one 
 of God's noblemen. 
 
 His life's work speaks for itself. He needs no monument of brass, 
 no column of cold marble to perpetuate his memory. His voice and 
 presence were ever ready in the cause of freedom and justice. He 
 knew no race, no color, no creed. The oppressed and down-trodden 
 always had a champion in Patrick A. Collins. His words of the late 
 John Boyle O'Reilly can well be applied to himself : " The world was 
 his country, mankind his kin." 
 
8 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 Born an Irishman, he has always fought to right the wrongs of his 
 suffering country. His life, labor and success have been a lesson and 
 an inspiration to all Irish-Americans. He was a man whose godly life 
 is best attested by the venerable Archbishop Williams. American 
 citizenship was never better exemplified than by this modest, honest, 
 able man. 
 
 Alderman James F. Nolan said : 
 
 Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, — A sad duty confronts us to-day. It is 
 to pay respect to the memory of our late chief magistrate, Patrick A. 
 Collins. 
 
 To say his death comes as a shock is to put it feebly; but words can- 
 not convey my feelings on this occasion. Cut off in the vigor of life as 
 he was, we can but bow humbly to the mandate of the Almighty and 
 trust that he will reward his servant for his earthly stewardship. 
 
 Mayor Collins was a bright, brainy, gifted man. Nature had endowed 
 him lavishly, and he made good use of the talents which were part of 
 his make-up. Kind toward the lowly, magnanimous toward his oppo- 
 nents, chivalrous toward the weak, and always in the van in the fight 
 for civil and religious liberty, he represented, in a manner perfect, the 
 ideal American, as well as exemplifying to the world a true type of the 
 brilliant Irishman. 
 
 The world is better for his life, and his memory will serve as a guiding 
 star to the countless thousands, American and alien, who live under 
 the Stars and Stripes. 
 
 Acting Chairman Patrick Bowen said : 
 
 The Chair desires to express his very deep sorrow at this Board 
 being called together on this sad occasion. I recall the words spoken 
 on the death of Henry W. Grady, which may well be applied to our late 
 Mayor Patrick A. Collins : 
 
 " No fire that can be kindled upon the altar of speech can relume the 
 radiant spark that perished yesterday. No blaze born in all our eulogy 
 can burn beside the sunlight of his useful life. He needs no statue; he 
 desired none. It was the image of his soul he wished to perpetuate, 
 and he has stamped it himself in letters of flame upon the souls of his 
 countrymen. Not all the marbles of Carrara, fashioned by the sculp- 
 tor's chisel into the mimicry of breathing life, could convey to the 
 senses a likeness so perfect of himself as that which he has left upon 
 the minds of men. He has carved his own statue, and built his own 
 monument. 
 
 " After all, there is nothing grander than such living; for the grandest 
 thing, next to the radiance which flows from the Almighty throne, is 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 9 
 
 the light of a noble and beautiful life, wrapping itself in benediction 
 around the destinies of men and finding its last resting place in the 
 blessed bosom of the everlasting God." 
 
 The question came on the adoption of the resolutions offered 
 by Alderman Bolton. 
 
 The resolutions were passed by a unanimous rising vote. 
 
 Alderman Edward J. Bromberg offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That the City Clerk be directed to transmit to the bereaved 
 widow of Patrick A. Collins, late Mayor of this city, an engrossed copy 
 of the resolutions adopted to-day by the City Council. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman Frank J. O'Toole offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That the Acting Mayor be requested to procure a suitable 
 floral tribute, to be sent on behalf of the City of Boston to the funeral 
 of our late Mayor, Patrick A. Collins. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman Edward L. Cauley offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That all municipal offices be closed on September 18, 1905, 
 the day of the funeral of Hon. Patrick A. Collins. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman James M. Curley offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That His Honor the Acting Mayor be requested to allow all 
 employees of the city whose services can be dispensed with a half day 
 on the day of the funeral of the late Mayor Collins, without loss of 
 pay, as part compensation for their services, to enable them to attend 
 the funeral. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
10 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 Alderman Louis M. Clark offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That the flags be displayed at half-mast in the squares and 
 public grounds of the city on the day of the funeral of the late Patrick 
 A. Collins, and that flags be displayed at half-mast on all the city build- 
 ings for a period of thirty days. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman John E. Baldwin offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That His Honor the Acting Mayor be requested to cause the 
 City Hall, Faneuil Hall and the Old State House to be appropriately 
 draped for a period of thirty days. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman William J. Hennessey offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That a joint special committee, consisting of the entire 
 Board of Aldermen and such as the Common Council may join, be 
 appointed to attend the funeral of Hon. Patrick A. Collins, late Mayor 
 of Boston. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman James F. Nolan offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That the expense incurred by the Board of Police in carrying 
 out the request of the Acting Mayor to cause bells to be tolled through- 
 out the city during the hour set apart for the funeral of the late Mayor 
 Collins, and all expenses incurred in accordance with orders of the City 
 Council passed to-day, be charged to the appropriation for City Council, 
 Incidental Expenses. 
 
 Passed. Sent down. 
 
 Alderman James M. Curley. — Mr. Chairman, I move that 
 the Board, as a further mark of respect, do now adjourn. 
 Adjourned at 12.43 o'clock P.M. 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 11 
 
 IN COMMON COUNCIL. 
 
 The Common Council was called to order, upon th* adjourn- 
 ment of the Board of Aldermen, by President Arthur W. Dolan, 
 a quorum being present. 
 
 The clerk read the call for the meeting, and the communica- 
 tion from the Acting Mayor in regard to the death of Mayor 
 Collins, and the papers were severally placed on file. 
 
 The resolutions passed by the Board of Aldermen were read 
 by the clerk, and the question came on their passage in concur- 
 rence. 
 
 President Arthur W. Dolan said : 
 
 Gentlemen of the Common Council, — For the first time in quite a few 
 years I find myself confronted by a situation which brings to me so 
 much personal grief that I am at a loss for words to express myself. 
 My relations with His Honor the Mayor were so intimately friendly 
 that I find it difficult to speak of his death from any standpoint save 
 that of one whom I personally loved and respected. The fact that we 
 were all totally unprepared for any such calamity only serves to accentu- 
 ate the sorrow of those who, loving him, wished that he might have 
 been spared to them and to the city which he loved with all the fond- 
 ness of a great heart. 
 
 Landing on the soil of this city an immigrant boy many years ago, he 
 died her chief executive — her first citizen. Coming to America's shores 
 in quest of the freedom and equality guaranteed by the American Consti- 
 tution, he was honored, being worthy of honor, by city, state and 
 nation, a credit to his race, a living tribute to American institutions, 
 a shining example of the beneficent results of American liberty. An 
 orator, a fearless public servant, a magnetic, charming personality, 
 and, better than all, a scrupulously honest, upright citizen, with ideals 
 of the highest order, he died as he lived, giving of his best to the 
 country of his adoption, serving his people, and bringing honor to 
 them and honor to himself. 
 
 Mr. Sherman L. Cook of Ward 21 said : 
 
 Mr. President, — On this occasion it seems meet that at least one 
 member of the party to which His Honor the late Mayor did not belong 
 
12 MEMOKIAL OF 
 
 should voice briefly the regret which every member of the City Coun- 
 cil must feel at his untimely taking away. We feel that when a soldier 
 is cut down in battle he has died appropriately; we feel that when the 
 pilot of a ship has gone down at the helm his death is a fitting one ; 
 and when a man has been for years an honest and disinterested pub- 
 lic servant there can be no better time to meet his end than while 
 in a position which has honored him as he has honored it. I should 
 like to place on the records my sincere appreciation, not only of his 
 character, but of the uniform courtesy which I, as well as the other 
 members of the City Government, who have approached him in good 
 faith upon matters concerning the- City of Boston have received from 
 him. A gentleman, self-made, of broad sympathies, thorough cultivation 
 and rugged honesty, it will be many years before his influence upon 
 this city is forgotten; and it is with sincere and personal grief that 
 I add this slight tribute to the fame of the great jurist, orator, states- 
 man and American — Patrick A. Collins. 
 
 " His life was gentle, and the elements 
 
 So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up 
 And say to all the world, ' This was a maD ! ' " 
 
 Mr. William F. Murray, Jr., of Ward 5 said: 
 
 Mr. President, — Everything that has been said by the eloquent gentle- 
 men who have preceded me meets with my heartfelt approval. I know 
 of nothing to add, except to say that in the death of Patrick A. Collins 
 we have lost a great American and the greatest Irishman in this 
 country. These terms, Mr. President, are not the terms of the flatterer 
 nor of the eulogist. As I use them, my mind wanders back to a 
 summer night when the winds were still and the stars of the southern 
 sky looked down upon the white city in which soldiers slept. I see 
 myself in the presence of the chief of that city, and I hear him ask me: 
 "Do you know Patrick A. Collins of Boston? " I answer, proudly and 
 quickly, that I do know Patrick A. Collins — for, gentlemen of the 
 Council, I do not remember the time when I did not personally know 
 the late lamented Mayor. I see that General of the United States Army 
 rise to his full height and say: "Young man, you know a great 
 American, and the greatest Irishman in the world." That was the 
 estimate, Mr. President, of John J. Coppinger, himself a son of Erin's 
 Isle, who had, by deeds of devotion and duty, risen to be a Major- 
 General in the United States Army. It was his estimate of Patrick A. 
 Collins, in August, 1898 ; and I believe, Mr. President, that it will be 
 the estimate of those who will write the history of the present time. 
 Anything that might be said in eulogy of Patrick A. Collins would, to 
 my mind, be superfluous. I feel my inability to express the sentiments 
 that are in your hearts and in my heart; but at this time let us pledge 
 
PATKICK A. COLLINS. 13 
 
 anew our devotion to the ideals that Patrick A. Collins portrayed on 
 inauguration day, and let us pledge our loyalty to the man who must 
 be mayor because of the hand of fate, 
 
 Mr. Daniel L. Sullivan of Ward 9 said : 
 
 Mr. President, — I arise at this time to pay tribute to one of the 
 greatest men whom Boston has ever had, the late Patrick A. Collins. 
 He was a man of strong character and lofty ideals. He was able, 
 honest and fearless. During all the years of his public life no one ever 
 questioned his integrity. He executed the duties of his office with 
 grace and dignity, and enjoyed the confidence of all classes and parties. 
 The people of Boston feel a profound sorrow in learning of his demise. 
 By his death the city has lost an able chief executive, and the state and 
 nation a loyal and patriotic citizen. 
 
 Me. Thomas F. Fitzgerald of Ward 3 said : 
 
 Mr. President, — We are assembled, in the words of the call, for the 
 purpose of taking appropriate action on the death of Mayor P. A. Collins, 
 and expressing the sorrow felt by the citizens of Boston at the loss 
 sustained through his death. Appropriate action has been taken by 
 the passage of these resolutions. Such action would be taken in any 
 like circumstance; but in expressing our sorrow at the loss of Mayor 
 Collins there can be nothing perfunctory in the proceeding. The diffi- 
 culty arises in finding words to adequately express the sorrow which 
 the citizens feel at his great loss. 
 
 We realize the great service he has done the city during his term as 
 Mayor. We appreciate the tremendous power for good to city, state 
 and nation he has been during his two score years and more of public 
 life. We are conscious of the fact that he was one of humanity's great 
 champions, whose great services were ever at the call of the oppressed ; 
 but we realize and appreciate above all his noble and exalted character, 
 his high conception of the duties of public office, his rugged honesty 
 and integrity. 
 
 These resolutions must of necessity be inadequate to express the great 
 sorrow which the citizens of Boston feel at their great loss. 
 
 In our great sorrow we can find some consolation in the thought that 
 his success in life, especially in public life, will ever be an inspiration 
 to those who seek public office to follow the paths of rectitude and 
 honesty; and we may find even a greater consolation in the thought 
 that his whole life must be an inspiration to every boy who starts in 
 life with nothing but a healthy body, high ideals and lofty ambitions. 
 It was not my pleasure or honor, as it has been that of our President, 
 to be closely or intimately connected with the Mayor. My duties 
 
14 MEMOEIAL OF 
 
 necessitated my calling on him on but two occasions, and then with 
 others; so that I did not enjoy that close personal friendship which 
 reveals a man's true character. So my position is much that of a great 
 majority of the citizens of this city, who viewed him from a distance. 
 Though my relations with him might have been more intimate, I feel 
 my inability to express my appreciation of his high worth and to 
 express adequately the sorrow which I, with all citizens of Boston, feel 
 at this great calamity. 
 
 Me. Charles W. M. Williams of Ward 10 said : 
 
 Mr. President and Fellow-members of the Common Council, — It does me 
 honor, and I honor my constituency, when I reverently approach the 
 bier and place upon it an humble wreath. We mingle our tears with the 
 cataclysm of tears of the City of Boston at this our common meeting 
 ground, honoring the memory of the man who has honored the City of 
 Boston by his noble service, by his pure life, by the exemplification of 
 the latent possibilities embodied in American citizenship; and I deem 
 it, Mr. President, an honor to give this humble tribute to our late Mayor, 
 who has crossed the bar. 
 
 The resolutions were passed in concurrence by a unanimous 
 rising vote. 
 
 The following papers were received from the Board of Alder- 
 men : 
 
 Ordered, That the City Clerk be directed to transmit to the bereaved 
 widow of Patrick A. Collins, late Mayor of this city, an engrossed copy 
 of the resolutions adopted to-day by the City Council. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
 Ordered, That the Acting Mayor be requested to procure a suitable 
 floral tribute, to be sent on behalf of the City of Boston to the funeral 
 of our late Mayor, Patrick A. Collins. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
 Ordered, That all municipal offices be closed on September 18, 1905, 
 the day of the funeral of Hon. Patrick A. Collins. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 15 
 
 Ordered, That His Honor the Acting Mayor be requested to allow all 
 employees of the city, whose services can be dispensed with, a half day, 
 on the day of the funeral of the late Mayor Collins, without loss of pay, 
 as part compensation for their services, to enable them to attend the 
 funeral. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
 Ordered, That the flags be displayed at half-mast in the squares and 
 public grounds of the city on the day of the funeral of the late Patrick 
 A. Collins, and that flags be displayed at half-mast on all the city build- 
 ings for a period of thirty days. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
 Ordered, That His Honor the Acting Mayor be requested to cause the 
 City Hall, Faneuil Hall and the Old State House to be appropriately 
 draped for a period of thirty days. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
 Ordered, That a joint special committee, consisting of the entire 
 Board of Aldermen and such as the Common Council may join, be ap- 
 pointed to attend the funeral of Hon. Patrick A. Collins, late Mayor of 
 Boston. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
 In connection with the above order Mr. Thomas F. Fitzgerald 
 of Ward 3 offered the following : 
 
 Ordered, That the committee on the part of the Common Council to 
 attend the funeral of Mayor Collins consists of the whole body. 
 
 Passed. 
 
 Ordered, That the expense incurred by the Board of Police in carrying 
 out the request of the Acting Mayor to cause bells to be tolled through- 
 out the city during the hour set apart for the funeral of the late Mayor 
 Collins, and all expenses incurred in accordance with orders of the City 
 Council passed to-day, be charged to the appropriation for City Council, 
 Incidental Expenses. 
 
 Passed in concurrence. 
 
16 MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 
 
 Mr. Tilton S. Bell of Ward 20. — Mr. President, as a mark 
 of further respect to the memory of the deceased Mayor I move 
 that we do now adjourn. 
 
 Adjourned at 1.15 P.M. 
 
 At subsequent meetings of the Board of Aldermen and Com- 
 mon Council the following order was adopted : 
 
 Ordered, That a joint committee to consist of three members of the 
 Board of Aldermen, with such as the Common Council may join, be ap- 
 pointed to arrange for memorial exercises in commemoration of the life 
 and public services of the late Hon. Patrick A. Collins, before tbe City 
 Government and the citizens of Boston ; the expense attending the 
 same to be charged to the appropriation for City Council, Incidental 
 Expenses. 
 
 In pursuance of the above order, the following committee was 
 appointed by the presiding officers of the two branches of the 
 City Council, viz. : 
 
 Aldermen. — John E. Baldwin, Chairman; William J. 
 Hennessey, Fred E. Bolton. 
 
 Councilmen. — Arthur W. Dolan, William A. H. Crowley, 
 William J. Barrett, Gideon B. Abbott, William F. Howes. 
 
MEMORIAL EXERCISES 
 
MEMORIAL EXERCISES. 
 
 The Memorial Exercises, as arranged by the committee, 
 were held in Tremont Temple, on the evening of Wednesday, 
 December 20, 1905, before a large and distinguished gather- 
 ing of the City Government and citizens, including ex-mayors 
 of the city, representatives of the United States Govern- 
 ment, the State Government, the Judiciary, the Massachu- 
 setts Bar Association, and various social and political 
 organizations. 
 
 After an organ prelude, " Homage March," by Wagner, 
 rendered by Mr. John A. O'Shea ; the Apollo Club, con- 
 ducted by Mr. Emil Mollenhauer, sang " Integer Vitse," by 
 Fleming, words by Charles James Sprague, as follows : 
 
 Lord, now the hero's mortal wars are ended, 
 Where, in the conflict, 'twas Thy power defended, 
 Thy shield that guarded and Thy hand rewarded. 
 Conqu'ror, his cause was Thine. 
 
 Man judges man, the crown or chain disposing, 
 Groping in earthly shadows round him closing. 
 Lofty endeavor, truth to cull from error ; 
 But judgment, Lord, is Thine. 
 
 Oh, may his spirit, now Thy peace possessing, 
 Dwell in the joy of Thy eternal blessing 
 In Heaven, all glorious ; crowned by Thee victorious, 
 Safe in Thy love divine ! 
 
20 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Prayer was then offered by the Rev. Peter Ronan, as follows : 
 
 With the remembrance, Lord, of the blessings 
 vouchsafed to our beloved city through its late 
 lamented Chief Magistrate, we come into Thy presence 
 on this solemn occasion, and with grateful hearts 
 we thank Thee for blessings received. In Thy 
 infinite wisdom Thou hast taken from the walks of 
 life a faithful public servant, and Thou hast called 
 him to the reward of his stewardship in Thy vine- 
 yard. While deeply lamenting our great loss, we 
 bow our heads in humble submission to Thy divine 
 will. 
 
 Diffuse, Lord, throughout this community a 
 knowledge of the virtues of Thy public servant — his 
 sterling honesty, his unsullied integrity, his patriotic 
 devotion, and his generous love for his adopted 
 country. 
 
 Thou, God, who art the King of kings and the 
 Lord of lords, and the final Judge of the rulers of 
 this world, impress, we beseech Thee, upon the hearts 
 of Thy public servants the supreme importance of a 
 loyal and faithful compliance with duty, to the end 
 that they may be true to Thee, true to the voice of 
 conscience, and true to the sacred trusts confided to 
 their keeping. 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 21 
 
 Bless, Lord, our beloved city and all who dwell 
 therein. Raise up worthy rulers who shall wisely 
 guide her great destiny, as did Thy faithful public 
 servant whose memory we honor this evening. 
 
 Protect, we beseech Thee, Lord, our thoughts 
 and our words on this important occasion, so that 
 they may tend to Thy greater glory and honor, and 
 to the permanent good of Thy people. Grant unto 
 us, Lord, these our humble petitions, through 
 Christ our Redeemer. Amen. 
 
 At the conclusion of the prayer the Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee, Alderman John E. Baldwin, introduced the presiding 
 officer, Hon. Daniel A. Whelton, the Acting Mayor. 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 OF 
 
 Acting Mayor DANIEL A. WHELTON. 
 
 Ladies and Gentlemen : 
 
 We are assembled to-night to honor the memory 
 of a man who won his place in the community by 
 ability, integrity and the highest character. The 
 city which he served with distinction and with sub- 
 lime fidelity pays its formal tribute to his worth 
 through the agency of the legislative branch of the 
 government. The distinguished gentlemen who will 
 address you represent the great composite citizenship 
 of this metropolis, and they will express in ornate 
 phrase the sentiments of the community. To me is 
 allotted the honorable but sad duty of directing the 
 proceedings which will be written upon the city's 
 records and handed down to posterity. 
 
 It was my privilege to serve for two years as a 
 member of the government of which, for nearly four 
 years, Mr. Collins was the executive head, and I can 
 testify to his singleness of purpose in the discharge 
 of the high and difficult duties which incumbency of 
 
MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 23 
 
 that great office imposes. His death, which was a 
 distinct and irreparable loss to the city, imposed 
 those duties upon me. In discharging them I have 
 always held before me the lofty example of his life 
 and the inspirations of his noble qnalities as a man 
 and a public official. 
 
 Every young man who is striving to rise above 
 harsh and unfavorable circumstances and to win a 
 place among those who deserve well of their fellows 
 because of public service honestly performed, may 
 take courage as he reads the story of Patrick A. 
 Collins' life, of his struggles against adverse condi- 
 tions, and of his self-elevation to a foremost place 
 among the men of his generation who have guided 
 the republic upon a safe course. 
 
 The city honors herself in honoring him, and I 
 count it a high, if sombre and sorrowful, privilege to 
 be associated with this expression of an official 
 tribute to his character and achievements. 
 
 Following the address of the Acting Mayor, the following 
 poem was read by the author, Michael J. Dwyer, Esq. : 
 
POEM 
 
 MICHAEL J. DWYER, ESQ. 
 
 $n gtaor mm. 
 
 Justly waft we o'er his tomb the incense of our praise, 
 
 Uplifting his long cherished name on Love's wings to the skies ; 
 
 Justly we from grieving hearts our strains of sorrow raise, 
 For all the world is poorer when a great and good man dies. 
 
 Yet comes not always Death to men in cold and cruel guise 
 Of fell Oblivion's endless pall. Betimes its dreaded knell 
 
 Strikes but the timely hour of God, that gilds and glorifies 
 With surer reverence and fame life's deeds accomplished well. 
 
 Whom here we mourn with solemn dirge and eulogy sublime 
 The kindlier Voice of Destiny but called, with wiser ken, 
 
 To prouder homage and renown upon the scroll of Time, 
 To more enduring life and love in inmost hearts of men. 
 
 Rich were all his days in deeds and aims of high emprise, 
 Of all of Life by instinct true he chose the better part ; 
 
 Nor thought, nor word, nor daily act, but proved in all men's eyes 
 The innermost aspirings of a Truth-inspired heart. 
 
 True son of Nature, rich endowed with rarest gift and charm 
 Of Mother Nature's largess, — ample mind and sparkling 
 grace 
 
MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 25 
 
 Of thought and speech, — his heart aglow, his spirit kind and 
 warm, — 
 Proclaimed the shining heritage and genius of his race. 
 
 Amid these scenes through toil and stress of weary, fameless 
 years 
 He labored upward and alone to high predestined goal ; 
 In struggle patient, bold and strong, and void of weakling fears, 
 Self-poised in conscious knowledge of the power within his 
 soul. 
 
 'Tis said our age is sordid ; men are base and Gold is God ; 
 
 That venal spirits rule where worth and merit should abide ; 
 But he was one by conscience swayed, whose feet in honor trod 
 
 The devious ways of office, stern Integrity his guide. 
 
 His soul aflame with impulse caught from Honor's sacred fire, 
 He sought the heights of truest worth and usefulness to scan. 
 
 Embracing as his own life's noblest objects of desire 
 
 He made, and loved, and lived his law: "In all an upright 
 man ! " 
 
 His too the patriot's dauntless heart, unchained, unawed, 
 unbought ! 
 The pulse to feel, the will to claim, the tongue to champion 
 Right ! 
 To lift oppression from mankind his lifelong dearest thought, 
 That all men might be freemen in God's liberty and light ! 
 
 Still is now the faithful heart that throbbed for Truth and Right, 
 And mute the voice that spake with fire in every noble cause ; 
 
 Prone the form that stood a giant power in all men's sight 
 For Freedom, Justice, Honesty, Humanity's great laws ! 
 
 Yet shall he live in all he wrought, by precept speaking still ; 
 
 And long as noble deeds our souls with love and pride imbue, 
 His name beloved shall fill our hearts with fond, inspiring thrill 
 
 To live like him for grander ends, brave, loyal, just and true. 
 
26 MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 
 
 O noble life ! whose sorrowed end but brings to clearer view 
 A city's loss, a race's grief, a people's love sincere ! 
 
 Auspicious death ! which in our souls but shrines that life anew, 
 A life to love and follow, a rare memory to revere. 
 
 After the reading of the poem, the gentlemen who were to 
 deliver addresses were severally introduced by Acting Mayor 
 Whelton. The addresses follow : 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 BY 
 
 HON. THOMAS J. GARGAN 
 
 Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Ge?itlemen: 
 
 It is peculiarly fitting and appropriate that this 
 memorial meeting to honor the late Mayor Collins 
 should be held in Tremont Temple, for it was in this 
 place and upon this platform that, on a memorable 
 occasion, he declared that he was "no man's man 
 and wore no man's collar," and that was the key- 
 note of his whole character. 
 
 As I look about me in this gathering and see so 
 many of his friends, it is difficult for me to realize 
 that he will not step forward and thrill us as of 
 yore. Yet, we feel that, if he is not visibly present, 
 his spirit hovers over us. 
 
 The presence here of this large assemblage proves 
 the strength of your love and devotion to the mem- 
 ory of Patrick A. Collins. You all respected and 
 loved him. We feel that a tower has fallen, a star 
 has set. While we mourn for him here, in thousands 
 
28 MEMOEIAL OF 
 
 of homes in this land and in cabins on the other side 
 of the Atlantic sympathetic hearts are mourning with 
 us to-night. I loved him as a dear friend, a com- 
 panion and associate for almost forty years. How 
 can I hope to find words to utter what our hearts 
 feel? 
 
 I desire to speak to you of him as he would wish 
 me were he living and present. I know he would 
 say, " Speak of me as you know me ; ' nothing 
 extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.' " I do 
 not claim that he was perfect, nor shall I dwell upon 
 his imperfections ; he was " Bound in the bonds 
 which all men share." Yet view him as we may, 
 the lion's mark was always there. We loved him 
 because he was a great, human, lovable man, yet 
 what we say here to-day cannot avail the dead. 
 
 We have sung his requiem; in the bright sunlight 
 of an autumn day we committed his body to mother 
 earth, and to many of us the world seems lonesome 
 since. These tributes which we offer are not for the 
 dead, but for the living. These expressions and 
 memorial exercises elevate those from whom they 
 emanate j they cause us to pause in our struggle for 
 wealth and honors, and lift us to a higher world of 
 thought. If the surroundings here, these exercises, 
 the strains of music, the communion of thought 
 between those who knew the usefulness and nobility 
 of our friend's life, shall plant the seed of an 
 emotion that will fructify and ripen into nobler 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 29 
 
 actions, we may congratulate ourselves upon a well- 
 spent day. 
 
 What an inspiration and example for us all in the 
 life of this poor Irish immigrant boy, who began his 
 career so humbly in this city without friends, without 
 fortune, yet by his perseverance, his magnetism, his 
 tact, and his indomitable industry, became chief 
 magistrate of this great city ! It seems like a tale 
 from the Arabian Nights, as if the magician came 
 with his lamp and ring and did it all ; yet we know 
 the magician was none other than Patrick A. Collins 
 himself, and his talisman, like that of every other 
 man that has achieved anything in life, was hard, 
 persistent work and industry. 
 
 I first met him in the enchanting garden of youth, 
 and it was there he introduced me to his youthful 
 friend, John Boyle O'Reilly. As we left its portals 
 with high ideals, we hoped to conquer success, and to 
 make the wide world, whose roadway we entered, 
 a little better. We found the way often rough and 
 stony, we did not escape some mire, and were often 
 wearied in spirit and body. His cheery voice and 
 companionship were always encouraging, and he never 
 lost faith. How well he succeeded, the future historian 
 of Boston will tell. 
 
 We are perhaps too near him to fully appreciate 
 him or to measure him justly. In early life we 
 entered the Legislature together. I remember that, 
 during the session, a small type member of the 
 
30 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 House, and of our party, made a trade on some mat- 
 ter and pledged the Democratic vote. It was to my 
 mind a corrupt measure. I invited Collins to lunch- 
 eon. When he came into the room he said, "I know 
 what you want; you and I cannot be traded like 
 sheep at the shambles by such a trickster." This 
 incident gave me the first insight into his character. 
 He hated shams and was incorruptibly honest, and I 
 felt sure that the gilded hand of corruption would 
 never dare to offer him a friendly grasp. I was in 
 Washington when he was a member of Congress, 
 and knew him to refuse a fee of ten thousand dollars 
 as counsel in a certain case, at a time when that 
 amount of money was to him a small fortune. 
 Many members of the bar at that day, and to-day, 
 would have thought it not improper to accept that 
 fee, but he had a high standard of ethics. He 
 believed his first duty was to his country and his 
 constituents. His oath of office was to him no idle 
 or unmeaning ceremony, and he had that high sense 
 of honor tliat feels a stain like a wound. 
 
 He might have died rich if he had not refused to 
 sully his honor, but he always kept his vizor up, 
 and men who looked at him felt that there was 
 something in his air and manner which said, ll Get 
 thee behind me, Satan ! " 
 
 As I sat in his office in St. Helen's Place, in London, 
 one day, while he was Consul-General, I could not help 
 recalling Hawthorne's story of his consular experience. 
 
PATKICK A. COLLINS. 31 
 
 Numberless were the calls made upon Collins, not 
 only by Americans, but by all nationalities. He lis- 
 tened to their tales of woe with patience and sym- 
 pathy. All went away comforted, and many received 
 substantial aid from the private purse of this great- 
 hearted man. 
 
 As Mayor of Boston, his record is known to you 
 all. On public occasions, he represented the city 
 with honor and dignity. He was accessible to the 
 humblest citizen, ready to listen to advice, yet always 
 acting on his own judgment. He could say "No" 
 with great firmness when necessary, and every tax- 
 payer paying a dollar into the city treasury knew 
 that he would guard its expenditure as strictly and 
 economically as any trustee or guardian of private 
 funds. His messages and vetoes were models in their 
 terseness and precision. He was strong to do the 
 right thing because it was the right thing. He did 
 his duty fearlessly, never stopping to count personal 
 consequences. Through all his life he believed with 
 Plato that "Justice was the health of the State." 
 
 To briefly sum up his life and character : While he 
 was thoroughly American, he passionately loved the 
 land of his birth ; he contributed liberally from his 
 means and gave to her cause all his splendid abili- 
 ties ; as he said on one occasion, " I love Ireland 
 as I love my mother, and I love America as I do 
 my wife." He was faithful to duty, incorruptibly 
 honest, possessed magnetism, tact and breadth of view, 
 
32 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 and he placed a higher value upon character than 
 upon success. 
 
 He was a conscientious lawyer, a careful legislator, 
 an efficient Consul-General, and an able Mayor. As 
 an orator, he had the essential requisites : a good 
 voice, a noble presence, that indefinable temperament 
 of the Celt that moves and convinces, force of char- 
 acter, the humor and pathos that called forth smiles 
 or tears as he willed ; he could wreathe the iron bar 
 of logic with the flowers of rhetoric and carry con- 
 viction to the minds of his hearers because they 
 believed there was an earnest man behind all his 
 words. 
 
 While many men who pose as statesmen believe 
 their party to be mankind, Collins had the faculty 
 of lifting himself to a higher altitude, obtaining a 
 clearer view and a broader horizon, and in that 
 horizon he embraced humanity. 
 
 He believed with the poet, that — 
 
 " Where'er a single slave doth pine, 
 Where'er one man may help another, - — 
 Thank God for such a birthright, brother, 
 That spot of earth is thine and mine : 
 There is the true man's birthplace grand, 
 His is a world-wide fatherland !" 
 
 His early beginning was much like that of Lincoln, 
 and as Lincoln's great speech at Gettysburg, of twenty 
 lines, has become a classic and will live, so Collins' 
 
PATKICK A. COLLINS. 33 
 
 short eulogy of O'Reilly will be the gem that will long 
 survive his other utterances. 
 
 Yet those who knew him in public life only did not 
 know him at his best. It was at the table, surrounded 
 by six or seven intellectual men, that he appeared to the 
 best advantage, in the freedom of unrestrained inter- 
 course that you began to know and appreciate him. 
 His education was not of the kind that knows a little 
 Latin and less Greek, soon forgotten in the tumult of 
 busy life. His wide range of reading, particularly of 
 history and biography, his knowledge of public men 
 and public affairs, surprised you. Across the table? 
 where every man could give and take, he received a 
 sharp thrust without rancor and with rare good 
 humor. 
 
 Alas, — he has passed from our mortal ken ! Fare- 
 well, dear friend, never again shall we see your stalwart 
 form walking the streets of this city which you loved 
 so well ! Never again shall we hear thy cheery voice, 
 or feel the warm grasp of thy friendly hand ! 
 
 You have passed into the dim valley and shadow of 
 death, but oh ! how many fragrant and precious mem- 
 ories you have bequeathed to us ! Such men never 
 wholly die, for "The memorial of virtue is immortal," 
 because "It is known with God and with men. When 
 it is present, men take example at it ; when it is gone, 
 they desire it ; it weareth a crown and triumpheth for- 
 ever, having gotten the victory striving for undefined 
 rewards." 
 
34 MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 
 
 The people of this city, who loved him so well, 
 propose to erect in some public place a memorial 
 more lasting than our perishable words. There it will 
 stand to remind us of the story and fidelity to duty 
 of this poor Irish immigrant boy. 
 
 Let those who are inclined to despair of government 
 by the people not lose hope when they reflect that 
 into this great crucible of our democracy are poured 
 so many elements, and when we separate the dross 
 and alloy, we produce such refined metal and such a 
 type of manhood as this monument will commemo- 
 rate. The coming generations, as they look upon it, 
 will receive new inspiration, and they will realize 
 that not the acquisition of money, but the path of 
 duty, is the way to honor and glory. 
 
 Build it then of granite and of bronze ; it cannot 
 be more enduring than his virtues. Let the genius 
 of the sculptor give it form and beauty ; it cannot be 
 more beautiful or nobler than his character. 
 
 Yet even this monument may moulder and crumble 
 into dust, but so long as we shall maintain the insti- 
 tutions and government which made his career pos- 
 sible, and so long as we shall maintain the character 
 of our civic government upon the high standard 
 which he set, we secure and perpetuate the fame of 
 Patrick A. Collins. 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 RABBI CHARLES FLEISCHER. 
 
 Mr, Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen : 
 
 How I envied Mr. Gargan the privilege of life-long 
 acquaintance with so worthy a man, and how I en- 
 vied him besides that diamond-tipped tongue which 
 could give such brilliant utterance to the impres- 
 sions of a lifetime. And yet, as I listened and com- 
 pared these generation-old impressions of Mr. Gargan 
 with my comparatively brief ones of the same man, 
 I could not help but realize that the arc of a circle, 
 however small it may be, tells practically the story 
 of the entire circle. For, as Mr. Gargan knew 
 Patrick A. Collins in the large, so I knew him in 
 the little, and the little that I knew of him, compara- 
 tively speaking, tallies quite with the large that 
 Mr. Gargan knew of him. 
 
 I do not want to indulge here to-night in fulsome 
 eulogy of Mr. Collins. I do not want to extenuate 
 any of his faults or shortcomings. I do not want 
 to exaggerate the worth of the man. But such as 
 
36 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 he was, such qualities as were his, I want here, as 
 one who appreciates manhood, to commend. We are 
 none of us so very good; on the other hand, there 
 are no bad men, even as there are no good men. 
 All of us are mixtures of good, bad and indifferent 
 qualities. If there need be any reason for making 
 us human beings sympathetic with one another, this 
 one touch of human nature ought to make us won- 
 drous kind. 
 
 With the late Colonel Ingersoll, I feel that it were 
 better if we gave one another " more taffy and less 
 epitaphy" — that is to say, if we were more appre- 
 ciative of people while they lived, and told them 
 frankly our appreciation, and were less prone to giv- 
 ing them posthumous praise. Therefore I do not 
 believe in fulsome eulogies, and, to be quite frank, 
 I take part only reluctantly in these or any other 
 memorial exercises. 
 
 As for Patrick A. Collins, no one will claim com- 
 plete saintship for him, while, on the other hand, he 
 needs not death's charitable, sin-covering mantle to 
 hide his faults and make us aware of his many great 
 and good qualities. Of these I want to select but one 
 to place as an immortelle upon his grave. I refer 
 to the same quality which Mr. Gargan has already 
 so fully appreciated — the essential humanness of this 
 man. I do not mean the humanness to which we 
 refer when we say, trying to palliate or excuse the 
 shortcomings of a man, that " He is but human " ; 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 37 
 
 but I mean that greater, finer, subtler thing that I 
 call humanness, a subtle quality indeed, but the finest 
 flower of our human nature. I mean a tempera- 
 mental love of human kind — a love of human kind 
 temperamental in some, but which may in all be 
 cultivated. 
 
 I cannot choose but be the preacher whenever I 
 speak, and I use General Collins herein as my text 
 and my theme. I want to commend his humanness ; 
 I want to hold up to admiration and to emulation 
 that fine quality. I must say that I do not feel, as 
 do most of those who eulogize the departed, that I 
 ought to indulge in mourning or in public grief. I 
 thank God for every great and good man and woman 
 that ever has lived. I would rather, after their 
 physical departure, be grateful for their having lived 
 than mourn the fact that they are no more. I be- 
 lieve that when such a one dies he is not as a star 
 that has set, but rather as a star that has been 
 fixed in the illimitable ether; not as a tower that 
 has fallen, but rather as a tower that stands forever, 
 bidding men look up and live likewise. And those 
 who achieve success in this particular regard, in this 
 quality of humanness, this power of loving their 
 fellowmen and making that love an ever present and 
 an ever active quality, are the nobles of the earth. 
 
 In large measure I found, from my experience and 
 from my definite impression of the man, that Patrick 
 A. Collins possessed this loveliest of human traits, 
 
38 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 the same abundant kindliness which enabled Bobbie 
 Burns, frail as he was, to exclaim : 
 
 " A man's a man for a' that. 
 The rank is but the guinea's stamp, 
 The man's the gowd for a' that. ' ' 
 
 That same democratic, intensely, broadly human 
 instinct once led Collins to answer a sectarian and 
 partisan appeal with this rebuke : " I am an American 
 first, then a Democrat, and then a Catholic." 
 
 Indeed, he proved more than once that he held Man, 
 writ large, to be the largest and most inclusive title, a 
 sort of human family label, the others only " Christian 
 names," as it were. I remember how, expressing that 
 same humanness, that love of his kind, he stood on 
 this platform, a little more than a year ago, giving 
 welcome on behalf of the City of Boston to the esti- 
 mable representatives of the peace societies of the 
 world, and I remember how, in characteristic fashion, 
 he introduced the occasion. He said something to this 
 effect, — that a man may, for private purposes, formu- 
 late his own religion; that he may use the already 
 formulated creeds and teachings to his own end ; that, 
 therefore, he took the liberty of paraphrasing two of 
 the beatitudes — and I remember that he paraphrased 
 them in such a way as to shock the orthodox, the con- 
 servative and the radical alike, until at last they 
 caught the meaning of his genial wit and all laughed 
 with him. He said : 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 39 
 
 " Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called 
 the children of God ; and cursed be the war-makers, for 
 they shall see the devil." 
 
 Herein, then, in this quality of fine, loving human- 
 ness, I find Patrick A. Collins an example particularly 
 worthy of commendation — a devout sectarian, a loyal 
 partisan, a patriotic nationalist, but, first and foremost, 
 a genial and congenial Man. 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 JAMES H. WOLFF, Esq., 
 
 DEPARTMENT COMMANDER OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE 
 
 REPUBLIC. 
 
 Mr. Chairman and Felloiv-citizens : 
 
 I am here this evening not to pronounce a fulsome 
 eulogy upon the life and character of our late distin- 
 guished fellow-citizen, Mayor Patrick A. Collins, but 
 to add my tribute of respect to his memory, as the rep- 
 resentative of the Grand Army of the Republic. He 
 was one of the strongest friends the veteran soldier 
 ever had in the mayoralty chair of the City of Boston. 
 
 It was my privilege to have met Mr. Collins nearly 
 thirty years ago. I remember my introduction to him 
 in the Old Court-house, the year that I was admitted 
 to the bar. As I came down from the upper court, 
 in company with the man in whose office the Mayor 
 had started as a boy, I was introduced to him. He 
 grasped my hand with a warmth that made me feel the 
 impulse of a great, warm heart, and with a smile he 
 said, " Set your mark high in your chosen profession 
 
MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 41 
 
 and strive to reach it"; and I fully realized that he 
 himself had placed his mark high and was then strug- 
 gling to reach it. 
 
 There is an Indian proverb which says , " Speak, 
 that I may know you." When he had spoken to me 
 for the first time I knew that he was a man of great 
 kindness of heart, that his sympathies with man and 
 men were large and broad, that he had a genial face 
 and a cordial greeting. 
 
 Mr. Chairman, I fully realize that our lives are 
 not always easy, nor our paths paths of peace. We 
 meet with disappointments, and sometimes our hopes 
 are baffled ; but no obstacle or difficulties could with- 
 stand or overcome his great will power. He was a 
 man of great force of character, a man who was 
 determined to reach the goal at all hazards. From 
 the moment of our first meeting I became interested 
 in him, watching his career at the Bar and also in 
 the National House of Representatives, and seeing 
 him steadily move upward and onward, until at last 
 he reached the crowning summit of his ambition, 
 when he finally became Mayor of the City of Boston, 
 with the approval of all political parties. 
 
 I said to him on one occasion, during a stormy 
 struggle in the House, "Mr. Collins, it seems to me 
 that we are growing somewhat narrow in our Repub- 
 lic. It seems to me that there are shadows crossing 
 the pathway of the American people." He looked 
 at me and said, "Why, it is only the preparation 
 
42 MEMORIAL "OF 
 
 for a greater and a nobler Republic. There are no 
 shadows in our pathway, but it is illuminated with 
 the glory and the heroism of the statesmanship and 
 the soldiery of our land." 
 
 He demonstrated in his person more fully than 
 any other man I ever knew the possibilities of the 
 youth of our Republic, regardless of race, creed or 
 religion. Coming here as a youth, to a strange 
 land, he was able to so implant himself in the hearts 
 of the people as to reach the highest office in the 
 City of Boston. 
 
 Being a man of extraordinary powers, whatever 
 Mr. Collins undertook to do was thoroughly and 
 accurately done. He also believed that character 
 was more powerful than wealth; therefore no man 
 ever assailed his integrity as a man. 
 
 He was a magnificent orator, with remarkable 
 persuasive powers. I remember on one occasion 
 in one of our courts, during the trial of a cause, 
 it seemed to me that his eloquence thrilled the 
 whole court-room, and scarcely had he ceased speak- 
 ing when he was surrounded and congratulated by 
 the members of the Bar. To my mind he was one 
 of the finest type of orators that this country has 
 produced. Perhaps he never studied the Athenian 
 orators very closely; but I have come to the conclu- 
 sion that he was a fine type of the Athenian orator. 
 
 Yet, as Burke exclaimed on one occasion, "What 
 shadows we are and what shadows we pursue ! " My 
 
PATKICK A. COLLINS. 43 
 
 fellow citizens, gathered here to-night we bow in rev- 
 erence and mourn the loss of this distinguished 
 citizen. We here commemorate his virtues and pay 
 tribute to his great achievements, both in state and 
 nation. We are grateful in the consolation that his 
 race and the world are better because he lived. 
 
 There is one thing that all men may know, that 
 they should follow the great precepts of the Creator 
 as a guide, in their fidelity to the teachings of Him 
 when He speaketh : " To the dead He sayeth, 
 ' Arise.' To the living, ' Follow me.' And that 
 voice still soundeth on from centuries that are gone 
 to the centuries that shall be." 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 BY 
 
 GEN. CHARLES W. BARTLETT. 
 
 Mr. Mayor and Friends of General Collins: 
 
 I have listened to words of eulogy, I have heard 
 Mr. Collins idealized, I have heard words of praise, 
 words of deep feeling, and the thought occurred to 
 me, "What more can I add in a tribute to General 
 Collins to that which has already been said by our 
 friends who addressed you before my turn came?" 
 I had thought of various things to say. I am not 
 here to deliver an address, and what I have to say 
 to you briefly will be in the nature of a talk, while 
 paying my feeble tribute to the memory of Mr. 
 Collins as the chief magistrate of this city and as 
 my almost life-long friend. 
 
 It is almost incredible to believe that we never 
 again shall see his tall form and striking features 
 passing through our streets and into our public, 
 buildings. His kindly greeting and that pleasant 
 smile which always marked him brought to him 
 friends, and linked those friends to him by a kind 
 
MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 45 
 
 of magnetism which was one of the chief character- 
 istics of his make-up. 
 
 In the performance of his duty times would come 
 when unpleasant decisions had to be arrived at, and 
 when a petitioner presented to him any question, 
 quickly, with almost unerring precision, that clear and 
 able mind would strike the point of just what was 
 asked for. If it could be granted, and the petitioner 
 displayed his joy, Patrick A. Collins joined with 
 him, and would express upon those mobile features 
 his joy at being able to grant the request; but when 
 he felt that the petition was in any way unjust, or 
 that it in any way affected adversely the people's 
 interests, that firm jaw would indicate at once what 
 the decision would be. I have seen that face 
 expressing the deepest sorrow at such times, but his 
 inflexible regard for his duty would see that justice 
 was done. 
 
 Something has been said about fulsome words of 
 eulogy. There is a good deal in that remark. We 
 would better tell the truth when we are talking 
 of our friends and paying tribute to their memory, 
 because sometimes the things that are said tend toward 
 satiety. In addition to the characteristics that he 
 had as a public officer, I would like to speak of 
 Patrick A. Collins as a friend. The first time I ever 
 met him in his law office, do you suppose that 
 there was grief? Do you suppose there was a lodge 
 of sorrow formed there? Not by any means. I 
 
46 MEMOEIAL OF 
 
 can remember that sitting on his desk was an owl. 
 He said to me, calling me by my first name, 
 "That was presented to me by John Boyle O'Reilly 
 as my silent partner." It was in that vein always 
 that I knew him. I am going to risk one other 
 thing, even if this is a solemn occasion, in one 
 sense, for I think if Brother Collins were here he 
 would enjoy the bringing back to his mind of this 
 little incident. You remember that he met with a 
 little rebuff when he first ran for mayor. I saw him 
 after his election, the second time that he ran, and 
 I said to him, " What made you go after this thing 
 again ? " He said, " I dislike very much to form the 
 habit of getting beaten." 
 
 I knew him as a lawyer, tried cases with him and 
 against him, and his chief characteristic as an advo- 
 cate was his absolute fairness. At no time or place 
 was his conduct of a case marked by any unworthy 
 practices. You knew when you were there that he 
 was around, taking care of his interests; but in 
 taking care of them he was absolutely fair, and 
 he so carried on his contest in behalf of his clients 
 as to protect their proper, legal and just rights. 
 
 You can readily see that, meeting him as a friend, 
 meeting him as an attorney, meeting him as a public 
 official, and finding him at all times characterized 
 by sterling integrity, undertaking to do that which 
 was absolutely right, absolutely truthful, Patrick A. 
 Collins would grow on a man as time went by. 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 47 
 
 In the community we speak of a man's reputa- 
 tion. Reputation is what men say of a man. You 
 will also hear the expression, " the character of a 
 man." Sometimes reputation does not represent the 
 man, but character does, and those who were nearest 
 to Patrick A. Collins had an opportunity to judge 
 what the distinction between reputation and char- 
 acter was. Character was what he was; reputa- 
 tion was what people said of him. That character 
 he maintained. It was a character that he built 
 up in his early life, and he maintained that char- 
 acter to the end ; and that that was so I ask you 
 to judge yourselves from this fact, that while 
 Patrick A. Collins was the chief magistrate of the 
 City of Boston the people of Boston, one and all, 
 without regard to party or creed, felt safe. They 
 had that innate feeling of safety that was based 
 upon the character of the man. As time goes on 
 that character will become better and more widely 
 known, and in all the long list of magistrates who 
 have been before and of those who are to come, no 
 name, in my judgment, will stand higher than that 
 of Patrick A. Collins. 
 
 At the conclusion of the addresses the Apollo Club sung 
 u The Long Day Closes" (Sullivan), and the benediction was 
 pronounced by Right Reverend William Lawrence, Bishop of 
 Massachusetts, as follows : 
 
 Unto God's gracious mercy and protection we 
 commit you. The Lord bless you and keep you. 
 
48 MEMORIAL OF PATRICK A. COLLINS. 
 
 The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be 
 gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance 
 upon you and give you peace, both now and for- 
 evermore. Amen. 
 
 The exercises closed with the singing of ' ' The Lost Chord " 
 (Sullivan-Brewer) by the Apollo Club, and an organ finale by 
 Mr. John A. O'Shea. 
 
LETTERS OF REGRET. 
 
 The following letters were received by the committee and were 
 read at the exercises : 
 
 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
 
 Executive Chambeb, State House, 
 
 Boston, December 15, 1905. 
 
 Deab Sib, — Your invitation in behalf of the City Council of Boston 
 for me to attend the Memorial Exercises in honor of the late Mayor 
 Patrick A. Collins, on Wednesday evening, December 20th, at Tremont 
 Temple, has been received. 
 
 I am much pleased to learn tbat the Boston City Government has 
 seen fit to arrange such exercises as will properly indicate the high 
 esteem in which the late Mayor Collins was held by his colleagues and 
 friends, and I regret exceedingly tbat I shall be unable to be present on 
 that occasion. 
 
 Thanking you for the invitation, I beg to remain, 
 
 Yours respectfully, 
 
 W. L. Douglas. 
 Hon. John E. Baldwin, Chairman. 
 
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
 Council Chambeb, Boston, December 15, 1905. 
 
 Hon. John E. Baldwin, 
 
 Chairman Collins Memorial Committee : 
 My Deab Mb. Baldwin, — I am in receipt of your very kind invita- 
 tion to attend the - memorial exercises in honor of our friend, the late 
 Hon. Patrick A. Collins, on Wednesday evening next. 
 
 I am slowly recovering from the result of a painful surgical operation, 
 and my physician bas forbidden my attendance at public functions tak- 
 ing place in the evening until I am completely recovered. It has been a 
 privilege to me to take part at the various exercises which have been 
 held, and you may be quite sure tbat nothing but the condition of my 
 health could prevent my acceptance of your invitation. 
 With high personal regard, believe me, 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 Cuetis Guild, Jb. 
 
50 MEMORIAL OF 
 
 Boston, Mass., December 15, 1905. 
 
 My Dear Sir, — I feel honored by the invitation to be one of those 
 to make a short address at the memorial exercises of our late Mayor 
 Patrick A. Collins, on the evening of December 20th. It is with regret 
 I write you that I shall be unable to be there. 
 
 I have known "P. A." from childhood, have entertained him and 
 been entertained by him both in America and in England. He has 
 been of great service to his country and to our city. He was able and 
 honest and he holds a warm place in the hearts of all his countrymen. 
 How can he help it? — a public man who placed his allegiance to his 
 adopted country above party, race or people. He took pride in saying 
 that he was an American before he was a Democrat. 
 
 If the coming generation in public life will take him for their example 
 we need not despair of the Eepublic. 
 
 I am, with great respect, 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Charles T. Gallagher. 
 John F. Dever, Esq., 
 
 Clerk of Committees, City Hall, Boston. 
 
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 
 
 Office of the President, December 19, 1905. 
 The Chairman, Committee on Memorial to Mayor Collins: 
 
 Dear Sir, — I regret extremely that an unavoidable absence from 
 Boston prevents my presence at the meeting called in memory of the 
 services and the life of the late Mayor Collins. I esteem it an honor and 
 a privilege to have known Mayor Collins, and I should be glad to add 
 my testimony to that of other citizens in appreciation of his integrity 
 of character, his courage, and his high-minded attitude toward public 
 questions. In addition, those who came to know him personally can 
 never forget his genial nature, his uprightness, and his faithfulness to 
 his friendships. We have lost a citizen and a friend whom we cannot 
 replace, and whose memory we shall always hold dear. 
 
 Very sincerely, 
 
 Henry S. Pritchett. 
 
 TRIBUTE FROM GEN. CHARLES H. TAYLOR. 
 
 It has been my happy privilege to know three men of Irish birth who 
 did much to promote and establish, on the sound basis of mutual respect 
 and confidence, a good understanding between the peoples of different 
 races dwelling in Boston, in Massachusetts, and in New England. 
 
PATRICK A. COLLINS. 51 
 
 Others have contributed their share, but these three were my friends, 
 and, therefore, I can bear witness to what Patrick Donahoe, John Boyle 
 O'Reilly and Patrick A. Collins did for this good cause, how out of their 
 love for their f ellowmen an enduring bridge was wrought ,and thrown 
 across the old chasm of misunderstanding. 
 
 Donahoe was the business man, and his honorable dealing, courtly 
 manners and handsome person left a lasting impression in business 
 circles. 
 
 O'Reilly, the poet, won by his gifts an honored place among men of 
 letters and sang his way into all our hearts. 
 
 Collins was the lawyer, the orator, the public man. By his legal 
 talents he gained the esteem of bench and bar; through his native 
 eloquence he became a popular favorite all over the country ; his sane 
 and ready judgment on political questions made him the compeer of the 
 leading statesmen of his time; his stern integrity secured for him the 
 confidence, while his gentle Irish wit enlisted the affections, of all our 
 people. 
 
 This community which he loved and served so well was united in its 
 admiration of Patrick A. Collins living. We all remember how com- 
 pletely it was united in its mourning for him dead, how rich and poor, 
 how races and creeds and parties were fused and welded in a common 
 sorrow for a loss that seemed personal to every one in all the city. 
 
 He was a manly man among manly men, and filled the public positions 
 to which he was called with high honor and in a manner which reflected 
 credit upon his city, his state, his country, his party, and his friends. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, 
 
 Patrick A. Collins was born in Ballinafauna, County Cork, 
 Ireland, March 12, 1844. Shortly after the death of his father, 
 Bartholomew Collins, he was brought to this country by his 
 mother, arriving in Boston in March, 1848. After a few years 
 in the primary and grammar schools, at the age of eleven he 
 became office boy in a lawyer's office. In 1857 he went to Ohio, 
 where he spent two years in various occupations, and in 1859 he 
 returned to Boston and engaged in the upholstering business, at 
 which he worked for eight years. In 1867 he began to study law 
 and also became interested in politics. He was elected from 
 South Boston to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for 
 the years 1868 and 1869 and to the State Senate for the years 
 1870 and 1871. At the close of his term in the Senate he opened 
 a law office and began active practice. In 1875 he was elected a 
 delegate-at-large from Massachusetts to the National Convention 
 of the Democratic party, and took an active part in the national 
 campaign of 1876 and the State campaigns of 1876, 1877 and 
 1878. In the fall of 1882 he was elected to Congress from the 
 Fourth Massachusetts district and served three successive terms. 
 President Cleveland, in 1893, appointed him Consul-General at 
 London, which office he filled for four years. In 1899 he was a 
 candidate for Mayor of Boston, but was defeated by a close vote. 
 In 1901 he was elected Mayor by a plurality of nearly 20,000 in 
 a total vote of about 85,000, and after serving his two years' term 
 he was re-elected by a plurality of 26,500 in a total vote of 
 71,000, the largest plurality ever given for the office in the City 
 of Boston. His death occurred during his second term as 
 Mayor while on a short vacation trip at Hot Springs, Virginia, 
 September 14, 1905. 
 
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