Thursday, April 15, 2010
FEATURE
Southern Cross, Page 5
What’s in a name? Savannah’s Joseph McCarthy
made one for himself.
F
Though not famous, Savannah’s Joe
McCarthy is still a man worth looking for.
In a way, he “knew his place,” and the
place he knew was that of the common
man. At fourteen, he was working as an
office boy when the 1880 census was taken.
By 1892, a city directory identified him as
a machinist. Years later, Savannah historian William Harden devoted several pages
of Volume I of his A History of Savannah
and South Georgia (Lewis Publishing
Company, Chicago & New York, 1913) to
this son of hard-working Irish immigrants.
“It is safe to say,” Harden wrote, “that
few men in the south are as well known
in the labor world as Honorable Joseph
McCarthy, the prominent Georgia legislator, fighter and friend of organized labor.”
Rungs of the ladder McCarthy climbed on
the way to earning such praise included
his start as a machinist in J. W. Tynan’s
foundry and shop. He later worked for the
Central of Georgia Railroad, becoming
Saints &
Shamrocks
May love, loyalty &
friendship be always
at your door!
309 Bull Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Tel.: 912-233-8858
Photo courtesy of the Diocesan Archives.
rom the beginning, Joseph J. McCarthy,
son of Irish-born blacksmith Thomas
McCarthy and his wife, Eliza Kehoe
McCarthy, had trouble with his name. Both
his name and those of his parents were
mangled on the baptismal record that Father
Charles C. Prendergast hurriedly inscribed
at Saint Patrick’s Church, Savannah, in
1865. His baptismal record even had the
wrong birth date: September 3, instead of his
actual birth date of April 27. Anyone tracing McCarthy later in computerized church
records would find him under the name
“McGuillick.” An internet search would bring
up another Joseph McCarthy, the Wisconsin
senator whose anti-Communist campaign
briefly dominated 1950s national politics.
The entry for Joseph McCarthy’s baptism in the Saint Patrick parish register had to be corrected .
general foreman of its locomotive and car
general foreman of Central of Georgia
departments. By the time he went to the
shops before retiring and, at one point,
state legislature in 1907, McCarthy was
served as a member of the Board of
married to Minnie (Mary) Baker of Augusta Aldermen of Savannah. Post-retirement
and was the father of four young children.
from the railroad, Joe McCarthy worked for
In his history, Harden allows McCarthy
the city in various capacities for nineteen
to describe his years as a Georgia legisyears before retiring again.
lator in his own words. In his account,
In 1948, when McCarthy died—one year
McCarthy mentions trips he made to
after his second retirement—his wife had
Atlanta in his efforts to help workers and
passed away and three of his four children
to outlaw employment of young children
were living out of town. On September 25,
in factories—then a common practice in
1948, his obituary in The Bulletin of
Georgia textile mills. In July of 1911,
the Catholic Laymen’s Association
Joe McCarthy and his allies pushed a
modestly noted that he was a membill to this effect on to the state senber of the Knights of Columbus
ate. After several readings and a bitand the Holy Name Society of
ter battle with Textile Manufacturers
Sacred Heart Church. McCarthy
Association representatives, the muchnever strayed far from his roots.
needed bill finally passed on August 15,
He was baptized at Saint Patrick’s
1911.
Rita H. DeLorme Church; he and Minnie Baker were
McCarthy’s personal account
married there; their children were
enumerates the role of organized labor in
baptized there. An affiliation with Sacred
enabling passage of the child labor law; the
Heart Parish followed.
requirement of headlights on trains; considJoseph McCarthy’s formal education,
eration of conveniences needed by female
minimal by today’s standards, took place
employees; curtailment of work hours
at Saint Patrick’s School. He seems to
and—most important to workers and their
have been just “an average Joe,” but his
families— recovery of damages in case of
involvement belies this assessment. A
death on the job. “I am,“ McCarthy added,
machinist, union man, legislator, husband
“eternally and forever opposed to child
and father, his achievements won’t appear
labor as a blight on civilization and I am
on the computer screen when you Google
tooth and nail for state-wide compulsory
“Joseph McCarthy.” For a time, though—
education and for furnishing free books to
particularly when he served in the Georgia
every child in Georgia.”
Assembly—his efforts made a difference in
As early as 1907, the Machinists’
many people’s lives.
Monthly Journal praised Joseph McCarthy
Columnist RITA H. DELORME
as an esteemed member of their group who
is a volunteer in the Diocesan
had “risen from the ranks to the coveted
Archives. She can be reached
and responsible position of representaat [email protected].
tive of the people.” McCarthy eventually
left Georgia’s General Assembly, but not
before sponsoring a bill creating a police
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department for Chatham County. Still
involved but busy, he put in 40 years as