The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-23
DISTRESS IN OUR TIME.

We publish in another column OF
TEE STANDARD the communication OF
Michael Davitt. which briefly but M
nistakably sets forth the prevailing
distress which exists in that seoGion
known al the west coast OF ireland.
The sinful and unrighteous trafllc SO
eagerly sought to DE established on the
sonIs Of those penniless and starving
peasants in their hour Of need by heart
less hireiings Of the British govern
l1ent. must we'll be a subject for eeep
reflection to every thinking mind LIS
it tr,le, as we have SO often been adj
vised, that concession after concession
has been granted to Ireland during the
last half century 10y her oppressor? II
50. why is it that III this year OF our ex~
tended and far more perfect Utilization
the same poverty and bitter destltuElon
should exist that has been forced upon
those people iD the past2 The reason
ia obvious. AS it was liz the past so IT
is to-day, the direct result OF tyranny
and uisg0Yernment Of those VINO nave
in hand and are and5avoring to sway
to their own satisfaction the desHnies
Of Ireland. The western coast OF that
country has been blessed by Nature
with large and magnificent harbors for
trade and commerce. We have only 90
look to Galway and Mayo, with their
fountains and foods, to supply the
wants Of coal wherewith to turn the
wheels Of Industry TO give their people
occupation. and this is only one Of the
many occupations that can there Dc re-
sorted to in gaining q livelihood. And
vet. what can all these gifts Of nature
avail SO long as the ever blighting hand
Of English influence intervene between
these gifts and the people for whom
they were intended? English Jealousy
has had much to do i'll hamperlng the
commercial prospects OF Ireland, and
has never been backward i'll a direct
and coWardly refusal TO grant back
to the people a small mite Of their own
money which was necessary TO secure
and complete her harbors. 1t is che
truth of History that English law
makers, after having failed in their
en1eayors to ruin Irish manufactures,
enacted laws prohibiting them. 1t is
this despotic lawiessness that has driven
millions Of Irishmen TO foreign lands;
it was. this tYranlicai act, III great
measure, that brought about the famine
fever OF lS47, when thousands OF men,
women and children persisted for want
of tho bare necessaries OF life. Look
ing back over the past there is cause
for wondermeui indeed, when we re-
fleet how patiently the Irish people
have borne themselves under this heavy
load CT oppression and heartless tyran-
ny It would be wrong now, yes, un-
Just. to look upon those things as mat
tors Of the past. History repeats Itself
in ireland to-day as true as it did then.
That government which allows land
lords to rob the people annually Oh
millions and draw that money out OF
the country and which taxes the people
OF Ireland for her foreign wars without
giving them any Of the spoils thus Sc
cured, refuses to grant money to the
starving fishermen to supply them
selves with the necessary equipments
| to partake OF the gifts plentifully
within their reach. 1t has spent thous-
ands of dollars in fostering and pro
tecting landlords and in swarming the
island with police and soldiery, which
II properly used would stock the bays
aud harbors with fishing slnacks. con-
vert the marshes and swamps into
arabic and productive land and cover the
island with factories. But why should
| it? England wants no such prosperity
ia Ireland it would be q deadly blow
TO her own best interests. a CONNER
cial Ireland would be England's ruin
Liverpool would no longer be the great
emporium of the worlds trade. Justice
must be wrung from England. This
has partly been done, and it would seem
that the struggle IF centuries is at last
being brought to successful end.