The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-09-01
A PARKELL DEFENSE FUND.

John Fitzgerald, president of the I.
N. l.. A., has issued the subjoined letter
to the different state delegates of the
organization throughout America.
MIR. .Fitzgerald's suggestion is timely,
and should be acted upon without de-
lay. Let Minnesota be one Of the first
to respond to to the call. Following is
the letter:
DEAR S1R-Owing to the refusal Of
the Salisbury cabinet to grant to the
Irish members of Parliament an inves-
tlgating committee to examine into the
truth Of the charges made against them
by the London Times, and owing to the
evident collision between the members
of the cabinet and proprietors of the
Times, in drafting the royal commits
sion bill which a brutal machine ma
jority carried through the British House
of Commons, it would be absurd to ex-
pect an impartial trial from tribunal
SO constituted. The royal commission
can have but one object, and that is to
evade investigation into the authenti-
city of the Times letters and to screen
it's proprietors and their friends in the
cabinet from the punishment strict
justice should accord to forgers and
moral thugs.
MIR. Parnell seeks from a Scottish jury
the justice that could not he obtained
from the British Parliament, nor from
London law courts liable to the inter-
ference Of corrupt government officials.
Armed with unaswerable evidence,
Mr.. Parnell asks a jury Of honest
Scotchmen to convict the proprietors of
the Times of uttering forged letters and
Of attempting by such criminal means
to destroy the reputation of honest men.
Great issues hang upon this trial. A
verdict against the Times will cover
with deserved infamy the cowardly and
murderous cabinet Of Lord Salisbury,
and disgust every man not altogether
blind to decency, with government
capable Of descending to measures SO
unalterably vile to defeat it's political
opponents. To prevent that event and
its attendant consequences, the Golfers
OF the London Times will be supple
mented by the secret service money at
the disposal of the government, and no
means that can safely help to defeat
the ends Of justice will be left untried
by his cabinet, so experienced in all the
darksome ways abhorrent to honest
men.
In such critical position Mr.. Par
nell must not be left to fight unaided
The Irish race must not permit their
leader to fail in his efforts to secure
fair hearing of his cause for mere want
of funds to carry on what must be an
expensive suit. 1t is our cause he is
fighting. It's we who, through him,
are assailed by this combination of per-
jurers and forgers, and it is incumbent
upon US to stand Loyalty by him and
give him that financial support which
the circumstances may demand. A
Parnell defense fluid should be inaug-
urated in every state without delay.
The need is imperative and the fund
coll cted should be remitted promptly
to Rev. Charles O'Reilly, at Detroit,
Mich. 1t is cause that appeals not
only to Irishmen, but to every man
who believes in the good American viz.
tue Of fair play.
It isa case Of honesty against cor
ruption backed by England's treasury,
and Mr.. Parnell's triumph will be the
avant courier Of a still greater triumph
wenh this cabinet of murder, forgery and;