The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-07-28

appearing. The bugaboo that Home
Rule means Rome Rule has almost yam
ished from amongst educated Protest
ants, who have in recent. years opened
their eyes to the great advantage Home
Rule would be to the country Then
again, PresbYterians in Ireland have
not been treated with JUST by the
Government. Episcopalians get the
preference in al matters of State, and
the proportion of patronage given to
Presbyterians is small indeed in COM
parison with their numbers"
'sHow about the Methodists?"
1.-THE number Of Methodists in Ire
land is small when compared with
Presbyterians. The Methodist body
cannot be greater than $4,000, while the
Presbyterians number over SO, 600. /
have no hesitation in stating that the
feeling in favor Of Home Ruie is grow
ing as rapidly amongst the Methodist
body as among the Presbyterisns.
''Is this the case IN the North also?'
"Well, no." replied Mr.. Irwin. "lt is
not The Orange Tories, for party pur-
| poses, keep alive the religious differ
ences OF the past. They excite all the
religious bitterness and create all the
party strife possible. But even in the
North there is marked increase III the
number of Professionals of all denomina-
tons who are becoming alive to the
necessity of Home Rule. Eventually
they will all fall III line, as they are
| daily getting more and more educated
in the belief that Ireland as nation is
we'll able to govern HERSELF
4You live close to Lord Lansdowne's
estate at Luggacurran. How is lie 1e-
garded there?" asked the reporter.
Eyes, have lived near the scenes Of
tie recent troubles between Lord
! Lansdowne and his tenants, and I have
been witness of great deal Of what
has been going On there within the past
ten years. Lord I.ausdowne is an alb
sentee, rack-renting landlord. He
wants all Che money he can get out OF
the estate without spending any money
Oh it. Therefore, trouble mist follow.
The narrowing tales of poverty and woe
depicted py William O'Brien have not
given an idea Of the sutferlngs Of Lord
Lansdowne' unfortunate tenants. The
Dublin Freeman's Journal sent q COM
missioner some time ago to inquire into
che state of the tenantry, and the de-
scriptions published in that paper,
though terrible to contemplate, we're
not in the least over~drawn.
But" said Mr.. Irwin, "Lord Lans-
tlowne is not any worse than other alb
sentee landlords. They care not for the
sutferings OF The people, they are away
from it. They get the money by hook
or by crook and that is all they care
about. 1t is different where there are
resident landlords. In The south Of Ire
land, where the landlord lives amongst
his tenants, there is peace and content
rnent and seldom any complaints made. !"
! With reference TO the D'Donnall-
Times suit, Mr.. Irwin said that MI.
! + aruell could not be- shaken ia t}le con-
Hlence Of the Irish people, We would
be rung1iuga great risk to go into court
with the present administration and he
las made a fair offer TO have a commit
tee OF inquiry appointed to Investigate
I; the case.
| That these statements by the Rev.
| Mr. Irwin are fair and truthful, no one
who knows anything about The present
state Of ireland will deny. His Ian.
guage, frank and moderate, has the
ring CT sincerity and the strength OF
conviction. He shows how the stupid
! CITY that Home Rule meant Rome Rule
has lost all the significance that ever
attached to it, and that the Professionals
are as earnest in their desire for self
government as their Catholic fellow
countrymen. Montreal True Witness.