Wichita eagle., 1890-02-09
FOR A FINAL STRUGGLE.
President Fitzgerald Appeals to Ireland's
Friends in America.

LINCOLN, Neb.. Feb. S.-President Fitz-
geral of the Irish national league, today
issued the following address to the organ
Ization:
LINCOLN, Neb., Feb s. 1890
To the Officers and Members of the Irish National
League of America;
Since the inception of the present Irish
movement, now nearing its hour of final
triumph or sore defeat, the Irish exiles
and their children in America have been
the chief support and mainstay of the
national struggle. Our enemies have re-
cognized the tremendous force of organ
lied effort as a most potent aid to
the Irish cause and they are
now exercising all their ingenuity
and utilizing their numerous resources to
destroy and nullify its influence by trying
TO create disorganizatiou and distrust
among the friends of ireland. Secret SER
vice money is being expended and subsi-
died agents employed to scatter innuendos.
to make false allegations and by every
Rrtifice to disseminate ISLANDERS in order
to disrupt the Irish national organization
in America.
Be the impelling motive what it may, a
hostile press is being utilized in this coun-
Try to supplement- the unscrupulous but
defeated efforts of the London Times to
discredit not only the national officers of
the American league but the trusted and
able leaders of the movement in
Ireland, whom, until now. Won have
SO loyalty supported and upheld. The
Chicago Times of the End inst, says edi-
torlally: Hold no convention, is the ad-
vice to the executive of the national league
in America from the gentlemen over the
bea, but send us more money. AS to the
money part that has been the cry from
time immemorial." In the Chicago Herald
Of the same date we read: Nothing is so
perfectly delightful TO the free-handed
patriots whom Ireland sends to this coun-
Try as to lay aside their earnings until
they accumulate enough to buy draft
and then blow the whole amount into the
hands of lot of irresponsible professional
agltators Tor unknown purposes.
Brother lrishman, is not this the Ian
guage of the London Times and the Tory
organs. who, for generations, have been
splitting their contempt upon every effort
of the Irish people to ameiiorate the con-
dltion of their country? Does it not seem
as if the Piggott-Flanagan hirelings,
balked in England, had transferred their
vile operations to America? In this emer-
gency we rely upon your manhood, your
devotion, your common sense not to be
misled by Salisbury's reptile press, his sub
sidiZed priest revilerS and those stormy
petrels of faction who are now trying to
demoraliZe your ranks. Rest assured that
the ignominious defeat of the London
Times will be the fate of its puny imita-
tors on this side of the. Atlantic The
time has come TO appeal to
our better nature and to have
trust and confidence in ourselves The
Irish people in Ireland are setting US a
grand example. They are conducting
themselves with a zeal, a dignity and a
discipline unprecedented in the annals of
the human race. Generous as your contri-
buttons have been, noble as have been
your sacrifices and magnificent your eff
forts, they are far from eGualling under
like circumstances the manifest of these
qualities by the people in Ireland. In in
stance. we refer you 10 the alacrity with
which they contributed, in an inconceiva-
bic space of time, Sl50,000 TO the defense of
the leader in whose person the Irish
nation was persecuted in the late Times
forgery commission. The Irish landlords
realize that their tenure of property,
founded III robbery and maintained by
tyranny, Is nearing Its end and forced sale
of their estates is now living issue con-
tended by the two great English parties.
The vital question of the hour is, which
party shall anticipate the other in framing
an Irish bill designed 10 give peasant pro-
prietary to the peoples The law of emil
nent domain is undoubtedly going TO be
invoked and the purchase price of the es-
tates must be determined on the annual
Rental accruing from their use. The land
lords hope 10 sell at q ficticiously eNhor-
bitant figure upon the showing of a rack
rent roll. Our people have wisely dis
xrned the cunning of this movement
and bravely determined TO tnwart it
1t any cost To this end the tenants
Of Louth, Cork. Tipperary and other coun-
ties are making common cause and are go
ing forth from thar holdings, leaving the
estates to present a valuation approximate
TO their real worth according to existing
prices of agricultural products. These
tenants who are thus neroically surrender
ing the accumulations Of years OF toll and
economy in the common cause OF nation
alitS, deserve TO be sustained. Win we re
fuse them succor in this, their most gen
erous sacrifice on the altar of liberty: Most