The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-10-03
The Report of the Platform Com
mittee Raises a Row.
ENGLISH GOODS TO BE BOYCOTTED
No Contributions Until the Paris Fund Is
Freed-McCarthyite Faction Downed-
Cannon Succeeds Fitzgerald.

| Inc report Of John Z. Sutton, secretary,
revealed the strange condition under which
the league would appear to have existed
and caused considerable surprise. 1t
opened with the declaration that President
fitzgerald, when elected year ago. be-
HeVed Inc whole organization backed him,
| put ne found his mistake when efforts were
made to demoralize and disrupt the league.
Inc report outlines a startling nara
tive, with ledgers and kilograms to
show that time and time again
convention OF the American league WIGS
prevented from across the water
while the officers of the league for not
holding one were abused by factionists in
thls country encouraged by Parneu and his
colleagues who insisted On ignoring the
league officials whenever an opportunity
oHered. President Fitzgerald Is stated to
nave headed the anti-eviction fund with
| personal subscription of $1,000 and to have
raised the total to nearly 500 600 in his
nrst eHort Tor struggling families in Ire
ianu farnelPs neglect short time later,
IN march, 1887, to acknowledge its receipt
ana the coercion resolutions adopted by the
Nebraska legislature, are alluded to in con-
trast with Gladstone's prompt reply.
One peculiar disclosure made by Score
tary Sutton is to the effect that during
October, 1888, Parnell finding himself bound
by agreement TO turn over to his lawyers
the full amount of the Times defense fund,
begged Of President Fitzgerald, through
James O'Kelly that while pushing collec-
tons to the fund to be obtained in America
the wishes OF Parnell be complied with.
| Says the report: 'sAnd very soon there
was a howl from a handful of factionists
who theoretically, on behalf of the London
! Times, made the statement the Rev. Dr.
O'Reilly was retaining money for improper
purposes"
| The climax Of Sutton's document is a let
ter dated House of Commons, London May
81, 1890, from John Dillon to President
Fitzgerald marked strictly confidential"
ssying Parnell suggests the executive
should address communication to him
(ParnelD recognizing the difficulties Gre
ated by American party complications and
advising that he (Parnell) should take
steps to reconstruct the present organiza-
ton In such manner as would allow vari-
] GUS branches to communicate direct with
! Dublin. II the executive can see their way
to act upon the suggestion, Parnell author
ICES me- TO say in reply to the communica-
| ton from them Will write thanking them
| for their great services to the Irish cause;
strongly disappearing Of the attacks that
have been made upon them and stating that
having inquired into the charges made
| against the executive of the league they
were satisfied they were utterly without
| foundation.
! President Fitzgerald replying said the
members of the executive could not conceal
their establishment at the tenor of the COM
1 munication to them, adding, 1--WE cannot
but ndissent from the supposition that
American politics have in any way inter
administration. The league record
shows that while members of the executive
were of different political affiliations, they
| were unanimous in their resolve to prevent
any such interference with the government
of the league. AS to the undesira oillty of
a central organization in America, that is a
question which pertains exclusive ely to
your jurisdiction. Regarding your propo
| sition of addressing letter to Parnell,
recognizing the difficulties created by
American party complications and advising
that he should take steps to reconstruct
the present organization in such manner as
void allow various branches to communi-
cate direct with Dublin, is one which the
conscience Of the executive cannot conform
to. We are not now, nor have we ever been
unmindful of the fact that we took Office
under pledges to conduct the league as
q body auxiliary to the national party in
Ireland, and as such we have always been
guided by their advice and direction, 80 we
do not propose at this late date to adopt
different policy, but we are not seeking a
certificate of character from anyone for
ity with Parnell's expressed desires.n
The contest over the platform developed
into an open split of the committee and ct 2
pm. Sharon, OF Iowa; Donnelly, of Wis
consln; and O'Byrne, of Georgia, were
framing minority report against neutral
ity toward Parnell. The majority report.
it was understood, prior to its presentat ton
in the convention mentioned neither Par
nell nor Mccarthy, but demanded firm
united front on the part of the people of
Ireland.
M. V. Cannon, Of Omaha, tonight sue
ceeded John Fitzgerald as president of the
Irish National League of America. The
convention, notwithstanding spirited
struggle, adopted an attitude of absolute
independence from any other of the fac
tions in Ireland or their auxiliary bodies
Secretary John p. Sutton was reelected
by reclamation, and William Lyman, of
new Y ork, unanimously chosen treasurer
I w. j. Gleason, of Cleveland, chairman
of the committee on constitution, submit
ted plan which made mention of the pa
rent body in Ireland this diverting the
American body from subsection to the con-
troll or responsibility to the diverse organ
izations now existing in Ireland. The plan
was adopted without question and the sal
aries of the president, secretary and treas
urer fixed at 81, 600 each per year.
A hubbub was raised by Dennis Ryan,
of ST. Louis, Directing to the clause in the
constitution virtually making one of the
objects of the league the boycotting in
America of importation Of goods of Eng
lish manufacture. He thought such action
looked like taking hand in American pol
itics, but the convention failed to see it
and DANGEROUSLY yelled for Ryan to sit
down while it declared itself Enthusiastically
for the boycott.
The real fight Of the day occurred when
the report of the committee on platform
was read. 1t was: 1.-The Irish National
League of America, in convention as
sembled, testifies Its devotion to the flag of
the union and the unquestionable love of
its members for the laws and institutions
of our glorious country, recognizing as we
do, gladly and proudly, that our primary
allegiance is due to that flag aud to those
institutions. We affirm that our over
mastering desire'is to see extended to our
motherlandt the benefits accruing from equal
laws such as have blessed America, made
her the hope of suffering mankind and the
model for nations struggling for free in :
stitutions. We regret the conditions now
existing in Ireland and attribute their
possibility to the unfortunate tendency
toward hero worship and one man
domination, which we hope to see
obliterated from the public life of
!, Ireland. We have no desire, nor
deem it wise, necessary or patriotic to pass
Judgment upon the ques tieas now unhap-
PLY separating our brethren in the old
land. We have heretofore rendered our
good Offices in the adjustment of those diff
ferences and the tender has been wholly
disregarded by the contending elements,