The Portland daily press., 1891-10-03
THE IRISH LEADERS, DOUBLE DEALING
MIR. Sutton's Remarkable Report to
the National League.
How Mr.. ParneII Offered a BrIbe to
the Executive Officers.
A Proposition to Abolish tho Central
Organization.

CHICAGO, Ills. October 4.-Secretary John
P. Sutton today submitted report to the
Irish National League in which he says:
"At the convention in Chicago, in August,
1886. President John Fitzgerald was declared
elected by lthree-fourths of the assembled
delegates. President Fitzgerald returned
home in the whole belief that the great or
ganized body Of Irish-Americans sto cd be-
hind him united like brothers In the holy
cause of Irish liberty, He found his mis-
take. Cowardly conspirators failing In their
vile purpose Of creating dissension and dis
union. had sneaked out like beaten ours
from the last Chicago convention, and re-
newed under cover Of secret plots, their at
tempt to demoralize and disrupt the league"
Beginning with letter from Mr.. Parnell
few weeks after the Chicago convention,
entreatlng President Fitzgerald to raise
funds to help the unfortunate evicted
tenants of Ireland, as the treasury of the
Irish League was almost exhausted, the re-
port outlines startling narrative, with let
ters and kilograms in chronological order, to
show that time and again convention of
the American league has been prevented
from across the water, while the officers of
the league, for not holding one, were abused
by factionists in this country, encouraged by
&uts L dluct huu HIS COlodSuccs WIZ arc tx
hibited as sedulously ignoring the league
officials whenever opportunity offered.
President Fitzgerald Is stated to have headed
an anti-evicti0n fund with a personal sub
scription Of $4,000 and to have raised nearly
100000 in his efforts for struggling farmers
in Ireland, "while a reverend editor in
Buffalo was sneering at his want of educa-
tion."
One peculiar disclosure made by Secretary
Sutton is that during October, 1888, Mr.. Par
nell. finding himself bound by the agreement
to turn over to his lawyers the full amount
of the Times defense fund, then unex-
pectedly large, begged of President Fitz-
gerald, through james j. O'Kelley. to have
the fund retained In America. "The wishes
Of Mr.. Parnell were complied with."' says
the report. VERY soon came howl from
handful Of factionists in Chicago, New York
and Philadelphia who acted energetically In
behalf of the Lendon Times by sowing the
seeds of mistrust in their statement that
Rev. DIR. O'Reilly was retaining the money
Timothy Harrington that the money was re-
tained at Mr.. Parnelps request the report
says, did not prevent them from continuing
to raise the same charge, as their only object
was to burst up every Irish organization in
America.
The climax of Mr.. Sutton's document is a
letter dated blouse of Commons, London,
May 81, $780," from John Dillon to President
Fitzgerald, marked 'strictly confidential"
and saying that Mr.. Parnell had suggested
that the executive should address communi-
cations to him Mr.. Parnell / Recognizing the
difficulties created by American party COM
pllcatlOns, and advising that he Mr. Par
nell should take steps to reconstruct the
present organization in such a manner as
nicate direct with DubliD. Ii the executive
can see way to act upon the suggestion, Mr..
Parnell authorizes me to say that In reply to
a communication from them. he will himself
write thanking them for their great services
to the Irish cause, strongly disappearing Of
and stating that, having inquired into the
charges made against the executive of the
league. he is satisfied that they are utterly
without foundation"
President Fitzgerald, replying, said; "We
cannot but dissent from the suppositi0n that
American politics has, tin any way. inter-
fered with, or complicated the administra-
tion of the league. The record shows that
while the members of the executive are of
different political affiliations, they are unani-
tefierence WIN Ine goveinsIienL Of tho league.
AS to the undesirability of a central organi-
zation In America, that is question which
pertains exclusively to your jurisdiction.
Regarding the proposition of addressing a
a letter to Mr.. Parnell, recognizing
the difficulties created by American party
complications and advising that he should
take steps to reconstruct the present organi-
zation In such manner as would allow the
various branches to communicate direct with
D1blin.' it is the conscience of the execu-
tive that 1t cannot conform to it, We are
not now, nor have we ever been, unmindful
of the fact that we took office under pledges
to conduct the League as body auxiliary to
the National Party In Ireland. As such we
have always been guided by their advice and
direction. We do not propose, at this late
date, to adopt different policy; but we are
not seeking a certificate of character from
any one for having acted in every instance
in conformity with MIR. Parnell's express de-
sires."
The convention elected M. V. Cannon of
Sutton. The committee on constitution sub
mitted plan which made no mention of the
parent body In Ireland, thus divestiDg the
American body from the subsection to the
diverse organizations existing in Ire
land. A clause In the constitution virtually
making one Of the objects of the league the
boycotting in America of importations of
goods of English manufacturers was carried.
The platform adopted declares that "We
land and attribute their possibility to the un-
fortunate tendency toward hero worship and
one man domination which we hope to see
obliterated from public life Of Ireland"
The platform pledges the league to raise
no more money until that misappropriated
abroad has been put to the charitable use
for which 1t was raised,
Patrick Boyle Of Toronto was chosen first
York, second; b. j. O'Connor Of Augusta.
Ca, third. VIM. Lyman of New York was
elected treasurer. President Gannon's
cabinet, or national council, Is as follows:
Daniel Corkery of Illinois, Capt George
Sweeney of Ohio, John S. Donovan of Massa-
chusetts, Jas. Mangan Of Wisconsin,. III, j: