The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-07-08
MICHAEL DAVITT.
The Ex-Member for Cork Gives
Facts and Figures About the b
Loyal Minority. &; &;
INTERESTING STATISTICS,

INTERESTING STATISTICS,
The Numerical Strength Of the Or
ange Party in Ireland is
Overestimated.
At a recent Nationalist convention
held IN the county of Tyrone, Michael
Dayitt made speech in which he ex.
posed the hollow pretensions Of the
loyal minority" in Ulster and proved by
figures that there are only 10000 adult
male anti Home Rulers in all Ireland.
We have heard great deal recently
about the Ulster Defence Union, said
Mr.. Davitt. They have threatened re
sistance if Home Rule becomes law and
declare beforehand that such resistance
will be justifable. Well, people who are
prolific in threats seldom do much in the
way of deeds of action. You generally
find bully in the market or the fair very
fiery with his talk ab Mt what he can do
and what he is prepared to perform. but
when the opportunity presents itself he
usually acts upon the axiom that dis
cretion is the better part Of yalor.'' The
Ulster Defence Union will not, I am con-
fdent, result in civil war. 1t will be too
dangerous game for landlords, lawyers,
members OF Parliament and Presbyterian
ministers. War would not be against
the constitutional authority Of ireland
alone; it would not be rebellious against
Home rule; it would be rebellious against
the sovereignty Of the Imperial Parlia-
ment; against the masses of the people
Of Ireland; it would be rebellion against
the power, the prestige, and the author
ity OF the whole British Empire. I think
these worthy warriors are too prudent
and have too much consideration tor
their interests to run their heads against
so many stone walls as T ha, e enumer-
ated. The latest we have heard is that
it's enrolment is complete, and that the
number of members of warriors
amounts now to 10000 over the age of
sixteen years.
Now, I amused myself coming up in
the train looking at the figures Of our
political opponents. BY the census re-
turns the total number of Protestants in
Ireland is ], 100000. Half Of this at least
must be given to the ladies, and think
the ladies are not going to take part in
this civil war. This leaves the number
of available Upion1st male warriors at
$4,000 Of all ages. Now, to get at the
proportion OF those who are sixteen
years and older we must divide $4,000
by 5, and the result will be 10000
Unionist males over sixteen in the whole
Of Ireland. I do not believe that the
Protestants of Ireland are such arrant
FOOLS as to enroll themselves, every man
of them, in this silly Landlords Defence
Union of Ulster, and am confident that,
instead of this Defence Union having an
enrolment Of 10000, it would be nearer
the mark to take the 100000 away and
leave it at 10000 I believe the figures
given are bogus figures. They are as
real as the war-ike threats OF Col Saun-
derson and the land reforms Of T. w.
Russell when he visits his constituency
in South Tyrone. And even il these fig
,ures were correct and the Ulster Defence
Union had membership of 10000,
there are, let me say. 10000 Home Rul-
ers in Ireland Of sixteen and over, who
will have law, reason and common sense
on their side when Home Rule becomes
the constitution Of the country, and {
believe If the emergency did arise that
the $4,000 Irish Nationalists, with JUS
tice and authority and reason on their
eide, would be able to give pretty good
account Of OOW or the 17c. 600 landlords
and their following. The Defence Union
is fraud and humbug on The face Of
it. It is an emergency organization Of
the irish landlords that and nothing
more. Its real object is to safeguard
and protect the right Of the landlords to
exact high rents, and to prolong the life
Of the system which has battened and
fattened on the sweat Of the toiIng ten
ant farmers Of Ulster and OF ireland, and.
wEich 1navoa fh1a nnA nf f1o unOreef