The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-12-01
THE IRISH PARTY.
What It Has Done and What It
Will Do Earnestly and Ably ..
Set Forth in an


viii Do Earnestly and Ably
Set Forth in an
j ADDRESS BY JOHN DILLON,
The History Of the Last Fourteen
Years Inspires Hope and !
Confidence.
| John Dillon, M. F., spoke before a
great gathering of the Nationalists Of
Leitrim and Roscommon, Ire, at Drunas
shambo, On Sunday, November 4 The
Irish Party: how it began, what it all
complished, who constitutes it to, day,
and what it's program is for the future 4
was the subject of his address--one Of
the most important recently delivered in
! the interest of tbs Irish cause. Il
| In the whole history of Ireland, said
Mr.. Dillon, and throughout the long and
tragic history of the martyrdom Of ouH
people, there is nothing SO much calcus
Lated to inspire hope and confidence ,sH
the history Of the last fourteen yearss
Why? Because in 1919, for the first tima
since the Act Of Union was passed, az
organization was brought hume to the
door of every farmer in Ireland by which
he was enabled to defend his property
and to break the power of landlordism;
and for the first time in Ireland when
the people were called upon to make sac
rifices and to run risks they got some res
ward for their sacrifices, and they hat.
the pleasure of seeing their enemies
humbled and the power Of the extermin-
ators broken For the first time in the
history of Ireland party arose across
the water in an alien Parliament which
| honestly, courageously and successfully
stoc mp for the rights of the people Il
Ireland. That party was founded in '79,
aud it has carried on the war for eleven
years against inuumerable enemies most
successfully. Z. g. Why do recaM
the history OF those years? l recall It
for this reason, becaus, think it is the
duty of every Irish Nationalist carefully
and anxiously to ask himself how did it
come to pass, and what were the reasons
why, the party, which represented Ire.
land in the British Parliament from 1880
to 1890, was the party which made the
nane Of Ireland feared and respected
where before it had been matter for con
tempt and hatred. Why was it that that
party for the first time rolled back the
tide of oppression from the home of
every farmer in ireland, and made the
heart of every grabber ond exterminator
tremble in his breast? Why was it that
through the ps of that party for the
! fest time was heard on the floor of the
| British House of Commons the true doc
trine of Irish nationality preached, and
why was If that for the first, time in the
| history cf our nation the hopes and con-
fdence and aspirations and support Of
everything that was advanced and cour
ag~ous and revolutionary in Irish ma
tionality in ireland and in America ral-
lied around that party?
will tell you why it was, because it
was united party. It was because it
was pledge bound party; it was because
it was party organized in strict disci-
pline and pledged to sacrifice and to sub
ordinate every personal and local interest
to the interest of the Irish nation. In
other countries, more happily situated
than Ireland, q representative of the peo-
pie is entitled first Of all to consider the
interests of his own constituents, but
that wss not The case with the Parlia-
mentary party of Ireland. We went to
that Parliament as the representatives of
peop.e who We're being exterminated
by cruel and ruthless aristocracy
planted in their midst for the purpose of
expressing them. We went there not
alone to fight for local interests, but to
fight the battle Of martyred and .op
pressed people; but we were bound to
subordinate every private and local in
terest to the supreme interest OF our
country / say, therefore, that the rules
under which that old party was built up,
and by which 1t acquired the enormous
power which wrung from our enemies
those grudgiDg testimonials of it's great
ness and it's efcacyI say that those were
wise rules and regulations which ought
to be dear to every Irishman who loves
Ireland, and who desires to see the Ma
tional cause succeed. In 1885, after five
years experience of fighting Ireland's
battles in Parliament, the old veterans
of that war assembled in Dublin. We
drew up series Of rules for the guild
ance of our party, and they received at
the time the approval Of thesWho]e ma
tion, rules which were based on q long
and bitter experience Of the war we car
ried on in England's Parliament. We
then instituted the pledge and the prin-.