The Irish standard., 1895-09-28
Pen Picture Of Or. croke, His
Character, His Career and
Fl s&s His Labor.
His Wisdom in rlatters Of Poli-
tics and What He Has
Accomplished. 81;
The Pre1ate Has Hopeful Feel.
ing in natters Pertaining
to Irish Affairs.


liamentary party, Arbishop Croke once
more turned away from all active partici~
patton in Irish politics. There seemed to
him no hope Of anything being done for
Ireland while Irishmen themselves were
SO hopelessly dissented. To all sugges-
tions Of a modus yivendi between the
two exetreme wings, led on the one side
by Mr.. Healy and on the other by Mr..
Redmond, with a view to union at the
coming general election, he turned a
deaf ear. "No," he said, "they will fight
until common enemy appears whom
they hate more than they hate each
other. Then they will reunite. I have
seen it many time in the old days when
faction fights were rife in the land.
Bands OF two-year-olds and three-year-
olds, as they were called, would fight
furiously with each other with their
blackthorns until the police appeared on
the scene; then in moment the two
year-olds would cease belaboring each
other and make firm fighting alliance
against the detested policies. Who
knows but that in the new Unionist ad-
ministration the Irish faction may rot
find a substitute for the police, whose
advent caused even the two-year-old
and three-year-ol factions to unite, IT.
only for time"
It was in vain that tried to rouse fha
Archbishop to a more hopeful estimate
of the situation. Time, he said, "alone
will do any good. 1t is no use fretting,
no use striving against the force Of CIR
cunstances and the self-interest of those
who are keeping the fires Of faction
alight. We must wait. 1t is deplorable,
no doubt, that Irishn1en should be vast
ing their force in internecine strife in-
stead of rallying around a leader who
would fight against the enemies Of their
country. But the leader has not yet ap-
peared and the factions will go on fight
ing. take little interest in it now" The
said, "for do not see how things are
likely to mend in the direction Of Home
Rule. Look at our situation. The Irish
question is at the bottom a land Ques-
ton, and the result Of the agitation of
the fifteen years has been undoubtedly
to give our people firm grip of their
holdings. II the Land bill could be pass
ed into law think you would find that
the farmers would have obtained ali that
they want and as soon RS that point is
reached you will find that the farmers,
especially the large farmers. will develop
a very large conservative sentiment We
can see it already In many parts Of the
country.
Looking at Ireland" said I, '.as it is
today and as it was when you were a boy
how do you think it has changed?"
"F'Or the better" said the archbishop.
unhesitatingly. ''Very much for the bet-
ter. Education is very much more wide
ly diffused the people are better clothed,
better shod and better fed"
t'What about drunkenness?', .8 as.
"If it were not for Drunkenness there
would be no crime in Ireland at all. AIS
1t is there is no crime that does not dr.
rive out Of that evil. There is indeed. q
great deal too much drinking in the
country. We are contending against 1T
in every way we can. will never confrm
any boy or girl before they have taken
a pledge never to touch any alcoholic
drink before twenty -one years of age.5
But there ts a great and wonderful
nh
people. The Quantftl OF punch which was
enormously greater than that which ~
drank today. People thought nothing of
drinking then to an extent which today
would be thought a quite disgrace
ful. The improvement which has been
wrought amongst the gentry is spreading
to the tOwnspeop1e and from them III
hope 1t will descend to the mass Of the5
people. As for the number OF houses 1i-
censed for the sale OF drink that need
not conc Oneuyr. nereyvawapi oolwoai1a
not concern you. i do not think that, the
number OF licensed houses stands In any
relation whatever sto the duarlttyS az
drink consumed. Our places are very.
simple; they have no fascina tons to lure
the people into them and asman can ret
drunk in one place sas soon ass hes Gan iia
half a dozen. Z. sS ;ssS
4 And what about religion ~ 'I asked Sl'S,
4i Religion said the afchb biatlop, sis III
most satisfactory record Of ~. = dQ5 5a3ohs
believe that from the days So1 St. SPatfgekS
down till now has there ever been a tlnI4
to their fre1igi Ion, practf Icing their i0ns
sas they do today. Tsiat Il q ereat @ q
HI the midst of all adrersity AMI diaS I,
efSs