Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-09-27
IRISH ACTIVE.
Big Convention Held in Chicago in
Behalf Of Ireland.
Delegates Present from All Parts OF
the country-John F1nerty Makes
Speech.


old flag which bears upon its folds tn,
legend of Irish autonomy.
This was done in the auditorium o
the Young Mems Christian Associatio,
building at noon, when for the first tim
since the historic gathering of 1886 tn
representatives of the Irish race Il
America met in conclave to devils
ways and means to bring Ireland tn
liberty which for centuries she has as
pired to.
Seven hundred years the sons of Ire
land at home and abroad have beer
trying to accomplish this end, an6
they have tried many ways to do it.
The claymore in the days of Hugh
O'Neill, the pike in the days of Vinegar
hill, the parliamentary tactics of Par.
nell, all had failed, and Tuesday Ire
lands sons met together to see if some
means could not be devised to secure
the aim of the centuries.
Irishmen by birth or ancestry were
gathered in the spacious audito.
rum when the hour for the calling to-
gether of the convention arrived. Men
of national repute were present, and
SO too were men who locally have
achieved prominence in public as well
rs private life.
Is Trlfe Vague.
"God-speed the new movement for
Ireland, as nation separate and
independent" was the watch
word that was flashed over
the wires from thousand diff
ferent centers the world over. It
meant something, but just what, few
on the outside could figure out. Every
body knew that something was to be
done; what that something is. few
could tell, perhaps the proceedings of
the next three days may disclose.
Men who have mingled in thousand
different combats for Irish freedom
were there. A thousand strong, they
filled the convention hall from the out
er doors to the rostrum.
There was John L. Finerty, repre-
senting the radical Irish senti.
lnent, and there was Senator
r v. Fitzpatrick, cool, shrewd
and careful, but as radical
as anyone there at heart. There, too,
was O'Donovan Rosa, who suffered
years OF imprisonment for his partici-
patton in the old Fenian movement.
and he did not look bit like dyna.
inter.
Others Who Were There.
Besides these there We're present the
following well-known Americans:
John j. O'Connell, chairman execu-
tive committee; John j. Heating. score.
tary; Lawrence Keneally treasurer; John
bowling, L. R. Buckley, E. j. Ford
~ OConnor. John E. Long, J. j. Carroll
william Houlehan, NJ. S. Hyland Owen
Ahern: r F: Scott, F'rank Agnew, p.
" Fitzpatrick, J. ]. Mahoney, Martin
Mule.hey, w. H. Joyce, W. Gavin, p F. RYAN.
J. F. Clark, James j. Carroll, NJ w. William.
Hogan. w. Mccoy, ]. McCaffrey. n.
j. Conway. William Fortune, J. P.
Nah oney: B. j. Mahoney, M. KAY.
Gahan, Thomas Byrne, Thomas Lynch,
John Dunno, Austin ]. Doyle, Con.
-Hfessman McGann, Thomas Moran 1ohn
n Smyth, Thomas Cantwsll,- all Of Chi.
cago; j. R. Graham, Springfield; E. o,Con.
nell, Bloomington; B. 4. Flanagan, q.
Quinn. Joliet; F. German, PEG.
ria; E. j. Kelly, Ottawa; NJ j. Keane
r. J. O'Connor Savannah, Ga: D. Deasy,
w. F. Reilly, Springfield; A. Moore Danyille:
D. Resrdon. Delavan; P. J. Wallace, ST.
Louis; D. M Heating, Jacksonville; W. f
O'Reilly, Springfeld p. Sheehan, Woodson:
Meeting Called to Order.
It was just noon when John ].
O'Connell, chairman of the execu.
tive committee, called the con-
vention to order. Above his
head hung the old motto: sGod
Save Ireland" Around the hall were
strung American and Irish banners.
the latter Of green and gold and bear.
ing the motto of the Irish people GEN.
turtles old Erin -Bragh"
The chairman appeared to gather
but little sympathy or inspira.
ton from the festooning of the
hall, but he did wake up per.
ceptibly when his opening words
were met with volleys of cheers that
made the electric lights tremble and
wink. He told the occasion for the
calling of the convention.
1.-THE Irish people the world over,
said Mr.. o'Connell have become dis
satisfied with parliamentary agit alton
% the means to the end we all aspire to.
tories are now as ever Infamous in the eyes OF
the civilized world for their hostility to eyery-
thing that was for the benefit OF Ireland and
the Irish people"
They had mot, he said, for the practical
good Of the Irish people and for the taking of
steps to establish upon Irish soil re pub]ic
based upon ouch principles as those govern
ing the American republic.
Secretary John P. Sutton read the
call, which has already been printed,
and then President Finerty came upon
the stage He was greeted with ire
mendous cheering.
1t was again and again repeated.
Mr.. Finerty made no speech on COM
ing forward, but simply opened the
by announcing that they
had messages of welcome from all over
the United States and the world.
Interest Was Increased.
They were from every state from
New York to San Francisco; they
came from Dublin and from Lin.
erick; they came from Birming-
ham. England, and from John o.
Groats, Scotland. They were all in
support of the new movement" and
they all called for ''active work" in
the cause of complete Irish independ-
ence. There were delegates from
Canada who occupied box on the
left of the stage, and delegates from
Australia who sat in the box on. the
left of the speaker.
They listened to the messages and
greeted the sentiments they expressed
Is they were being read. They Joined
n the applause as enthusiastically az
he delegates from the various states
Who filed the body of the hall.
After the reading of the kilograms,
'fr. Finerty made the address of the
lay, showing the reasons and the
ause for the convention.
President Finerty's Address.
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