The San Francisco call., 1896-06-15

people, after robbing the monasteries
! which fed the poor, in return for the land
and manufactures she had taken away,
England gave Ireland the workhouse sys-
| tenn.
"James Anthony Froude, who came TO
! this country to do the Englishmans work
! of defaming Ireland, had to confess that
| in Ireland there was less robbery and
crime than in any other country of its size
| in the world. 1t is fair to Judge the Irish
| by what they are in their own country
under the many disadvantages they have
| to struggle against; it is good to see here
| that even their enemies admit the truth OF
the declaration that Ireland is crimeless
! land
''The accusations made against the Irish
at home have followed them across the
water. 1t is charged that they build our
iails and fill them; that they own all the
saloons; that they have a monopoly of the
records of the police courts, and that they
are always in trouble with the law. The
Irish people in America are mostly lmm1-
grants. Even where immigration is under
the most favorable circumstances it tends,
by breaking up old ties and other causes,
to increase crime. The Irish immigrants,
thanks TO the English policy for 120 years
OF for bidding education being carried on
in Ireland by the priests, came TO this
country for the most part ignorant and
illiterate. Yet even these 120 dark years
constitute glorious period in Irish his
tory, when the priests, disguised in in
finite ways, came into the country to
comfort and care for the suffering people.
But after all this persecution even the
religion of Jesus Christ was employed
against them. The pious people of Eng
land thought it proper time to rescue
Ireland from the error OF popery. The
starving people were invited to eat of the
al,1
provided they would renounce their re-
lieion. Thus robbed. thus starved, forced
to sell their religion for mess OF pottage,
thus demoralized, the Irish immigrants
came to this country.
The men who now cry out against immi-
grafton forget that it was Irish lmmigra-
ton that made this country to bloom and
blossom as the rose, that it was strong
Irish arms that built the great canals and
bridges. Still more, the Irish people have
proved themselves loyal to the country,
even to the shedding of blood. OF all who
go to make up this cosmopolitan Republic
the Irish are the most orderly, the most
quiet, the most industrious and the most
American.
We are told to look at the court records.
We must remem Der in the first place that
all Irish names on the police records do
not stand for Irish men. You all know
how common it is for a man when taken
up TO give an Irish name. However, l
have examined the records ct San Quen-
tin and Folsom and have found that de-
spite the assertion of noisy preacher who
left this town some time since. that 80 per
cent of the conv1cts at these two prisons
are Irish Catholics, the percentage is less
than either the English, Welsh, Scotch or
Scandinavian.
The Grim which appear charged
against the Irishmen are as class unpre
meditated-are due to hotheadedness and
the unfortunate curse OF drink. But to the
charge of crimes against the family, or
forgery, embezzlement, breach of trust,
political crimes against purity of Govern
ment, the Irishman can raise his hands
and say, Not guilty
''In regard to drunkenness, though the
Irish may nave been great in this sin, so
they have been great in repentance. While
Iong-haired men and short-haired women
haye'resoluted resolutions saying the Irish
are sots the irish arose almost in night,
as it were, and formed the League OF the
Cross. None are making truer efforts than
the Irish TO stem the tide of drunkenness.
"Now we Lave seen the Irish in their
own country and we have seen them here;
we have seen them struggling in their ma
tive land under such oppression as no
other country has ever suffered, and We
have seen them standing up to their full
height here as men who have never known
oppression. She, who has slandered them
for 600 years, does not stop in her efforts;
her minions are here to caluminate US.
Yet thanks TO the God of Justice, they
could not succeed as they have succeeded
in the past"