The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-03-07
he strong enough to render much. better

he strong enough to render; much better
account OF themlseves The future Labor
vote will not trouble itself much With
home rule or other cognaAe questions.
Domestic English questions will engross
all their energies. The Irish here are
slowly but surely passing into the Labor
ranks If the Irish vote in England is
lost to Ireland, the grandchildren OF men
now living may see home rule
It will not certainly come before that
tine. 1t will then come as a practical
portion of the devolutiop Of self-govern-.
ment to the various portions OF the en-
pire. But what will be- the state OF Ire
land in the meantime? From being poor
it will become poorer. 1t may sink to
depth as low almost as that Of the penal
times. Now, who IS to blame for all this:
Surely there can be but one aulswer-the
men of ireland at the present moment.
If they are flying at each others threats
az the very moment that powerful
enemy swoops on then--they alone nave
to thank themselves for their criminal
folly. Take one illustration. suppose
Lord Salisbury were to Introduce OIL,
and he is quite capable OF DONG t., 20
reduce the number of Irish members IN
the House Of Commons TO fifty or s'&ty'
who row can prevent him from carrying
II into law? ii he throws his weight on
the landlord side m the present life and
death struggle between landlord and ten
ant in Ireland, what will be. the result {
Misery as deep as Ireland ever yet saw.
And oh, the pity OF it! The men OF Ire
land are more disvnited at the present
than they have been in this century. The
Irish in England reck little regarding the
personal differences of the parliamentary;
leaders, but they are in despair at the
disunion existing amongst the people
themselves Sufficient has: been said re-
eard:ng the evil and the danger Of the
greater evil in the future. The practical
question arises. what must be done to meet
them? towards who will not fight tor
their rights deserve appressic:3. The
Catholic Times. with the practical Wis
dom which always characteriZes it, point
cd out last year a remedy. The advice
bore fruit There is talk Of a national
convention now in the air. Better late
than never. A really national convention
IL its broadcast and highest sense will meet
the difficulty. A few delegates might at
tend from Great Britain. Australia and
New Zealand if it were thought advisa-
bic. Not that they should dictate to the
people Of Ireland what should be done.
but that they might bear testimony to The
craving fer union amongst the Irish at
home chat exists amongst the irish Of
those countries. If the Irish in Ireland
were united We in England would spend
cur last shilling and vote our last man
To Win for them their eo2s ituticnal rights.
Then our hands would be free TO turn to
our own domestic constitutional griev-
ances here. We would face them with d
light heart, knowing that generous
ireland, freed by our means, would not
forget us in any future parliamentary
struggle. This may appear selfish. Let it
be. We are so selfish that if Ireland were
once more united. we should forget our
selves aud stand in the forefront of her
battle, even if it lasted for our lifetime.
After that great victory was won, then,
and not TIL then, would we regard Our
own interests.