The Irish standard., 1897-10-09
rents all round as they did in 1887,
and confessing that the sham Land Act

and confessing that the sham Land Act
OF last year, under which not more than
1000 out of 100000 judicial tenants
have yet received as much as a brass
farthing Of benefit, has completely
failed as a remedy for the great and
growing difficulty of rent paying in Ire
land. l don't believe that the Irish
people have changed one jot or title
since 1890, towards the evicted tenants
or In any other particular (cheers).
If believed otherwise l should never
open my lips again on an Irish plat
fern. In Drogheda very remarkable
thing happened in connection with this
Evicted Tenants Fund. Drogheda was
began with great public meeting, and
where the collection was organized up
on the old lines by Parnellitcs and Ma
tionalists shoulder to shoulder as in
the parish collection of old (cheers).
Mr. Harrington and MIR. Field Mr.
M'Ghcc, Mr.. Shcchy and myself stood
together on the same platform (cheers).
The Parnellites and Nationalists OF
Droghcda joined together In carrying
out the collection-joincd together not
merely nominally or to keep up appear
ances before the public, but Joined with
all their hearts and with the old spirit,
and what was the result? The people
OF Droghetla contributed nearly $3.50
to the Evicted Tenants fund (checrs)-
a better collection than was ever made
before. The same success attended the
parochial collections in and around
Herbertstown (chccrs). am glad 10
know the same good old plan of col
lection at church gates was carried on
in my old town of Mallow last Sunday
with tho approval of Canon Wigmorc,
the distinguished parish priest tcon-
tlnued checring). and l have no doubt
in good many other places also. II
the example of Droglleta were followed
In every parish In Ireland, before II
year Is over we would have n fund
| which would not only be sufficient to
buy back the evictcd tenants into their
old homes or to settle them in new
ones, but a fund that would proclaim
to the world once more that Irish Ma
tionality is still II power that the enc
mics OF Ireland will have to reckon
with (cheers). The time has come to
shake yourselves free from this night
mare of encouragement and disorgan
iZation. If ! don't mistake, the trump
ct note of resurrection has been Bound
cd this very week by the Archbishop
of Cashel Cloud cheers). He has told
us why the grabber can ply his ignoble
trade openly and with impunity; and
| don't think there Is an honest heart of
the Irish race that won't throb in
unison with his appeal for unity and
with the determination to insist u,,on
unity and enforce 1t the moment the
word is given by the great archbishop
whose Nationality is not of yesterday
or today but who stood by the side of
John Mitchell, and who was ready TO
follow him to transportation or to
death continued cheera). A substan-
tial fund for the cvicted tenants is the
first necessity Of the hour, and will he
the first ray of hope for our futura.
Let 1rislmen unite heartily and genu-
/ incly on this question in the spirit OF
Mr.. harrington, and nll else will follow
MS surely as the MONDAY follows thc
dawn (clleers).
Next year the story OF the united
lrishmcn will be thrilling every Irish
heart. No greater outrage could he
offered to the memory of the United
lrishmen than If they were to look
down next year upon n nation OF dis
united lrishmen pretending to honor
their memory by perpet,mting dlscord
| and strife. Whatever else we NAV differ
about. at all events for Gods sake. Jct
''s prove that we are united Irishmcn
In the determination to save from hun
| ger and from tho workhouso those
oVicted tenants who rose in dark and
OWL days with the spirit of '98. and
! with the courage Of '98, in as true a
sense as if they had gone out with Diltcs
| on their shoulders. And let MS cnablo
these men to live on into better times
ana to belle the csLl,lmny that those
who gave their all for ireland were
ever yet forgotten or deserted by tho
faithful Irish people (chccrs).