The Irish standard., 1897-10-09
THE HARD TIMES IN ERIN.

The most sympathetic and compre-
hensive article that we have yet seen
in an American paper on the impend-
ing famine in Ireland, resulting from
the failure of the crops, appeared last
Wednesday in the editorial columns
of the Minneapolis Times, from which
the following extended extract is given:
In the years 1845 and 1916 the po-
tato was stricken by mysterious
blight suddenly, and after the tuber
had almost reached maturity. The
people were at that time even less pre-
pared for such a calamity than they
are today, and they were brought to
the realization Of the frightful blow
which had befallen them. Nearly one
million people persisted from starvation
and disease, and more than one mill
lion emigrated to this country. And
this practically next door to rich and
prosperous England, by whose exact
lions and tyranny the island lad been
reduced to a condition of desritution
that made it unable to stand up under
the misfortune of the failure of sin
gle crop. The same spectacle which tho
world witnessed in Ireland in 1857
has been witnessed in India during the
past year, of hundreds of thousands of
British subjects going hungry and
wasted for months, with hands out
stretched to the world, finally to sink
down by thousands and perish of &C.
tual starvation.
The reports from the suffering dis
tricts in Ireland are sufficiently alarm
ing. The venerable archbishop q,
luam pathetically writes: It is most
humiliating to be perpetually sending
round the hat, but what can be done:
Hunger pierces stone walls" How can
the world preserve its respect for a
great and opulent nation---richest ON
the globe-which allows its subjects,
native and foreign, to perish by STAR
walton. To Americans, whose barns
are bursting with golden grain, and
who have never known what a COM
plete crop failure is, the picture of hui
man beings dying from starvation is
difficult one to realize. Yet the dis
tress of the Irish peasants needs only
to be known in time to bring relief,
Inc money which it always so freely
contributed to alleviate the political
sufferings OF the Irish can very we'll
be turned aside for once to still the
pangs of hunger. Everyone of the thr.
ty-two countries Of Ireland Ia repre-.
scented in this country by thousands
who are now enjoying abundance and
contentment, and the ready ccSponse
of these alone should go far to relieve
the wants of those left behind,
The English queen, whose annual
income is about 100000, gave $3.50
to relieve the distress of the millions
of her perishing subjects in far-away
India. How much will she give to
relieve the sufferings of her subjects
of brotherhood to the English-tct
wronged brotherhood like that of Esau
Of old-and within almost instantaneous
reach of help from England? "Immed-
late steps must be taken by the govern
ment, If the people are to be saved
said Mr.. Redmond, nearly month ago.
So far as The Times is aware, this
warning has awakened no response
from the English government The
world waits with curiosity to see what
England of today will do to avert a
repetition of the horrors of fifty years
ago.
But however England may act, the
great American heart will beat in SYM
pathy with the hunger-pressed unfor-
Inmates of Ireland, and in this good
year. when plenty goes hand in hand
with desire, there should be no horrors
told OF the stricken isle.