The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-31
THE IRISH QUESTION.

This generation Of Americans know
Of what has come to be known as the
Irish question" of the United King
dom only as political one. The Fe-
MAN movement, the anti-rent agitation,
that for home rule, and now that of
excessive taxation have all revolved in
political orbits American interest in
this perpetual question, always quick
to respond to the cries of the oppressed
and readily enlisted in efforts anywhere
by any people for increase of freedom,
is made more acute by the large num-
Der of Irishmen who have voluntarily
eXiled themselves and made their
homes here, bringing with them their
traditional memories and, by their ac-
tivity, forcing upon us an attention to
the chronic conflicts of Ireland and
England that we would not otherwise
give them. Our fellow citizens from
the Emerald Isle show here the same
genius for politics that, in Ireland, has
carried every question into politics and
given the world the impression that
there are none capable Of solution
by other methods.
Horace Plunkett, member Of parlia-
ment from South County, Dublin, pre-
sents, in letters to the Evening Post,
the industrial question as being the
vital one, lying at the base Of all the
others, which, when solved, will
make easier and surer the solution Of
the rest. Since he has taken an ac-
tive part in the public affairs Of the
island he has, he says, urged upon ALL
as guiding principle of policy, that
without abating a jot Individual politi-
cal principles, Influential Irishmen, of
whatever creed or party, should avail
themselves Of every opportunity to i'm
prove the material, social and moral
condition of their fellow countrymen."
He has done this because he believes
that every advance in prosperity
which might thus be achieved would
surely strengthen the people in DO
litical sense, would make them more
capable of deciding what legislative
changes We're for their good, and would
render far more effective any demand
for legislation upon which they might
agree
When the elections Of 1895 made the
home rule agitatfen useless, Mr.. Pink
EFT found his Opportunity for pressing
his views. upon public menesand sue
-
ceeded in enlisting all of them, except
the McCarthyites, and forming a, com
mittee on the state OF Ireland which
began an investigation of it's industrial
conditions But seven. years before he
and some Of those upon whom he had
impressed his views began the agita-
ton among the farmers, preaching
wherever they could get them together.
the doctrines, first, of self-help; second,
Of combination. Rely upon yourselves
not the state; make your efforts more
productive by combining them. Inves-
tigation showed them that the deca-
dence that had fallen upon Irish butter
interests was caused by the adoption
in Denmark of cooperative methods
and the use Of machinery Combina-
ton only could restore Irish butter su-
premacy, by furnishing the capital to
put in factory plants. Briefly, overcom-
ing the difficulties resting there. as
everywhere, mainly in the mutual dis
trust of farmers of each other and ev-
cry one, dairy combinations were form
ed and made successful With the close
of 1895 the Irish Agricultural Organi-
cation society" the name taken by Mr..
Plunkett's committee, report the ex-
istence of sixty-eight cooperative dairy
societies. with 5000. members, produc-
ing 81 $50 900 swsrth4of butter .in.eth
year sold st aasa3Nance Of s cents a.
poqtpaao 9ssNasar h hapRel 5n paaNd butter.
Bt'esstss tsT busedneI part Of the work
ssee5aGstsges s..4s as..ass, .s.1,s..