The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-02-19
OvERTAxATloN OF IRELAND.
The Subject Eloquently Handled in
a F0rcible Manner
BY THE LEARNED CHURCHMAN
At a Big Mass Meeting in the
County of Longford.

At a recent meeting in Longford to
consider the question of the over taxa
tion Of Ireland, the Most Rev. DR.. Hoare
delivered a. very able address from
which the following is taken:
This is cause deserving of assistance
from every true Irishman who has con-
sidered the subject, and who must see
that Ireland is bleeding at every pore
on account of this drain of her wealth
by excessive taxation. Still, our ene-
mics do not seem inclined to give way.
1t may be they think that If in the be-
ginning they yielded to us even by CIV
Ing us half our demand, they would lat
er on be squeezed into giving the rest OF
1t. Probably their reason for adopting
their present attitude is that they hope
by holding out little longer to be able
to satisfy us with a modicum of our de.
mands--I hope that is the reason. We
have progressed and we are progress
Ing, and we can see that by noting the
arguments brought against lis In an
swering our claims. The latest of our
opponents is Sir John Lubbock, whose
arguments were so completely refuted
by the O'Conor Don. Sir John Lub-
book instead Of arguing from first prin-
ciples, brushes away all the difficulty by
telling us that If we were to regard Ire
land for purposes of imperial taxation
as q separate unit it would be the cause
Of disunion. We say to him that we
will not let him waive the main point in
our controversy. They had the article
of the treaty there before them-article
in the Union compact To that we
draw his attention, and the attention CT
our enemies. We say, it is treaty
solemnly made between two nations,
and by which they must stand, and If
that article proves that we are entitled
to separate consideration we must have
it. We will be told as Mr.. Balfour con.
temptuously put it, that we have the
remedy in our hands by giving up
drinking whisky and smoking tobacco
Our chairman has given one answer to
that, but l must say that he takes
more hopeful view of human nature
than do, and do not think the remedy
is a very feasible one But the argu-
ment has been answered by our friends.
who told us that If there were fed
GRAFTON between England and France for
the purposes of imperial taxation it
would not be fair to put a tax on tea,
because England as tea-drinking ma
tion would be hard hit in that direction.
Would it be just to put tax on coffee
then, because France is a coffee-drink-
ing country? We must take into con-
sideration the habits of life of each in
dividual nation and if we think of tax
ing a commodity we must make up for
it in some way, so that one nation will
not be overburdened more than another
by taxation. That is the main argument
in the question. Let us try to think how
things might be reversed if poor Ireland
became the predominant partner. l
remember a speech made by that true
Irishman, the late Lord Plunket, Prot
estant archbishop of Dublin, in which
he labored to prove that although we
were very badly treated, contumeliously
treated by England, yet she did not
Willingly. Perhaps that may be the
case. But that want Of knowledge
comes from the fact that England must
always be the conqueror, and must al
wherever she goes to the tune OF See
The Conquering Hero Comes" UAugh-
ter.) 1t Is the very breath Of her nos
trils, and her characteristic quality dur
ing all time, that whether she annexcs
a small country which is unable to de-
fend ITSELF or whether she sends out 4
punitive expedition into an Eastern
country, as she did into this country a
hundred years ago, or whatever en-
gagement she takes in hand, she is the
conqueror and treats Ills on principles
Of conquest. Now If by the disposition
of providence Ireland became the, DOM
inant partner, l could understand Cur
members Of parliament saying, I'VE will
tax the English coal and iron mines To
pay the taxes of this country" How
would this work out against England?
England is rich in mines, we nave. few,
and, therefore, England would have to
pay the best part CT the taxes. And |
can understand our members of parlia-
ment saying further to the English poo-
pic, You have nothing to complain of
because you have the same law for Eng
land as for Ireland" Here is another
way in which the doctrine might be
brought forward against the predomi-