The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-07-30
IRELAND FREE FROM CRIME.

men are enthusiastically celebrating the
glorious memories of 1898, it is gratify-
ing to find that Ireland, from the center
to the sea, is in a crimeless condition in
spite of the acute distress in congested
districts where thousands of the peas
antry are on the verge of starvation.
We have before us {. copy of the Wa
terford News. which relates that the
high sheriff of the city of Waterford
recently presented to Lord Chief Justice
O Bren pair of white gloves on the
opening of the commission, because
there was no criminal business to be
transacted. 1t was the same in LINER
ick with Judge Adams, and he also re-
eeived white gloves because there was
no criminal cases TO be heard. In WEEK
ford Justice Gibson told the grand jury
that their duties would be very light, as
the five cases TO be heard were of the
ordinary character. 1t is the same in
the other leading cities of Ireland, the
only exception being Belfast. the strong
hold OF Orangeism, where the memory
of the Boyne is annually celebrated by
the followers of King William by at
tackilg peaceable Inhabitants and de-
stroying their property.
In addressing the grand jury of Wa
t2rford on receiving the white gloves.
Sir Peter O'Bricn the lord chief justice,
spoke as follows:
The white gloves which I hold in my
hand gladly accept as emblematical Of
tho crimeless condition of Waterford
They are to me Il most welcome gift
from the high sheriff, your worthy high
sheriff, the official representative OF this
crimeless city. am told that the pop
ulation of Waterford amounts to about
$4,000 in all, and out of that $4,000 there
has not been single person returned
for trial at this assizes TT is not that
crime has been committed and that no
person has been made amenable That
is not the case here, for no crime has
been committed for which any man
might be made amenable at these as
sizes. Gentlemen. this condition of
things is a legitimate source of great
pride to you. 1t is to me also a source
OF sincere qualification. A population
OF about $4,000, and not single person
for trial! This is a state of facts emil
nently creditable to the citizens of Wa
terforl-cmnently gratifying, am
sure, to you their representatives, GER
tanly pre-eminently satisfactory to the
judge Of assize: but | will go farther
and say that this happy state of things
appears to me to be a legitimate subject
of national pride. Gentlemen, we meet
but to part congratulate you and dis
charge you"
The Irish Standard has ineffahle
pleasure in giving to it's readers the
complimentary words of the lord chief
justice of Ireland. He is a man who
has risen on his country's ruins to
famc"-a man who has reached his ax-
allied judicial position by being the I'M
principled and subservient tool of the
British government in his native land
legal functionary who. in his capacity
of crown prosecutor earned the alitera-
tive title Of Peter tho Packer for pack
Ing juries to convict his own country
men, and send them to the prison or the
scatfOld. Having received the reward
from a grateful alien government for his
INSCRIPTIONS conduct, he now compli-
mens the grand jury of Waterford on
the absence of crime within its walls.
and says this state of things il moi only
"pre-eminently satisfactory" to him, but
is "a legitimate subject OF national
pride"
The judge is right. In no other
country ON earth can two cities Of the
population of Waterford and Limerick
he found without criminals. No Anglo
Saxon city the wide world over can be
found to resemble the "Urbs Intacta''
and the City OF the Violated Treaty"
for law and order; and yet we fire.
quently hear of the lawless Irish"
who cannot govern themselves if they
get a chance. A people who can cor.
troll their passions and refrain from
crime are eminently qualified for self
government: and when lying, SANDER
GUS Anglo-Saxon writer's say that the
Irish are lawless and must be kept I'M
der the British LASH it is we'll to re-
member the words of Sir Peter O'Brien
to the grand jury of the ancient city of
Waterford during this centennial year
Of '9S.
We have seen an account of the Orange
outbreak on the 18th of July in the north
of Ireland For two weeks prior to the