Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-11-05
The True Policy Is to EndeavOr
to Build up Again a Union
of All Forces.
So Far as the People of Ireland
Are Concerned They Are
All for Union.
ENGLISH PLEDGES ARE WORTHLESS

Mr.. John Dillon, NJ. P, was entertained
at dinner by the Nationalist of Glasgow
in st. Andrews Hall recently. The Dub
lin Weekly Freeman says the reception
accorded to Mr.. Dillon was of the most
enthusiastic character. The Sunday
demonstrations were the largest held in
Glasgow for years, and the Nationalist
of that city subscribed g, 900 in aid of the
Parliamentary fund. At the banquet Mr..
John Ferguson presided.
In response to the toast, "Our Guest
and the Parliamentary Party" prepared
by Father Ambrose, Mr.. John Dillon, NJ.
p, said in part:
On behalf of the party with which
am identified, and on my own behalf, 1
thank you with all my heart for the way
in which you have received this toast to-
night. feel called upon and moved to
say a special word of thanks to the pro-
poser of the toast, Father Ambrose, as
the representative of an order endeared
to Irish Catholics in a hundred ways as
ISOLATED from the day of its foundation
to the cause of the poor and the people,
and to which 1 am personally bound, as
Father Ambrose knows, by the closest
ties.
In these days it is indeed pleasure to
see a body of men representative, fully
representative, of one of the greatest
centers Of Irish nationality i'll the world
unanimous and hearty in expressing
thanks to the Irish National party. Now,
l claim to be one of those who through
out the days of stress and storm of the
last eight years have remained faithful
according to our humble judgment and
abilities to the old principles of the Par
nellite party as it existed before 1890,
and am sanguine that the signs are null
tiplying every day that our reward is at
hand; today, so far as the people of Ire
land are concerned, they are all for
union, that the desire of their hearts is
for union.
Now, what are the obstacles to union?
AS far as know, there are only two OBJ
stacles. One is the difference which still
exists among the Irish representatives,
and the other is the contentious kept up
by certain newspapers. 1 am speaking
in the presence of the press, and there
fore had better be civil; but 1 must say
that although public man, recognize
to the fullest extent the enormous ben
efts conferred on mankind by the news
paper press. l do think the newspapers
sometimes aggravate and protract quar-
rels, because quarrels, you see, give good
copy, and if a country is pulling all
together there is dearth of interesting
intelligence, and one of the elements
which has tended to keep up the semb-
lance of faction and division in Ireland
and it is now no more than semblsnce
is the contentious attitude of certain
journals whose names l won't mention.
Now, ask, what is to be done2 You
will all remember a proposition which
was made at the convention held in Bir-
mingham this year on the suggestion of
Glasgow, with a view of bringing the
Parliamentary representatives of the
people together, and what occurred in
consequences of that suggestion. We are
asked sometimes for practical proposals?
My practical proposal for bringing about
union among the irish representatives
a union, recollect, which the people are
eager for and demands that a confer.
ence should be held of any number Of
representative men, say five or ten on
each side, five to begin with nominated
by Mr.. Redmond and five by myself, and
nobody to be bound by the result of that
conference, but let us get together in a
room and see whether we can not draw
up scheme by which our differences car
be adjusted. If such a representative
conference can agree upon a scheme
that scheme would bind nobody until il
was submitted on either side to the lead
ing men of the country. My conviction
is so strong that there is no real substan
tial or serious differences between Il:
that am convinced that if once we got
together round a table, whether it be
square or round, we would emerge from
the room very good friends and work
together for the good of the country.
Now. desire to say a word or two OF
some recent controversies which have
taken place as to our position toward.
English parties, because there are som,
men in Ireland who claim that the only
cause of difference between us and the
: Parnellite party is that we are too closely
. attached and bound up with the Lib
eral party in this country, though it il
curious thing that the Liberal part,
| has repeatedly attacked me for not being
' sufficiently closely attached to them, blu
you can not please everybody. Now, IN,
reply to that objection is that l am pre-
pared to go into conference with tn,
I Parnellite party on the basis of absolut
$ independence of all English parties, an,
: that the lines on which seek, on whicl
| hone for reunion among the Natioua