The Irish standard., 1899-11-25
Its Membership Analysed in the
Severest Language.
REDMOND AND HEALY ARE UNMASKED
A Group of Members Who are a
Standing Reproaeh.

In speech to his late constituents OF
South Mayo, Michael Davitt explained
why he had withdrawn from the British
parliament, and said in part:
I resigned my seat for South Mayo
as a protest. I acted deliberately in so
doing, so that ireland should be assoc-
ated, in some emphatic manner, not
with the assassination of liberty in the
Transvaal, but with the heroic Afrikan-
der nation in its resistance to British
injustice. (Cheers.) Some action OF
this kind was called ior from some one
who did not value the questionable
honor OF seat in Westminster, and
am proud of the fact that the task Of
vindicating the Irish people from the
shame OF being identified through Brit
ish soldiers, OF Irish parentage, with
English infa1ny in South Africa, fell to
my lot. (Cheers.)
AS | have no intention whatever OF
allowing myself to be sentenced again
L
hope, speak without any suspicion of
party or personal aims. What l am
about to say of the present National
representation shall say without per-
sonal feeling and irrespective OF Sec
tional differences. First, I want to tell
the country plainly, and bluntly, that
the present Irish Parliamentary Party
is hopelessly unable to render any prac-
tical help to the National cause in the
House OF Commons, and that any at
tempt, by conference, plan, or proposal
having for its object the reelection of
all the present members of the party,
will only tend to make union of
weakness and incompetency, bar the
way to the possible creation of a really
united party, capable and willing to
fight Ireland's battle, as it ought to be
fought, within the walls of Westminster
(Cheers.) No conference can do this
1t can only be done by the country
loud cheers.) 1 am speaking not Of
any section of the present party, but Of
the party as unit-so that I do not
make distinctions for any sectional aim
or motive. There are men of each Sec
ton able and earnest whose retirement
would be loss to the country's inter-
ests. No feeling about past differences,
no sentiment of resentment over per-
sonal attacks should tell against the
claims of such men to continue serving
ireland. (Cheers.) But there are also
men, in each section, who ought not to
be elected again, on any account I
will take two categories of these objec-
tionable members, and point out why I
think they are unsuited to be members
of combative Nationalist Party. One
group, with members in each of the
three sections,.I would call Moderate
West British group" men who are
Nationalist, but who believe more in
the principles and aims of Mr.. Horace
Plunkett, M. P, than in the principle
of National government I, of
course, say nothing against these gen.
tlemen personally, nor do I question
the sincerity of their desire to improve
the condition of our people. My con-
tention is that they are not reliable as
Nationalsts, and ought not to be in
cluded in party whose mission it
should be to put Irish freedom from
British rule in Ireland above every
other political consideration. (Cheers.)
Some of these are gentlemen who man
aged to step into parliament through
the confusion OF the split and the care
lessness of constituencies into looking
into the antecedents of candidates. One
OF them made it boast in London
Unionist circles last summer that he had
Travelled from Germany expressly to re-
cord his vote with the government in
offering the thanks of parliament to the
troops who had butchered ten thousand
Dervishes at Omdurman in pursuit of
the criminal policy Of imperial jingo-
ism. (Groans) Needless to say, this
gentleman did not put in an appearance
in the recent session to vote against
Irish taxes being spent for the killing
of Beers in South Africa. Another of
this class, at present in America, 10
which place he went so as to have an
excuse for not opposing the govern
ment in its war policy, has openly
spoken and acted in America previously
as Briton, favoring an alliance be-
tween Fno1and and the Tinted Sfatea