The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-08-05
Financial Redress Demanded by
All Erin's Voters.
DISCARD IS WITHOUT FOUNDATION
Says the Correspondent of the
Chicago Chronicle.

The divisions in the ranks of Irish
Nationalist cause more discussion than
cool, common sense warrants. The cry
tor unity is so persistent aggressive and
frequently so hot-headed as to be at
times exasperating to those most hon
estly desirous of it. 1t is possibly a
feature of Irish character to be emotion
al as we'll as intensely earnest, says the
Dublin correspondent of the Chicago
Chronicle.
OF course every well-wisher of this
old land is in favor of unity and would
like to see all her people solidly massed
to back up her demands, but insistence
on occasions may be untimely and pas
sionate pleadings lacking urgent reasons
may cause querulousness. The truth is,
l suspect, that many who are eternally
bewailing the lack of unity are lachry-
NOSE simply because their own wishes
and schemes are not agreed to in toto.
There are so many of tlrese emotional
unifiers that they are rhetorically eight
ing like devils for conciliation" and de-
nouncing and hating each other, as they
say and possibly believe, for pure love
of country.
Now, much of the unity talk, even
granting its sincerity, is mere blather.
On all broad and crucial and really ma
tional questions the Irish people are
more united today than they have been
since the penal days. What if there are
parliamentary factions - Dillonites,
Healyites and Redmondites-they for
get their chickering's and divisions when
real national issue is at stake and they
vote together when the test comes. This
was shown during the passage of the To-
cal government act, is again evidenced
in the progress through parliament of
"the agriculture and technical institu-
ton" bill ,and is particularly manifest
in the movement for financial redress
which, although quiescent at present, is
sure to have its day in the near future.
The call ireland committee" which
has this movement in charge, is one of
the most representative bodies the coun-
try has seen in years.. 1t embraces ma
tionalists and unionists, wings and
tories, Catholics and Protestants,
Orangenen and home rulers-all COM
bined to remedy the injustice which
robs Ireland annually of nearly $15,ooo,-
600 by overtaxation.
A subject people is acutely and natur-
ally sensitive to discord in the ranks and
hence the universal desire for unity and
the longing that in and out of parliament
there shall be no more factions or dis
cordant counsels. And it is hoped that
this agreement may come about-but
only. on the solid basis of unswerv-
ing principle and the resolve that the
united party shall be manfully and alb
solutely independent of clerical dicta-
ton at home or party necessities and
schemes across the channel.
1t is not easy for aggressive Irish ma
tionalists to forget 1890, when the great
est leader and organizer of the Irish race
since Wolfe Tone was cowardly over
thrown at the dictation of an English
liberal prime minister and those who
couldn't coudone his imputed sin. Par
nell had united the Irish people and
their representatives at Westminster as
never before, but he was deserted when
most dangerous to the enemy, and with
his last message, "Give my love to the
Irish people" his great heart broke.
Since then Irish parties and Irish pol
icies have been shuttlecocks for English
politicians. But unity is easily attained.
Let those who deserted Parnell in COM
mittee room IS take up anew his policy
of independence and the Irish people of
all parties and factions will rally around
that standard. And bygones will be by
cones, for time has modified opinions
and softened asperities.
Several plans OF unity have been pro-
posed and measures to satisfy them at
tempted, and, although they failed, they
were not without effect on the public
mind. The newest unity plan has been
formulated by the Fermoy (Cork) rural
district council by the passage OF reso-
luton which provides as follows:
'That four provincial conventions be
held in ireland on day to be hereafter
selected; that each Of these conventions
consist OF the chairman. Of each rural