The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-12-23
Their Mothers Heart Broken
Over Enlistment.
The MERcENAlEs VERY UNPOPULAR
A Popular Ban to be Placed on
Militia Regiments.

The following article on the enlist
ment of Irishment in the British army
is taken from the Dublin Irish People:
We do not now discuss the question
whether the granting of Home Rule in
'86 or 'o5 would have rendered the bulk
of the Irish people ''loyal'' in the sense
in which loyalty is understood by the
Jingoes. Home Rule thousand times
over would not, as Mr.. Davitt told the
British to their teeth on the floor OF
their own Senate House in the heart
OF their Empire, alter Ireland's love of
justice and hatred of odious wrong. But
the point we want to make is that the
English Imperialists who throw up their
hands in horror and astonishment at
Ireland's sympathy with the Beers in
this conflict and Ireland's grief at the
position of her sons who are fighting
for England need go no further than
their own deeds for an explanation.
apart from the wider consideration of
the common honesty and justice of the
case of the brave Burghers. After
struggle lasting centuries we were re-
duced to the position to which the Brit
ish are now striving to drive the Beers.
Therefore, it is not wonderful that we
are against the English as nation, and
that the deeds of Irishmen battling in
their service fill us not with pride but
with sorrow and shame.
Throughout the whole of rural Ire
land" writes correspondent, "the
poorest and humblest laborer in his cot
tage deems it disgrace of the direst
character whenever anyone belonging
to him dons the red-coat 1t is fact
with which I am perfectly familiar that
a decent, Woodworking small farmer or
cottier would prefer to taste the bitter
ness of death itself rather than know
that the son or brother had joined the
English army. Often and often I have
heard heart-broken mother wail-tOh!
why didn't you come to tell me he was
dead" when some neighbor broke the
terrible news that Mike, Or Jerry, or
Ned had gone on spree and 'listed
for a soldier There was no insincerity
in the wish-and the mothers instinct
very often was perfectly right; for the
country-bred lad who takes his inno-
cent mind, his light heart and his bright
spirit into England's service as private
soldier too often returns home bereft of
all the faith and the capacity for pa
tience and devoted love which lit up the
dark places of poverty and made the
hard lot Of even the poorest occupant
of an Irish cabin endurable. He'll
never be the same again to me was he
to live thousand years. I once heard
a stricken woman say. Nor could he
be. If you asked me what are the main
causes of Irish enlistment, especially in
rural districts, would say
II. Drink. Too often the foolish
young fellow who spends a pound or
two badly needed at home, RECEIVERS
from debauch OF porter or whisky to
find himself penniless. He is ashamed
to face the father or mother whom he
has wronged. In his despair he seeks
the easiest way of getting out of their
reach and sight The next barrack
keeps recruiting sergeant who knows
how to send him away.
"2. Poverty combined with an adven-
turous spirit. The desire to wander has
become an epidemic in many parts of
ireland. When decent young Irish
peasant-say one of several sons of
laborer or small farmer who can scarce
ly make both ends meet-can save up
the price OF steerage ticket to the
States he never thinks of enlisting. He
shrinks from the contagion of English
service whenever there is any alterna-
tive. But the money for the passage
ticket is often hard to procure, and in
despairing impatience the youth takes
the shilling'-and regrets it all the days
of his life.
g. Worthlessness. There are in ev-
cry community some specimens OF the
idle, shiftless, ne'er-do-weel brand who
are neither good for King or Country
to use popular phrase, and who, un-
willing to run the risk of being COM
PEELED to earn an honest living any
where, drift naturally and almost newt
ably into the English army, via the
militia.