The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-28

rented you and worried you all the
days Of your life (hear! hear) For the
life Of me cannot comprehend how any
man can reconcile 1t with honest Irish
nationality to want to see landlords and
Unionists elected on the county councils.
pidity. These gentlemen in Dublin
have certainly tried to explain their
views by very plentifully abusing me up
hill and down dale-if they would only
fighting the enemies of Irish nationality
our cause would be IN different posi-
tion today. (Cheers.) But people in a
passion are never very convincing. Their
charm of novelty. For everything
they say against me now is what the
Times newspaper and every enemy of
Ireland has honored me by saying for
the past IL years. At first the cry in
the house of commons was that we owe
some debt Of gratitude to Mr.. Balfour.
Gratitude for what? This act was not
passed out Of any love for us, but with
the avowed object OF killing home rule,
and we are, forsooth, to express our
gratitude by doing the very thing which
Mr.. Balfour calculates will kill home
rule, namely-by electing Unionis,s and
landlords for our representatives (hear,
hear.) Why should we not go step
further and elect landlords and I'm
jonists to the house OF commons? How
and where are you going to draw the
line unless we are going to undo the
work OF the last twenty years, and throw
ourselves once more under the heels OF
the landlords, and give up the cause Of
ireland? We are told 10y these gentle
men In Dublin, and the landlords are
;old, and England is told. that there is
no longer an Irish land question; you
are all SO content and happy
u-aughter.) know how cruel and
shocking a thing that is for Irish Ma
tonalists to say-l could use stronger
Word-but If, In the face of that declara-
tiOn the farmers of Ireland were to elect
landlords as their representatives it is
certain England would believe, and
would be perfectly justified in believing,
that she need never trouble her head
about the Irish land question again.
Here we are in the West striving TO OBJ
tain suftlciency Of land for the people.
The only obstacle is the obstinacy and
greed Of the landlord, who won't sell,
and yet the people nre asked to send
these landlords to the county councils
to be their spokesmen in the face of
England. CLEAR. hearl Under the
new act the county councils will have
important responsibilities thrown upon
them as to the relief of distress. The
county councils will therefore on this
subject be an authority which the gov
ernment cannot guinsay. Will anybody
tell me that the men of the partry
Mountains are ever likely to get relief
by handing over their interests to
landlord representative, instead of elect
ing county council of sturdy mon of
the people, who will tell the bitter truth
as to the causes and remedies of these
periodical famincs in the West ,chacrs).
and who will never rest, but keep poster.
ing and plagming and shaming he gov
ernmcnt until that remedy is provided
Dy law. There Is one plea for cl,tiing
landlords and Unionlsts which is really
too guilcless for this wicked wcrld. IT,
is that if you put the Unionists and the
landlords back into power again II
might induce them to become home rul-
crs. 1aughtcr) Was there ever such
angelic simplicity? or, to say il j
straight, was there ever such an arrnnt
fudge and humbug addressed 10 the
people who know the landlords of Ire
land and their history? Why are the
so-called loyal minority opposed to
home rule? ] should have Thought any
child in the Parity Mountains knew. 1t
is simply because the loyal minority
had all the power and plunder and
Doodle of the country in their own hands
the bar and the army, and the police
W. WV ~""I'C' AAu VIC universities, ana
the grand juries-and they had salaries
OF couple of millions year tor hold
Ing out for the Union. The one way of
ever changing selfish class of that kind
is by proving to them that power rnd
patronage will be henceforth on the side
OF the people. and that men who DO not
honestly identify themselves with the
people will have to remain in the cold
shade of opposition, without power or
Office, or influence, in the country. Sub
ject the loyal minority to an education
OF that kind for Il few years and I'M
doubtedly you will have plenty of them
fnding salvation, and finding that the
Union does not pay, and that II thew
want to live and have any power or in
fluence in the country 1t can only be NV
identifying themselves with the asnira-
tions and interests of the people.
(Checrs.) But what we are asked to do
is to pay the price before the goods are
delivcred-not to leave the landlords and
the Unionists shivering for while in
the cold shade Of opposition until thew
learn to become good Irishmen, but ac
tually take possession of the treasury
bench while their hands are still reek-
Ing with oppression and eviction IN