Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-03-04
Not What the English People
Will Give, but What
Irish People Want.
No HALFWAY Concessions, but
Nothing Less Than
Home Rule.
IRISH INDEPENDENT LEAGUE.

League, February Z, DIR. ]. +. Kenny pre-
sided and addressed the league.
He said nothing was foreshadowed of a
very exciting character as far as Ireland
was concerned in the coming session of
Parliament. Last year the Local Govern
ment Bill was before Parliament. If the
people of Ireland worked the Act in a
proper spirit it would become a great
instrument of good. Defective though it
was in many respects, it could be worked
for the advantage of the country. One
effect of the measure, if carried out prop
erly, would be to strengthen the demand
for home rule. They no longer noticed
the insulting remarks in the Queens
speech congratulating her subjects on the
peaceful condition of Ireland. No allu-
sion had been made in the speech to read
justment of the financial relations between
Great Britain and Ireland. That indi-
Gated that the Government had made up
their mind not to deal with the financial
relations. and not in any way to disturb
the gross system of robbery carried on by
England. But the Government could be
compelled to deal with the question by
the exercise of force. That force could
be exercised by organization at home and
through their Parliamentary representa-
tives in Parliament. 1t was a duty of
every man who pretended to represent
Ireland to strive with his best efforts TO
compel the English Government to dis
gorge their ill-gotten wealth from this
country and put an end at once to the
system of robbery.
1t seemed to him inexplicable that at
the recent conference a section of the
Irish representatives, although invited TO
the meeting, cognizant of what was to be
done there and knowing we'll that their
opinions and prejudices would be re-
spected, thought fit to absent themselves.
He did not know whether or not Mr.. Dill
Ions abstention foreshadowed the event
which they saw by that evenings papers
had taken place; whether that was the
first step in the completion of the polit-
icai suicide which he commenced the day
he betrayed Parnell, and which would
find contamination when he disappeared
out of public life Certainly it was not
the act of a patriotic man. The Austen
ton of Mr.. Dillon from that meeting pre-
scented the spectacle of disunited party
on this question. When demand for
redress would be made the English peo-
pie could say: "You are not united as to
whether there is financial grievance to
be remedied." He could not conceive a
more unpatriotic attitude than that taken
up by Mr.. Dillon or one more generally
detrimental to the cause of Ireland. OF
course, if it foreshadowed his retirement
it would have no significance. But if the
retirement was a nolle EPISCOPAL; If it
was meant-as he believed it was-to
show his followers how badly they could
do without him, his abstention would
have deep significance,
Pressure could not be brought to bear
on the Government without organization
in the country. This country had never
got anything but by agitation. Ireland
should make herself thorn in the side
of the English before she would be lis
tened to. 1t was the duty of every man
to joiu the agitation for the redress of the
financial grievances. There was no
greater question before the Irish people
at the present moment. 1t was a ques-
ton on which all Irishmen could go for
ward shoulder to shoulder. There were
as good Irishmen who were not National
lists in this agitation as any who lived
within the four seas of Ireland, and moth
ing should induce Nationalist to hold
aloof from these men when they saw them
working to redress this grievance. He
appealed to them to make this agitation
so strong that the British people would
have to listen to their demand. In that
way. although they had not a united
party, the question would be forced into
prominence. He welcomed the allusion
in the Queens speech to primary and
technical education for Ireland. The
whole energies of their people were rem
dered less effective. and, in great meas
ure, nugatory, owing to the want of pri-
mary education and technical education.
Even If they had primary education they
would be desperately handicapped
through the want of technical education.
The promised bill on this subject was the
outcome of the inquiry of the Recess
Committee, which was presided over by
Horace Plunkett. There had been good
deal of talk on the subject Of University
education, and while he admitted that
something ought to be done, he consid-
cred the subject of primary and technical
education was far in advance of the Uni
versity question. For everyone wanting
University training there we're twenty
who required primary and technical
education. While all lovers of freedom
in this country did not oppose any move
ment for settlement Of the University