The Irish standard., 1899-11-25

There are many others Of similar views
who have ostentatiously remained away
from the recent session on account OF
their well-known leanings towards Mr.
Rhodes and the imperialists, who have
forced on this war. These are all hon
orable men, make no doubt, but they
aNeo> Nationalist, in any sense, and
~ s. be allowed to masquerade
as Nak Co.,. OF political faith in
which L.. Esnsf belief. (Cheers.)
OF the other rsFei III in number, I
admit, the least So. ne better. They
are standing reproach to the Irish
name and cause in Westminster,
through conduct and behavior, inside
and outside its walls, which can only
bring shame and discredit on any party
to which they belong. At any cost to
personal feeling these men should be
relegated to positions in which they
could only bring shame on themselves,
and not upon the character and reputa-
ton OF the cause of Ireland. (Cheers.)
There are also few men, very few,
who have got into the House OF Com
mons so as to operate all the more ad-
vantageously for themselves in Stock
Exchange matters. The Irish Party is
no place for such men, and they ought
to be compelled to look elsewhere for
seats in parliament (Cheers.) The
party, as whole, has sealed its own
fate in the last two sessions of parlia-
ment There was an average attend
ance OF twenty out OF the eighty-two
members in the early session OF this
year. Sixty looked in once or twice
and retired home I have already dealt
with the war session. Forty elected
to stay away for one cause or another,
neither cause being the cause of brave
little nation fighting for life against the
power which holds Ireland down. The
party as it stands to-day is hopeless and
helpless, and attempts by unity promot-
ers to nfusc vigor or collesiveness or
a fighting spirit into its ranks must be
as fruitless as efforts would be to put
health and strength into paralytic pa
tient by feeding him. (Cheers) 1t is
not the remedies OF out-oi-date, we'll
intentioned proposals that can bring a
cure, but surgical operation by the
unfinching hand of the country.
(Chcers.) Fellow countrymen, this is
not pleasant task to perform, and l
assure you it is faced by me with re-
luctance, and not without pain. I, how
ever, consider it to be a solemn duty
which l owe to the country to warn it.,
at this critical stage, against proposals
and suggestions that would, if carried
out, leave Ireland in the next parliament
tied to a body OF men a large number OF
whom are not, in my humble judgment,
possessed of the capacity or Nationalist
convictions necessary to render an Irish
popular delegation to Westminster of
any real service to the cause or the in
terests of the country. One of the OBJ
jects I have had in freeing myself from
party ties was to strike this note of
warning to our people, knowing, as
did, that otherwise the warning would
not be given.
One or two words more on a per-
sonal matter, and I will detain you no
longer. A paper published i'll Dublin,
which, it is said, is inspired by Mr.. T..
M. Healy, NJ. P, has asserted that
was influenced in retiring from parlia-
ment by selfish motives, one being a
desire to become secretary to the county
council of Mayo. (Groans.) The state
ment is, of course, absolutely untrue.
(Cheers.) I have sought no such posi-
ton from Mayo or any other county
council, and have 10 mention of doing
so. want no position of the kind from
anybody or from any quarter. I seek
no reward from the Irish people except
that of being permitted to work for
Irish liberty in any field in which
think I can serve it most. (Cheers. }
This is ample reward for rue, and is the
only honor I crave. I retired from
parliament once before, in 1893, in con-
sequence of the Meath election petition.
The position" which I received then
was that of bankrupt, over legal costs
and expenses which I could not pay, in
trial which was not the result of words
or acts of mine. did not ask the coun-
try to pay these expenses. I lost eight
hundred pounds of hard earnings in that
trial, but I thought the sum we'll ex-
pended if it only saved me from enter
ing parliament again. Unfortunately it
did not, SO it was bad investment.
Qaughtcr.) I went to Australia in 1906
in order to earn what l had lost in a
contest which I did not seek, and while
there the general election OF that year
occurred. I sent the Irish Party one
thousand pounds which I borrowed in
Sydney, and paid back out of the pro-
ceeds OF my lecture tour, and the first
man to write to Mr.. Justin Mccarthy
for f17o of this money with which to
pay election expenses in North Louth
was Mr.. T. M. Healy, M. P, whose
| organ is now good enough to declare