The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-06-30
They Should Emigrate to Africa
Says an Englishman.
Tub Evil EFFECTS OF ALIEN RULE
Attempts by the National Press
to Stem the Stream.

The depopulation of this country goes
steadily on and in view of the fearful
and continuous drain of emigration one
almost can say with a recent writer that
it is possible to contemplate day when
Ireland will be one vast prairie and
when the last ship load OF the Irish race
will have disappeared beneath the verge
of the western horizon, says the Dublin
correspondent of the Chicago Sunday
Chronicle.
Such thought is as pathethic as it is
pessimistic and, taking the decline of
the last half century as basis, it is not
impossible by mathematics to determine
a date when Ireland's last man will have
disappeared. OF course, by the nature
of things such an apprehension may be
set down as groundless, yet some in
slant remedy is needed to prevent the
hegira OF the people. Otherwise the
dwindling process will continue in this
ill-fated land, where bullocks are more
sacred in the eyes of the government
than human souls.
The statistics of the last month show
that nearly 10000 persons left this coun-
try for foreign lands, being an increase
of about 1000 over the returns for May,
1899. OF course the great majority Of
these-probab!y fully nine-tenths--sailed
for the United States, although it is be-
coming known through experience de-
tailed in letters that the land of Wash
ington is no longer the land of promise
that it was. Here are some startling fig
ures which show that in the last fifty
years the population of Ireland has de-
creased by one-half:
Estimated population in 1845. .o,ooo, 900
Population of Ireland in 1841. 8, ,175,125
Population of Ireland in 1891. 4,7o4,75o
Estimated population in 1900. .4,5oo, 900
NJ such pitiable story can be told of
any other land on earth and the simple
telling of it is the blasting condemna-
ton of the heartlessness and merciless-
ness of alien rule. When a people so
passionately fond of their native land as
the Irish are fly from it as from plague
spot the government that rules them
stands self-condemned. In the light Of
the pitiable fact every boast of the "pre-
dominant partner" about Christian
progress and civilization is the lie of a
hypocrite.
This never-ceasing efflux of the peo=
pie is spreading alarm through all ranks
and classes and the press and public
speakers are giving the matter earnest
attention and calling upon the people to
stay at home and not desert the old land
when most she needs their efforts. And
what makes the matter most distressful
from an economic as we'll as a national
list viewpoint is that those who leave are
the young and strong, the hope and life
and pride of the race, while the aged
and the feeble remain here.
1T is" as a prominent public man
lately said, "our own people who are 60
ing away" meaning thereby that it is
the truly Irish element that is disap-
pearing. With this in view it is not to
be wondered at that Mr.. Balfour stated
in the house of commons several nights
ago that he did not regard emigration
as an unmixed evil. Others also are
known to rejoice over this swelling
stream of emigration, for they hope that
after another generation or so the ma
tionalist element, if not practically ex-
tinct, will be too small and weak to be
dangerous.
And the somewhat remarkable fact is
becoming apparent that coincident with
the outgoing stream of Irish emigration
there is an incoming one of British emf
grafton. Quoting the words of the
brilliant Speranza (Lady Wilde):
A million a decade. What does it
mean?
A nation dying of inner decay!
One of the nationalist papers of this
city asks:
"Do Irish people realize what is 60
ing on? If they wish the ireland Of the
future to be the Ireland of the past, in
habited by genuine Irish people, nur-
tured in the old traditions, inspired with
the old ideals, they must take deter
mined steps to stop the exodus"
And while saying that emigration is
mainly to be attributed to misgovern-'
ment, it cannot help Sinking that some