The Irish standard., 1901-11-16

to accomplish the full measure of right.
for the accomplishment of which the
Land League was founded
The Land League did not lay down
as It's cardinal object the reduction Of
rent It's cardinal object was not to
deprive Irish landlords of the power
of unjust rent and capricious eviction.
but ito sweep lnnIllorhislm off the land
altogether. Tho program of the Land
League WAS the land for the people.
Cloud chccrs.) And ii is to accomplish
that end that is. to complete the work
which the Land League half accom-
rliSlrd. that tho United Irish League
llas been established, Rcncwcd cheer.
ng)
Ladies' and gentlemen. | have heard
good lrishmcn arguing fiat all this
work of twenty years was practically
useless. Why? Because emigration
still goes ON. WE'LL MS yolr chairman
In his eloquent address, has pointed
out to You, tho most serious OF nll fcn-
tllrcs OF Irish national life is the CON
tin,ntion OF this emigration But 1t is
easily explained. and as l believe. il
only our hands nrc strengthened, can
easily be stopped. Now. I am sure that
| am addressing men hero from The
West of Ireland, and will take the
West Of Ireland as an example of what
| mean.
All around the western Scmhoarl of
Ireland there are people hul,llcd to-
gcthrr In almost unhealthy and indie
cent numbers upon patches of barren
mountain and unpro'luctive bog -placcs
where IL they had the land for moth
ing. without any rent to pay they
could not win n living from them.
Yes ana II is from these districts that
tho news from their relatives of the
free ami hoSpitAhlc shores OF America
come like breath of fresh air or Il
glrann of sunshine through the mist.
Amcri"n DO These young men and
women seems almost in their dreams
linked with heaven. II means for
them plenty. ANA freedom. ana llappi-
ness; and the result is that they rush
away from these wrrtchcd halitntions
whenever they can to This free land
But. ladies ana gentlemen, Just inside
this Ibrlt of bog ana mountain that
skirts the western Scnboard of Ireland
there are vast tracts of tens of thou
In,, ,f1t or In Ian.
one may travel for miles without SEQ
ing one human lIabitaton. from which
the people have been driven off to herd
upon t.hc mountain and the bog. and
which are solely occupied by the herds
ana florks of a little handful OF rich
grazinrs.
Now. the United Irish League has
grnpplcd with this question in a prac-
tical manner. 1t is advocating the
taking mp. not the cOnlisration. mind
you. notwithstanding tho past history
of landlorllsm, the Irish people are
not advocating today taking up this
land without compensation. They are
Offering fullest compensation to tho
OWNERS. We are advocating the talk
ing up OF this land upon fair and Just
terms from the owners and dividing it
up In small allOtments among the
people ON the bog and the
mountain. who thereby would he en-
ablcd to live in comparative prosper
ity and plenty in the land of their
birth. cloud checrs.)
Now, this work is on foot in Ireland
today. Already the United Irish
League has succeeded in either per-
Suading or cocrcing-use which word
you p1caSc-largc numbers of these
graziers to sell these lands. and am
convinced, as am of many questions.
If only this movement goes on in the
future increasing in strength as it has
done for the past twelve months, the
result will be that all these vast graz
ing lands will ibe divided among the
people, and that we will at last have
formed an effective means of keeping
the young men and women of our race
at home in Ireland and stemming the
tide of emigration. cloud cheers.)