The Irish standard., 1902-02-08

with Gods help, before many years
are over we shall level in the dust
before the action of a united ppoDlr
Cloud chccrs.)
what is it, after all, that is our OBJ
;cct? Our object is to hand over free
from any lords or masters the soil OF
this old land OF ours to the people of
ti'c country, to the farmers and Ia
borcrs (chccrs), SO that they may live
on 1t happily and bring up their fumi-
lies in comfort and prosperity and
peace. Whecrs.) | say that when that
molly work is done the people will mul-
tiply and increase in numbers and
population ana strength ana that no
English government and no Castle
government will he able for a single
hour to hold down the might of the
irish people or TO deprive them of
thc'r lational rights. Cloud cheers,
But now WE are threatened with u
new application of coercion acts, and
l want to direct the attention of this
enormous crowd to the fact that after
eight years, during which the Grimes
acts have not been in use, having
hcen repealed by Mr.. Morley in 1893,
they are now brought into operation
again In the counties of Mayo and
Roscommon-an honor, | say, to Mayo
ana Roscommon (cheers)-nlways In
the forefront of the fight to a man.
I'liey are brought into operation in
these counties; and in the whole his
tory of Ireland there never has been
IN occasion OH which the government
mas lesoited to coercion for which
there was SO little shadow or pretense
of Justification. (Hear, hear.)
For what is the condition of Ireland
today? We have it on the admission
OF the chief secretary himself that
there never has been in Ireland 60
total an absence Of crime, and l direct
the attention of this meeting to the
fact that agrarian crime in Ireland
has decreased according as the United
Irish Lengue has sprend through the
country. (Hcar, hear) There is no
crime and no disorder in Ireland ex-
cept when our friends the government
produce 1t. White gloves are the rule
ut all the recent quarter sessions ond
most OF the recent assizes. Six of
the Irish prisons have been shut with.
III the last year for want Of prisoners.
Q'aughter) 1t will Ike Il long time be-
fore they have Il similar story to tell
In England, although l am told q
very curious thing, that since the
troops went to South Africa there Is
not ut all so much crime ut the assizes
In England. daughter and hear hear.)
There is no crime in Ireland. Yon
know here in Leitrim that crime was
committed by the police organizer.
(Gronns for Sheridan) Thanks be to
God, ut last we got our claw ON one
OF these gentlemen (cheers); and when
we hear next Of the cutting Of tails
OF cows in the future, l promise you
l won't allow Mr.. Wyndham or the
government to make much capital out
Of 1t. will ask him to look for the
razor-man in the ranks of the Royal
Irish Constabulary. (Groans.)
l say there is no crime in Ireland
today. There is no disorder, and
what is the excuse for coercion:
There is no excuse. 1t is an infa.
nous outrage. What of the London
Times? The Irish Times commented
on the fact that there was no crime
In Ireland. "Oh," says the London
Times, that only proves how power
full and how vicious the National or
ganization Is" Naughter) 1t is 80
powerful, says the Times, that it does
not want crime any more. daughter
and applause) In point of fact, the
chief crime OF the United Irish League
Is now that they won't cut the tails
of any cows. loud laughter and ap
plause.) 1t is very hard to please
these gentry. II there is crime III
Ireland that is, of course, Il source OF
coercion, and il there is no crime.
why there is the more need of coer.