The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-09-13
This Includes Everyone in the English
Service, With Orangemen and
Other Loyalists.
Truth of the Statement Becomes Manifest
on Seeing the Persons at
Sunday Services.

In letter from Cork to the Boston
Republic, Mr.. P. O'Neill Larkin says:
I have just returned from Tipperary,
where 1 spent eight days, renewing
acquaintance with true specimens Of
the living Tipperary Of which Thomas
Davis wrote over half century ago,
but alas! many of the bravest ard Lest
were not there to meet me. Some were
resting quietly in the neighboring
graveyards. Others We're scattered
to the ends of the earth. The national
tragedy can he written there.
1t is true. of course. that children
are bern and growing up In Tipperary
and throughout Ireland but it is equal
ly true that as soon as they have grown
up to early manhood and wOmanhOOd
they will fly from the country as mil
lions of the race have already flown,
unless some radical and expeditions
remedy be applied without delay. The
birth rate in Ireland has been lower
during the ten years ending March 81.
1901, than that of any other country
of which we have vital statistics. 1t
is less even than the rate in France.
From the census returns for the
decade ending 1901. l am of the opin-
ion that a levy en- masse Of the fight
ing men would not result in more than
one in every tiftaen Of the population.
In other words the total fighting pop
ulation of the country, including con-
stabulary men. coast guards. internal
revenue service. customs officials,
Orangemen and other loyalists, num-
bers about three hundred thousand
men, probably less.
This disparity between the number
population becomes painfully manifest
at divine service. The old. the infirm,
and the very young are there, but the
prime Of both sexes are very few. In
many churches, formerly well filled
with people at the one Mass celebrated
on Sunday, there is plenty of room to
spare. The persons who should be
present to fill the churches are attend
ing Mass beyond the seas.
Yet many Jealous clergymen are
strenuously engaged in building new
churches. Possibly the Lord may pro-
vide. Fortunately the hierarchy and
clergy of Ireland are beginning to real
ize what the consequences to religion
of the impending national catastrophe
will be, and they have generally
thrown the great force which they
WELD actively in support Of the nation
al cause.
The United Irish League contains
within it all the potentiality and prac-
tical value of national Ireland at this
ihour. Its methods of fighting the en-
emy may be criticised, but they are
the only available ones. They are the
methods of the Land League and its
successor, the National League, which
won very substantial preliminary gains
for agricultural Ireland. OF course,
am quite we'll aware there are Irish
men who do not only criticise, but de-
nollnce with much bitterness any
method of fighting England except
with cannon or rifles, and such like
things. They, themselves, have neitll-
er cannon or rifles, and if they had
both very few of them know how to
use either weapon efficiently, but i'll the
abstract they are quite proficient in
their USE sulnnlered and wintered
with the cannon and rifle gentlemen
up in the institution, and for some
time after, of the Land League, and
doubt very much if the so-called Sc,
cret coteries that followed the deca
dence of Fenanism did anything but
injury, serious injury. to the national
cause.
Three of the chief Irish informers
who have appeared before the public
eye We're the most violent men ever
met respecting apparent enmity to
England, veritable fire-eaters in public
as we'll as in the secret council. Moth.
ing for them but guns and swords and
dynamite Within half mile of