The St. Louis Republic., 1902-12-21

The politicians then endeavored to get the
farmers to prevent the fox hunters from
riding over their lands. To the immortal
credit of the honest and sport-loving Irish
farmers, they refused to act as spoil
sports" much as they suffered from the
drastic and often unfair laws imposed by
the English Government.
Oppressed as the Irish are by fate, laws
and circumstances. they are fair sports
men. They have. no doubt. good cause for
ts hating the English GSyefnment and ,S,,a the
etc. They may feel that they are justified
, In agitation. rebellion, even arson and shoot
ing landlord or oppressive official, once
In awhile. but they could not see where
politics justified them in spelling fair sport.
Discussing the attempt OF the political
wre-puliers to stop hunting. the Dublin
respondent of the Manchester Sporting
Chronicle says:
An Irishman is a success In every country
but his own. We have given some of the
most famous soldiers. statesmen scientists.
lawyers. and. what Is more remarka bile,
most successful business men to England.
America. Australia and other countries with
which we have even less sympathetic ties,
but our thrice-cursed predilection for vast
ing time and energy in the pursuit of po-
litical chimeraS is an insuperable bar to
material progress at home. | must not be
taken as contending that the conditions I'M
der which We live here are all that they
might be. and in the matter of the oppo-
sition to hunting. there are often local cir
cumstances with regard to individuals, who
have made themselves very unpopular in
Oh this account decided to prevent these
obnoxious gentlemen from riding over their
lands. few would blame them. but when,
as has occurred in connection with the
most recent antihunting agitation 1t is
coOly laid down at the suggestion of po-
litiCal wire-pullers that Il hunt club should
pass a resolution condemning the Govern
ment for applying what is quantity called
the coercion act to certain districts or,
failing that, they should not be allowed to
enjoy the sport. then the matter becomes
entitled to figure amongst the category of
things which could only occur in Ireland
Il am glad to see that the cliques which
are trying to stop hunting in several parts
Of the country are not going to have things
all their own way. and in Westmeath at
least where trouble has been most feared,
opposition to the spoil sports seems TO be
gathering strength. Thss. at meeting at
Castlepoliard. II was decided that no inter-
ference with the hunt would be allowed
aud. what Is more. the people were INVITED
to attend the frst time the hounds met in
the district in order to give them n hearty
welcome. In Mullingar, too. which seems
the center of dislffection. an amendment
tending to tone down the sweeping char
acter Of the proposal to stop the hunting
was only carried by small majority
which is satisfactory to this extent. that 1t
goes 10 show there were some sensible men
at the meeting who had not only the cour-
age OF their convictions. but also the cour-
age to express them In the face of the re-
dundance of clap-trap and empty talk.
which, as a rule. pass for argument at
functions of political character here For
the life OF me cannot understand why the
upholding and advocacy of even extreme
national opinions should be incompatible
with average sanity in other matters. vet
with us this seems to be the case and ma
tion of sportsmen an We are reputed to be
aud are. once let the red rag of politics he
fiuttered In front of us, and there is no saw
ing to what depths of common or garden
lunacy we will not sink"