The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-10-18

the HbOrigilrS: and even the presence
of the Duke of Conmught. the EN-
pcror'S brother, in command of the
viceregal escort, failed to excite the in
tcrcst of the wretche,l inhabitants.
This base and ungl"ltrful conduct to-
wards the representative of Il benev
Olcnt Government has irritntrd the loyal
Tories of Dublin, who undoubtedly
expected that huge no,S of entllusi-
ustic peasants and hurgl,rrs. locked
and led by the Nationalist members
of Parliament would tlrong the streets
warbling God bless you. Tommy At
kins." ana "'rhr man who broke the
bank with bnccarut, OH"
Personally am worried to think the
brand-nrw viccroy was received so
coldly The Irish apparently misunder-
stand the kindly motives of the Bal
ur-Clmmberlainitc Government. 1t
is true that it has proclaimed" Dub
lin and stopped for while even the
farce of free government that some
times obtains there. 1t cannot be de-
MED that some Irish members of Par
lament are in Jail ana others are book
ed for Jail: but what of that? .Jnils in
Ireland are nrchitecturally beautiful;
but they are not purely ornamental
structures erected to ndOrn the land
i,. ,f.,ti,
those who are in charge of the iails
preserved from the horrors of cnnui.
There is very little crime in Ireland, as
we understand the term i'll America; SO
Il benevolent Government goes to work
and invcnts crimes and criminals in
order that tenants may be secured for
it's beautiful jails and occupation for
it's jalcrS
Americans don't fully appreciate all
the beauties of government by procla-
nation in Ireland. Whenever n district
is proclaimed" the ordinary law
there is suspended and code goes
into effect which is regulated by the
ulStSlloll vi SpIlIC lIIC w liiu
of any petty official, or the mental
irritation of some landlord whose
rents are Irregular and whose 1uns are
insistent. When this ideal Tory sys-
tenn is in full running order, members
of Parliament are tagged round by
constnbulnry men taking notes of their
remarks as industriously as newspaper
reporters. These notes are sent to some
inspector of "peclers," who passes
them along to some Government scamp
on a higher level, who decides that the
law in Il district where there is no law.
1t is a perfectly beautiful arrangement,
this British government by proclama-
tion; it removes the only barrier exist
ing between the petty official and his
desire to do as he plcases, and enables
him to get at his political opponent in
q way pleasing to his soul.
Government by proclamation reminds
me of the final touch in the Articles of
War" promulgated for the government
of the army of the United States.
These articles are supposed to cover
every criminal contingency in the
economy of an army; every offence, ac-
tual and imaginary, is duly provided
for, and at the tail of them all the code
winds up by stating that soldier may
be cOurt-martialed for conduct to the
prejudice of good order and military
discipline" 1t is in it's way triumph
of ingenuity in military law. No SOL
dier has ever been able to define this
clause, though all have suffered from
it. A puzzled recruit once asked
grizzled old Irish sergeant what was
meant by Conduct to the prejudice of
good order and military discipline?"
"Well," said the old fellow, scratch
ing his chin, "It's anything an every
thing We never hard tell Of before.
That's an article O. war that covers
anything that they forgot to put in to
tn other ones, from lukkin' cock-eyed
Mt your supariors to thinkin' what ye'd
like to do thin if We met thin in the
dark an you with carabine barrel in
yer fist. That article O. war, me boy.