The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-02-07
END OF COERCION IN ERIN.

The land war in Ireland is about
drawing to close and the prisoners
serving coercion sentences will soon
be liberated. Among them are six
members Of parliament, viz, William
H. X. Redmond, Michael Reddy, VIM.
Duffy, John Roche, ]. p. Farrell and
John O'Donnell, who are expected to
take their seats ut Westminster on
Feb. II when parliament will be OPEN
cd by King Edward if his health per-
mits. The Irish representatives now
in prison have been guilty of no crime
under British law, and if they had
received trial by jury they would not
be convicted. Even the judges who
sentenced them to terms of imprison-
ment intimated that they had violated
no law. and had they promised to alb
stain from speaking at public meetings
they would have been discharged
from custody. But they claimed the
right of free speech in their native
land and would not abandon that right
to escape Imprisonment.
During the past year Ireland has
been absolutely free from crime
Judges have been the recipients of
white gloves in almost every county
ana the only charge brought against
the best men of the country was that
they were creating discomfort among
the peasantry and keeping the land
lords out of their rents. The County
of ROscOmmon, where the United Irish
League has made it's influence felt,
is entirely free from crime. Two
weeks ago ut the opening of the quar-
ter sessions ut Boyle, in that county.
Judge O'Connor Morris addressed the
grand jury as follows:
II am happy to tell you that there
is no necessity that you should be
sworn. There is no business what
ever to 80 before you. 1 have had the
great pleasure of getting Il pair Of
white gloves from the Sheriff. in
tended to address you ut some length,
as I wished to address you; hut can
only say that, with the exception Of
the unfortunate De Frcyne and Muir
ply quarrel, of which I spoke at
length before. and which l shall not
repeat. think the state Of the County
Roscommon is very satisfactory. So,
good day, gentlemen"
No wonder the Tory government
has got tired of coercion in crimelcss
Ireland and has announced that the
ordinary law will be restored and the
political prisoners will be set ut libcr
ty. On the LIST of February Mr.. Red
dy was ordered to be released from
Tullamore Jail. though his sentence
would not expire till March. The
other members of parliament will soon
be released, and in all probability no
more Of them will ever be incarccrat-
ed under Il coercion act. \ new land
bill will he introduced ut the coming
session which is expected to prove
satisfactory to both landlords and
tenants. If the government rises to
the occasion it has it in it's power to
restore the land to the cultivators
thereof. The leading landlords are
willing to sell out to the tenants. At
Il recent conference in Dublin repre-
sentatives of both landlords and ten
ants agreed upon certain terms as a
basis Of settlement which will end the
land question for ever if the terms so
agreed on by both parties are en-
bodied in the bill. 1t has been stated
that the King favors the passage of
bill that will solve the land problem
in Ireland and that he sent Sir Antony
mcdonnell to Dublin to prepare it
for presentation to parliament. 1t will
soon be known whether the Tory party
will settle the land question and en-
able the Irish people to live happily in
their own country. 1t is better for
England as we'll as Ireland that the
question be finally disposed of at the