The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-08-29
In the Group are Farmers, Shopkeepers,
Journalists, Doctors, Lawyers and
Even Landlords.
The Commanding Abilities Of Many
and the Honesty of all are
Recognized and Respected.

The current number of Donllloe's
magazine contains the following de-
scription of the Irish party i'm the
House of Commons, written by Michael
Macdonagh. the London reporter.
No matter what government may be
in power Liberal, or Tory and Union
ist. the Irish party in the imperial Par
lament always sits on the benches be-
low the gangway on the opposition side
of the House of Commons, to the left
of the speaker, facing the Ministerial
lists n:Sscd on the benches to the
speakers right. The g;,ngwnyS. ! may
mention are passages which divide the
benches at both sides of the house into
two equal sections. The benches above
the gangwyly, on each side. are occu-
pied by the loyal and unuucstioning
supporters of the authorized pro-
grlmmcS of the British parties - both
government and opposition-and on the
benches below the gangw:ly sit the free
lalneS. or the more independent mem
herS. For instance. now that the Lib
erals are in opposition, the Nntiomalists
have as miglllUrS ON the benches they
occupy Radicals like Henry Lahou-
chere. Lloyd George Mlm John Burns
and Sir Charles Dilkc. W'hclr the Con-
servativcs were in opposition. some
years ago. such Irish Tory members ls
Colonel SnundcrsOn and William John
ston sat cheek hy iowI Will, the Irish
NationaliSts. | remember well the OK
citing incidents which Spr:,ng from
this propinu,lity of elements so all-
tagonistc during the discussion of the
clauses of Gladstonrs Home Rule ,ill
of 1888. Looking down on the house
from the serene altitude of the report
crs' gallery, | lE,vc seen, men. sitting
side by side on these benches. ylnring
with unutterablc HATRED into each
others faces; aml above the din of
debate such expressions as What the"
"Who the" and "Why the" with the
cXplctivcS that men use when moved
to passion, which in print are repre-
Scntcd significantly but with outward
prOpricty by - and - ana reached
my ears. NatiOnHliStS have sat on
these benches below the gangway on
the opposition side since THrncll be-
came leader, in order to demonstrate
that they hold themselves distinct and
separate from all British PARTIES, and
on these benches they will sit no mat
ter WHO is in Office or who is out of
office until home rule is carried.
For sixteen years have looked down
from the reporters gallery on the Irish
benches. The faces of those who Oc-
cul'N them change from time to time:
but that is all--the type of member has
always been the same. In tire group
are farmers. slopkccpers. journalists,
doctors. lawyers. and even landlords;
poor men and wealthy men; men of
tcmlcIamcntS as varied as their call
insS: cultured men, and men of limit
tu tuuC'tlN Nll, IIlcIl Oh ulIItftnC views
and opinions on general political qucs-
lonesome Conservative, some Liberal,
some Radical. Eut such is the homo
gcnrity of the Irish parliamentary par
ty, such is its iron discipline. the sim
glrnrSs of its object. the unallimity of
its guiding principle that everything
must be subordinate to the cause of
Ireland. that to the spectator the party
seems as eighty souls with but a
single thought, eighty hearts that beat
as one. Collectively the Irish party in
the House of Commons is rcbclliOlls
and tcmpcstuolls collectively the great
historic traditions of Parliament make
no appeal to il: collectively. it is de-
fiant of authority. when the speaker
or the leader of the house seeks to
thwart it in its object; collectively 1t
asserts unbridlcd license in the as
scrtion Of its own views: collectively
it is intOleralt of the free and out
spokrm expression of opinions antagon-
istic to its policy or tactics.
1t was prophcsied at the time of the
Union that the presence of the Irish