The Irish standard., 1903-09-26

, from them, realizing that we must
tolerate each other, or else tolerate
the common enemy. And this sug-
gests the thought that we of the
Irish race in America have no God
given commission to criticize or con-
demM the men at home here in connec-
ton with their public movements.
When we i'll America prove by deeds
rather than by theoretical "raumaish"
that we are better Irish Nationalists
than YOU here in Ireland are, then, and
only then, can we find warrant for
criticizing you. In this connection, re-
membering the sacrifices, the sturdi-
| ness, and the devotedness of our own
gallant little Aghada. remarked not
| long ago at q meeting of an Organiza-
ton to which belong in Chicago, that
| it required far more pluck, more pa
tience, and more grit, to carry on such
a struggle as you men of Aghada, and
men like you carried ON to my own
knowledge. than to indulge in the
pleasant pastime of fighting again in
fancy once year the battle Of the
Yellow Ford OH Lady Day in harvest
1900 miles away (cheers). If we who
| come from America to Ireland cannot
find something to praise, then in Gods
name, let us have the good taste and
the good manners to keep silent. 1t
does not concern you particularly what
| my individual views are, or whether
belong to the Clan-na-Gael or any
other Irish organization, but it may
| not be uninteresting to you to know
what the sentiments of the rank and
/ file of such organizations are ON mat
men realize and appreciate the sacri-
fees and the labors of certain leaders
on the other side of the water, but
they are weary and heartsick of the
abuse and the billingsgate that is be-
ing flung back and forth; they say
that if we must listen to condemnation
of things Irish at home or abroad, let
the condemnation come from the sas-
selGch rather than from our OWE.
Nothing human is perfect; no human
being is perfect, and Irish movements
and Irish leaders have, Of course, their
imperfections, but, say the rank and
file of whom l speak, let us look for
points of agreement rather than use a
searchlight seeking points of differ
ence, and bend our energies in one
direction, while the sight Of a foreign
flag teaches the plain lesson that Ire
lands battle for Irish rights is still
unfinished (cheers). They say, too,
that it is an insult to their intelligence
to ask them to remain dreaming and
idle, until the ideal moment arrives.
They say that revolution after all Sim
ply means using the most effcctual
method available-not a particular
| method, but the most effectual method
| for the overthrow of an intolerable sys-
tenn, and they point to the constant
| drain on the life-blood of the Irish ma
| tion as further and more immediate
reason why we should be genuine
revolutionists, by doing something now
ard not wait for the so-called ideal
moment when. if the flow Of emigra-
ton he not checked, there will be no
Irish nation to save. AS one who has
had Il rather chequered career of sew
enteen years in the principal cities Of
America as a dock laborer and as a
newspaper man, I would like to en-
phasize the loss in emigration not only
to Ireland, but as we'll to many of
those who go.
$50 through an emigrant ship from
stem to stern, as I have often done,
and, for reasons easily understood, you
will find an absence of technical etlu-
cation only among our people. And
this means an awful disilusionment
to the young fellow who feels himself
capable for anything, but soon finds
himself fit for nothing but for the
most racking and distasteful kind Of
common labor, amidst surroundings
that he never dreamed of as possible.
Some Of us, through some good for
tune, survived this first terrible ordeal: