The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-04-18
IRISH LEADERS HOPEFUL.

| should they come in contact with them
/ Tor any length of time
IRISH LEADERS HOPEFUL.
Devlin and Finerty Approve Land
Bill and Expect Home Rule.
home rule for Ireland is in sight. saws
James Devlin of Belfast, member of par
lament for North Kilkenny. After MANY
years OF travail, OF bitterness, of dis
senslon' of discomfort, sometimes of
Iarkhess ana despair, the Irish people at
honle and in America again present A
united front. They have triumphed in
the passage of the land bill. which means
an emancipation from landlordism' and
Ine owning of their own homes in Ire
Iaho. Now, with the prestige of one vic
tory TO aid them, and with the posses
sion of a compact body in narlia mont
holding practically the balance of power
they are preparing to concentrate their
energies on the gaining of q government
OF me people; by the people, for the
Mr.. Devlin arrived in Salt Lake YES
terdaY, accompanied by John f. Finerty.
me celebrated Irish leader of Chicago
he has been spending ten months tour
ING the country in the interest of the
united Irish league.
For the first time since the DAYS of
IarneIL the Irish people are united" said
Mr.. Devlin. They have laid aside all
dlssensions and have abandoned all par
ues except the United Irish league The
iirst great result of this harmony is seen
IN the land bill which has Just been
passed. ] confidently believe that with
in five years another result will be the
passage OF law giving government
for Ireland.
Wyndham Tries to Coerce.
The Irish land bill was forced con-
n iult
chief secretary for Ireland. Mr. Wynd-
ham. stated in a speech that the Eng
llsh people were tired OF the Irish ques-
ton and they did not intend to bring
about any further land legislation. In
order to stamp out the United Irish
league he put into operation a coercion
act which suspended all rights of trial
by jury in the cases of persons charged
with agrarian offenses He destroyed the
ordinary legal tribunals and set up CO.
ercion courts. with creatures appointed
by the government especially to convict
Irish public men charged with making
on public questions.
There was also an interdict against
the press, forbidding the use of resolu-
tons passed at United Irish league meet
ngs. Twenty EDITORS among them
ing the interdictions. Public meetings
were broken up by armed police. Mem
bers of parliament. for addressing their
constituents in the streets We're dragged
courts and sentenced to terms of i'm
orisonment varying from two to six
months. and were treated as ordinary
criminals.
But the league brought about
,hango Every member of parliament
sent from Ireland was elected on the
eague platform. which. in substance. de-
Jared for ownership of land by tenants
md for home rule. We had eighty-siX
mt Of some COZ members of parliament
Ill of the eigthy-siX voting solidly on any
proposition. Our sole standard in iudg-
ng any question was the effect upon
Ireland.
Irish Force the Land Bill.
we voted as we thought would do
he most good for Ireland. Our votes |
,ept the present ministry in. power. They |
we're on the verge of defeat. and we |
greed to sustain them if they would |
ring in a land bill on The lines we laid !
own. They promised. and as a result /
he present land bill was framed by !
,hief Secretary WYndham. the same man /
Who had said a little while before he !
would do nothing of the kind He was |
# course assisted by the rest of the |
.'The new bill provides a fund of $780,
co. 00G to he used to assist the tenants |
n buying the farms thev occupy. Either /
he tenant ard landlord agree on the |
igure. or the land is appraised. and them |
desired, the government advances the
money to the tenant at per cent in /
r to induce him to sell. He is not
orccd 10 give up his land, but he is
iven every inducement.
King Favors Home Rule.
This solves the land problem, and now
verybodv is working for self-govern-
bile to home rule. and his influence.
hough not particularly great. will prob
bly, be thrown in this direction. But the
cal power is in the solid eighty-siX Irish
will 10 /
sed wherever they can be to the best
dvantage We will support the govern
lent if they will give US the concessions
'e wa2t or we will support the liberals.
that end so dear to the Irish
eart-an Irish parliament and Irish gov
rnment Of all local affairs. The Preshy-
arians of the north and the Catholics
T the south are all united for this pur-
ose now. and this is the only way In
-hich we can accomplish it,
There is no use in trying to fight Eng
md i'm actual war. There are $1,000
lone. Then there are 5000 imperial
.oops in the garrisons. besides the NIL
tia. But that is not all, Now that the
Der war is over. ENGLAND could mass
hile her navies circle. the island and
)uld cut off all outside supplies. 1t
ould be a hopeless contest. no matter
ow brave the Irish might be And no.
1QX GOuDtS inc DIdNtlN u Nlh II af'i'- |
he Irish regiments i'm the British serv-
Q are recruited from the scum and rift
lff OF the cities The true 1rishman
oks upon a fellow countryman who en-
SIS in the English army and one who
cls y pccket as in the same class. IT
10 riff-raff can form some of the best
oone in the Rri.'eh army an idea may
, Obtained Of what could be accom-
ished if the best of the Irish took the
ED.
Parliament the battle-ground.
But that is not the way to accomplish
ir end. we are taking the right course
by united action in parliament with
e solid support of the Irish wherever
ey may be. The influence of the irish
this country upon the British govern
ant is greater than one might think IL
,s had great deal TO DO with the re-
rms already accomplished. T
Mr.. Devlin was sent to this country by
@ United Irish league as delegate TO
ganize the league and increase interest
its work At present there are SoyO
anches in ireland and about 300 IN TINS
unfrv The league was conceived by
.illiam O'Brien and is an out9rowth OF 4
e Irish Land league founded by Michael
Mr.. Devlin and Mr. Finerty were met