Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12

Of that policy in constantly decreasing pop
%ulatFon. and the only way in which to Sc
cure Irish nationality and the r~estora-
tion Of the Irish race is to improve the
condition Of the Irishman at home and
make his native land such that he can do
as we'll there as any other place on earth.
I'VE expect to do this. ireland has been
made to suffer In many ways by reason Of
the agrarian agitation. People have felt
that investments would not be safe in Ire
land while evictions and boycotts, the sus-
pension Of the right Of trial by jury and Of
free speech exists, at times destroying
communities. when we have a just land
law, which will permit the people who oc-
cupy the land to become its owners, all Of
this agitation will be at an end. AS soon
as the new land law was introduced two Of
the millionaire manufacturers Of ireland
announced that they would invest 81, 800, 900
in a system Of electric roads and suburban
railways in order to bring the farmer into
closer connection with the centers Of popu-
lation. Today II costs more to haul freight
from Donegal to Dublin than It does from
Chicago to Dublin, on account of poor trans
portation facilities and railroad monopoly.
As soon as the land agitation ceases men
will invest in manufactures. Since coming
to America l have seen specimens Of rugs
manufactured in Donegal which are better
than those of any other part Of the United
Kingdom, and the manufacturer purposes
to increase the number of his factories.
Horace c. PIunkett's
"But this can only be accomplished by
making the occupants of the soil the own
ers Of the soil. This is shown by the his
tory Of the society headed by Horace G.
Plunkett, who owns considerable property
in Omaha. Mr.. Plunkett, through his So
ciety, has expended about $4,000, 900 to i'm
prove Irish farms. OF this amount he drew
a salary Of about $40, 900 a year, but aside
from the salary there is nothing to show
for the money. At the present time he is
earnestly engaged in trying to improve the
condition Of the Irish race by increasing
the size of the eggs laid by the hens of the
island and in elevating the people by i'm
proving the quality Of the butter. The
greater amount of the money expended by
him has been toward improving the condi-
tion OF the land. Insofar as he has done
this II has been good, but we believe that
this expenditure will be to the sole advan-
tage of the landlord when the land is to be
sold and believe that the improvements
should not be made until the tenant owns
the land.
Politically and materially ireland is In
better condition than 1t was in the times
of Parnell. We are absolutely united on
the land questionable Protestants of the
north and the Catholics of the south. We
have one more member of the British Par
lament than we had in the times of Par
nell and we have been able to raise more
money at home for our work. In all the
parliamentary party has brought to Ireland
In the last five years $50, 900 and 1t has not
cost the people that amount in the last
twenty-five years.
I'm my opinion there is a rift in the
clouds which have long lowered over Ire
land. We who are on the ground know
better what must be done and we are doing
our best. You may be sure that we are
not going to rise In open rebellion, for WI
are not able to do it, and in place of i'm
proving our condition It would injure IT,"