Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-05-22
BRATTLEBoRO VERMONT, FRIDAY MAY o. 1908
HON. JOSEPH DEVLIN, M. P.
SPEAKS IN THE AUDITORIUM ON THE
LAND QUESTION IN IRELAND.


SPEAKS IN THE AUDITORIUM ON TH
LAND QUESTION IN IRELAND.
He Pleads for Renewed Sympathy in the Caui
Of the United Irish League-Its Histor
Reviewed-Its Program-The Meaning
the Land Bill.
Hon. Joseph Devlin, M. p, arrive
in town yesterday afternoon at
O'Clock, and last evening addressed
large audience at the Auditorium ol
the land question in Ireland. He wa
warmly received and held close atten
tion.
Rev. Father Cunningham of St
Michael's Roman Catholic church wa.
chairman of the meeting, and other:
on the platform were L. j. Kinnins OF
Boston. who accompanies Mr.. Devlin,
G. II. Davenport, Timothy Aher and
Daniel Shea. There was music by a
string orchestra.
Rev. Father Cunningham made a
few opening remarks praising the he
roes Of the past and present who have
fought and continue the fight for Ire
lands freedom. He was followed by
Mr. Kinnins, who described his ride
up the valley and compared the condi-
tion of New England farmers and
homesteads with those of Ireland.
Mr.. Devlin, in opening, paid sim
cere tribute to the memory of the late
Col Hooker and the late DR.. Conland,
whom he met so pleasantly year ago
Mr. Devlin's plea was ''for renew
al of interest and sympathy in the
cause and to make this movement of
the United Irish league so powerful
that the English ministers will be
forced to bow down before the uncon-
quered spirit of our nationality. There
is nothing new in this conflict that has
existed for seven centuries. While
striving TO obtain our rights peaceful
ly, We do not belong to a generation
which has forgotten the patriots of
another generation who have split
their blood in the holy cause of free
1om. Men may pass, but principles !
i've on forever. In our keeping is the |
loly heritage of Ireland's cause Our
Tim is definite, to establish on Iiish /
oil the occupying tIllers as the own
RS thereof. For nearly century in
reland, from the time when Ireland
vas robbed of her national Parlia-
nent to 1879, there was not peasant
n Ireland who had land he could call
lis own. 1t was no uncommon thing
or an Irish tiller of the soil to make
he land productive, erect buildings
nd then without warning be served
nth notice of eviction, He re-
iewed the history of the land league
own to the present day, giving eu-
,gy to Charles Stewart and Parnell.
Continuing Mr.. Devlin said: 1.-The /
rogram of the league is the land for {
lie people and an Irish Parliament for !
tending to Irish affairs. Complete a
nifty among the people, virile, ag- 7
ressive policy by our organization, /
I'D representation in the English {
arliament have brought about the
lapge from practical nonentity to the 9
over it has today. In % years not a &
ngle member of the Irish party of :.
6 was ever known to accept any :;
ace of emolument from the British 5,
And lastly by the aid :.
I'd cooperation of our countrymen in i,
ur country has the cause been T
He reviewed Glad y
ones coercion bill and its futility, .
ying that in the end he was compelled
come before the English Parliament q
d declare that there was no hope of ~
imping out the Irish spirit of ma a,
,nality and love of liberty by force. sa
What does the land bill mean:'' w w
:. Devlin asked. ''It means, in the di
ST place, that every tenant in Ire te
Id, numbering some 10000. be "'
mes owner of the land 1t means
At every eyicted tenant will be in nt
He'd either on the place from which ~
was evicted or on some other place: w
; return of the Irish soldiery: the ge
setting of the whole British policy 81
its treatment of Ireland: it means To-
It this land of ours, that has given ID
'lomats, soldiers, statesmen, orators, 10
It's to every English speaking coun-
in the world, with all the gifts
t bountiful providence could give
! again become prosperous and hap ve
Why, il you go through the
icultural districts of Ireland you
| see nothing but old men and Eo
Ieve that this bill will re-estab- TN
industrial power and agricultural en-
sperity. Much as l feel how vastly ou
'ortant this measure is, if thought to
passage of this land bill would les, all
the desire for the other great re- AS
n, a government of the country by IN
hmen, would not stand for it for out
hours. The men who tell us that the
b people can only be patriotic while see
; are starving slander the intelli- the
men and women of our race me
he speaker reviewed the offers of did
English government to Ireland for gre
in the Boer war, when Ireland, mil
wing the issues that were involved bro
sed to aid and enlistment in Ire mex
ceased. Ireland's answer was that and
very village and every mountain wol
protests were heard, and the Sc let
, members voted against every pen mex
oted for the Boer war. He closed SOW
a peroration extollipg the power ter
ability displayed by the Irish in l..