The Irish standard., 1904-08-13

neceS! ity that there is for the children
to work upon the farms at certain
seasons of the year compulsory educa-
ton is not favored by the great body
of the people; consequently, the
powers given by the new act were
enforced in comparatively small
number Of localities, and in many of
those the act soon became a dead
letter. This was pity, for compul-
sion would be, in many cases, bene-
fetal. In Ireland, as elsewhere, some
too lenient mothers will keep their
children at home from school on triy-
ial excuses-as for example, in this
case that has just come under my
notice: "Please, master, my mother
could not let Charlie to school because
she had to sew buttons on his waist
coat" Indeed, and why did you not
gomez" Please, master, my mother
kept me at home to keep Charlie from
putting straws up his nose."
The happenings at the Irish village
at the st. Louis Worlds Fair, where
the three leading actors in the Gu
mann-na-Gael Theater company, who
had gone out there to produce some
Of our most recent and best Irish
plays, refused to act upon the same
stage ON which Irish caricature was
allowed, has created excitement in Ire
land. The Irish at home right heartily
applaud the plucky action Of the play
ers forfeiting their position rather
than countenance the disgusting carl
cature that it was believed had long
since been banished from at least the
Irish stage in America. These plucky
players who preferred loss of liveli-
hood to dishonor, are Of the Dublin
artisan class-the finest and most up
right class of people in Europe. They
have acted bravely, as would have
been expected of them. They have
won the gratitude Of the Irish people
at home who, in turn, are highly in
censed with the management of the
Irish exhibit. If squad of the wrath
full Dublin boys were on the ground
there presently, matters would begin
to look lively in and around st. Louis
Anything more inane or downright
| stupid than the kind Of Irish carica
ture invented, and practiced, and ever
believed in, in America 1 have never
known, and could not believe possible
by nation that is supposed to have
a sense of humor. The picture o1
makeups Of that which represents al
Irishman must always possess dis
gusting and bestial appearance; ant
this thing then is made to talk a dia
lect unlike as possible any dialect evel
heard in the world before; and it IL
made to say things that are invariably
stupid, witless and showing complete
absence of brains. I often wonder II
the nincompoops who make the draw
ings or the ninnys who write the Irisl
'.jokes" ever saw an Irishman or evel
heard Of one; or if they know thai
amongst gathering of real Irish peo
pie where character and great diver
sity is strongly marked upon firm anG
manly features, and where true wit
gushes spontaneously, they would dis
cover themselves to be what they real
ly are, dolts and asses. I must say
for have found it out to my cost, that
even many American artists of stand
| ing think an Irishman looks more like
a monkey than a man; invariably car
ries murderous-looking bludgeon
and that they will be untrue to nature
| if they do not stick short clay pipe
either into his teeth or into the rim
Of his hat. Such artists I have al
times had for illustrators. I have
been thinking Of taking mallet and
chisel and going to America and try.
ing to introduce into the brains OF
these gentlemen some real types OF
Irishmen.
It is announced that the Duke of
Norfolk is deigning to come to Ireland
for the dedication Of the geat Armagh