The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-12-10

MT. NedmOnu, IN statement on the
state of Ireland, recently made public,
gives his reasons for the depopulation
Of the country. He says:
'There can be no doubt, in spite of
all that may be said to the contrary,
the question Of home rule for Ireland
has within the last few years become
pressing, and ut this moment it occu-
pies, owing to the confused state Of
British parties, prominent and COM
manding position in the political arena.
In Ireland for now close on twenty
years, since the franchise was extend
ed to the masses Of the people, the de-
mand for self-government has been
made with the most wonderful in
sistency.
Whilst British parties have changed
from time to time, growing weaker or
stronger as the case might. be. the
Irish Nationalist party has never lost
for even one day it's power in parlia-
ment. Election after election, the
Irish electors have steadily returned
home rulers to represent them. Moth
ing has changed the views of the Irish
voters; neither coercion nor cOnces-
sions have affected their opinions. 1t
is safe to say that as long as they pos
scss the franchise the Irish will in
variably elect men pledged to work for
the concession of home rule.
"Illc demand of Ireland then being
clear and unmistakablc, it is little
wonder that great numbers of the
British people are turning their atten-
ton, as in the days of Mr.. Gladstone,
to an examination of the Irish demand,
with a genuine desire to thoroughly
understand 1t and realize what 1t
would mean il granted, not alone from
the point Of view Of Ireland, but from
the point Of view Of the interests of
the people Of Great Britain.
'At the commencement of the new
century it is not unnatural that men
should glance back and survey the his.
tory of the last hundred years. For
lrisllmen such survey must bring a
feeling Of sadness almost amounting
to despair, for beyond all question the
history Of the last century in Ireland
forms a record of decline and decay
which is without precedent.
Judged by every test, the nine.
teenth century was one of disaster for
Ireland. There is, perhaps, 10 test of
the prosperity Of a country which is
more reliable than the test of popula
tion. No country in the whole world
has lost its people in such an appalling
way as Ireland. Practically one-hali
the whole population has disappeared
in the space of fifty years. The in
dustries of the country have also large
ly faded away, many of them having
been deliberately stamped out by Brit
ish laws in the interest of British
trade. Many Of the towns and vii
lagos Of Ireland have fallen into de
cay and are to-day the saddest sights
imaginable.
ut has been said that the amount OF
money resting in the banks in ireland
shows vast increase, and that this
indicates growing prosperity. To my
mind the facts Of large sums Of money
lying idle rather proves lack Of enter
prise and stagnation. The various
measures Of land reform which the
last twenty years have seen have re
suited in an improvement in the posi-
tion Of the farmers of the country, but
foreign competition has pretty wei
kept pace with rent reductions, and Il
may be doubted If the farmers as
class are as well Off today as many
people, who only look at the reduction,
which have been made in their rents
might think.
"While England has progressed ir
every way, Ireland has experienced
little but trouble all through the las
hundred years. That this has beer
the direct result of the rule substitut
ed by Englishmen for the rule of the
Irish parliament cannot now be ser
iously denied.
"Of recent years, no doubt, English