The Irish standard., 1905-04-01
4 CHANGE roR 1HB BETTER.

ebrations throughout the world on St.
Patrick's day was the fact that the
day was observed without any dis
turbance. 1t is not many years since
this was decidedly not a feature of St.
Patrick's day events. 1t speaks well
for the progress of the world that q
people now scattered by persecution to
every quarter of the earth is allowed
peaceably to honor the memory of the
man who taught them their religious
faith which they have persevered in
for almost fifteen centuries. The day
was celebrated in every quarter of the
earth; in Ireland, OF course, in London,
in America, in Australia, in Africa and
even in Manila, conclusive evidence
of the fact that the Irish have pene-
trated into every nook and corner of
the known world. Irish-Americans
should be thankful that here in this
country religious and racial prejudices
have so far passed away that people
other than the Irish have been able to
enter into the celebration of st. Pat
rick's day with enthusiasm. Things
change so rapidly that we are likely
to take for granted all the blessings
that we now enjoy. Irish immigrants
who came here during the SOS and
COS remember we'll a different situa-
ton. In fact it is only a few years
ago when Abram S. Hewitt, Demo
cratic mayor Of the great Irish-Ameri-
can city of New York, refused to al
low the Irish flag to be displayed on
the city hall on st. Patrick's day. The
president of the United States left the
capital city of Washington and tray
eled to his home city OF New York,
there to be present at a banquet given
by the Friendly Sons of st. Patrick,
where every man had two flags, one
the stars and stripes and the other
the flag of Erin. So far no one of any
Importance has objected to the action
of the president. He was giving up
time that belonged to the public as
chief magistrate OF the nation to
st. Patrick's day celebration. This
was surely as great an infringement
upon public rights and public proper
ty as would be the display of flag
upon public building. But the ex-
PLANTATION is that things have changed.
There is no longer that hostility to-
ward the Irish people in this country
that existed few years ago. To be
sure in few of the benighted small
towns in New England the old spirit
may be observed. At Pittsfield, Mass,
children were prevented from display.
ing green flags and the principal of a
high school at Waterbury, Conn.,, dis
missed three boys because their green
bows were too large. But no one
seems to get angry about these things
any more. We doubt not that the
boys were pleased to be dismissed, and
we hope that their parents hao suffi-
cient sense to cOmmisserate the mar
principals WIN WCIS I'LL
able to exercise sufficient self-control
% conceal their prejudices. The gooo
thing about the whole matter is tnat
we no longer fight over non-essent1als
The wearing of a green bow no longer
leads to an opposition display of yell
low bows and a consequent smashing
of heads. The announcement that
some one will have few words TO
say about the Irish or Ireland no long
er leads to incipient riot, and the good
sense on one side leads to good sense
on the other. The Irish themselves
have learned to carry on their cele-
brations in a more charitable spirit
and without challenging everybody an
everything not Irish.