The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-06-02

ton. He conceived the ide; of conf
liamentary and n-Parliamentary,
Home Rule and non-Home Rule, Feni-
an and nom Fenian into one g.eat
J movement for the liberation OF the
Irish tenants from the thraldom under
which they labored. He withheld his
support from all existing movements
sweeping away the system known as
Irish landlordism, and for the creation
of national peasant proprietary. His
cry was that the people OF Ireland
should be made the owners of the land
of Ireland. His plan was to carry on
a campaign of agitation. He was wise
people could gain nothing through the
sword. Some of the Fenian leaders We
hement!y opposed him because he cp-
posed the employment of force. The
question that Davitt had to contend
with in 1878 and 1879 was much the
same question that John Redmond is
now contcnding with. There were
Home Rulers in those days who OPP
posed seeing their movement put in
the background for this new land
movement but Davitt faced all difficult
ties bravely. After much hard labor
he determined to raise the standard of
his campaign in his native county
thirty years before his fathers home
had stood. The first meeting was held
on the 2Sth of April, 1879, at Irish
town. Throughout the summer similar
meetings We're held in the district ana
OH the 2lst day Of October, in response
to a circular from Parnell and Davitt
IL convention of tenant farmer dele
gates was held in the city of Dublin.
This was the beginning of the Irish
National Land League, and the CAM
paign launched on that day by Michael
Davitt has held the attention of the
English government for the past thirty
five years. Davitt was the father Of
the Irish Land League and to him more
than any other one person is due the
fact that Irish farmers are now be-
coming the owners Of Irish soil.
In 1880 Davitt again came to the
United States to establish Il branch of
the League. British detectives fol-
lowed him in his pilgrimage from
New York to San Francisco and care
fully noted every word that he ut
tered The result was that when he
returned to Ireland in 1881 he was
again arrested and sent back to penal
servitude. After serving about a year
he was again liberated only to be again
arrested in 1888. While he was Il con-
Wet in Portland prison in 1882 he was
first elected to Parliament from County
Meath but the House of Commons by
vote promptly declared him diSuuali
fled. After he was released for the
third time lie was asked by several
Irish constituencies to stand for cleo
ton but he refused on the ground that
it was impossible for him to take the
oath of allegiance to the British gov
eminent. and it was not until 1891 that
he could be induced to forego his pre- jul
diceS in this respect From that time
on until 1899 he represented some
Irish constituency in Parliament. In
October. 1899. he resigned his seat
clired that he could not represent (,
government that carried OH such an
unholy war as the British government
was then waging against the Beers.
From that time on he gave his entire
attention to travel and writing. Mr..
Davitt earned his living during all his
and other literary work. While in
Portland prison he wrote Leaves from
IL Prison Diary" which was widely
read. In 1891 appeared his Defense of
the Land League and just recently
his history of the Boer War has cunc
from the press.
Michael Davitt will rank as one oS
the greatest patriots of history. Among
many famous men who have struggled
for Irish nationality he will take high
rank His whole career has been Civ
en- up to n fight in behalf of the Lowry
ana oppressed. He was not Il politi-
clan for revenue. Once he was COM
PEELED TO resign his seat in Parliament
because of bankruptcy proceedings
against him. No man ever fought more
couragcously under more adverse CTR
cumstances. Through years of pain
full suffering and imprisonment he
fought on unfalteringly and without
yielding. The object of his fight was
the betterment of his own people at
we'll The working people of England
will mourn his death as much as the
Irish peaSantry. His friend. John Il.
Finmerty of Chicago, voices the Senti-
ment of those Interested in the Irish
movement on this side of the Atlantic
when he says: NO greater loss to
Ireland has occurred since the death
OF Parnell. and no man was more de-
vofa1 IN nIortx aud Immunity than