The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-11-16
1RELAND's NUMBERS WANING

Philadelphia Press: The Irish
question is never answered. For
half a century 1t has been one of the
living issues before the British par
lament. 1t has again come to the
front and is now occupying a larger
attention than any other piece Of
legislation. And ignoring entirely
the straightout question of home
rule, it would seem to be high time
for Great Britain, on purely econom-
ic grounds, to revise. most radically
Its government Of Ireland.
The situation in that country isl
truly remarkable. Sixty-ive years
ago the official census gave the pop
ulation OF Ireland as S,175, 600. In
1901 the official censu returned but
4,45S, 900, while up to the middle OF
the present year there had been a
further decrease of $4,000 persons.
The land of the shamrock has today
only half as many people as it con-
tained in 1841. There has been dur
ing this time no devastating war and
no wasting epidemic. There have
been famines, but they were hardly
more severe than have visited other
portions of the globe. The birth
rate has regularly exceeded the death
rate, showing a natural growth for
the country.
And yet with a fertile soil and a
healthy climate, Ireland has steadily
and rapidly decayed. 1t has lost half
its people and is losing more of them
today. 1t is going backward. where
IS every other civilized land under
the sun is going forward. Separated
by only a narrow sea from England
and Scotland, which are rushing
forward in population, in the size
and number Of their Industries, in
wealth and 10 every personal COM
fort, Ireland IS losing its sons and
daughters and Is growing poorer in
stead Of richer. 1t has no more
manufacturing plants now than it
had years ago. Agriculture is almost
the sole reliance Of the 1900, 900
Inhabitants.
The actual state Of affairs in Ire
land today would indicate that there
has heen something vitality wrong in
the political management of that
country. Why should its people
desert 1t to find homes in other
lands? Why this long and never ceas-
ing exodus of Irishmen? The reasons
must be polItIcai rather than natural.
Ireland costs Great Britain an inor-
dinately large sum to manage. The
police system is overburdensome and
costly. AS far as Irish self-govern-
ment goes there is nothing worthy
the name. The country has a sixth
Of the members Of the house of com
mons and virtually is said even by
English authorities to be far worse
than that In England itself, which
to IN American seems bad enough.
While there seems no possibility
OF anything like one Of the Gladstone
home rule measures evcr passing q
British parliament there IS nov q
strong probability that the house o.
commons at least will adopt a bill t.
give Ireland a great deal Of local self
government. There will be NJ
separate parliament at Dublin. bu'
many English statesmen are con
WINGED that Ireland is dying for tn,
want of a better local administration
When--the empire is spending sco1'
OF millions on a navy to protect it
colonial possessions 1t would look lik'
wisdom to do something in a big
broad. generous way to build up tn,
once rich and prosperous but nov
surely decaying island that lies s.
near its very heart.
General William r. Shaiter, VIII