The Irish standard., 1907-09-28

and old women being prosecuted iii
| the police court because they dared t.,
shout down the armed forces If the
Crown which for the time being in
fest the district in which they live.
These young Irish girls and their
mothers are being prosecuted because
they also protest against having to
leave the country, for no other reason
than that the land around the dis
tricts in which they live is denied tc
them and given over to herds of bull.
locks and t1ocks Of sheep.
In Meath, right up to the, property
of John Sweetman, leading Sim
Feiner, there was cattle drive tie
other day. The people there, too, are
rising against the ranchers and the
landlords, who between them have de-
prived the people Of the means of liv-
ing. The district is Orristown. Fifty
years ago 500 farmers titled the SOIL
Of this parish. Today there are Just
50 left.
The sole occupants of the $50 home.
steads which have been ruined are
sheep and bullocks. The men who
have risen in revolt against the sys-
tenn of ranching in Meath are the la
borers. They get little work and
earn one shilling day wages from the
few who till land in that county at
present. These laborers are the des-
cendants of the once happy and CON-
tented farmers of Orristown. They
want to get back to the land and they
have risen and have proceeded to drive
the cattle from the ranches.
In these cases the police have been
unable to interfere because the drives
take place in tn night time and the
cattle and sheep are scattered all over
the country. What is happening ir
orristown today will happen in every
parish in Meath before many weeks
are over.
John Redmond. Nj. p, the chairman
of the Irish Parliamentary Party, has
been to Ballybofey in Tyroconnell. Adj
dresses We're presented him by all the
public bodies of the country, and the
greatest enthusiasm was manifested on
his appearance at the vast assembly
of the sons of Tyroconnelly, who well
coined him to the fastnesses of Done
gal. l quote some of his speech for
the information of your readers
when last I stood here. the no,ni-
mated grand juries had absolute con-
troll of all county business: today the
grand juries have disappeared and the
elected representatives of the people
have absolute control over the levyi:lg
and the spending of the rates OF the
county.
I therefore come back to Donegal,
after 20 years. not only of hard work
but of successful work and l am glad
to find on my return here that and
my colleagues and our Party ami cur
principles and our Policy, still COM
mand the good will and the confidence
of the people of Tyroconnell. Now, l
will not attempt to disguise from you
that this expression of confidence or
your part is not only pleasant 10 us
but is necessary stimulus and en-
coura cement.
Let me say to you, In the first place.
nothing whatever has occurred which
might shake our belief in the early
triumph of the National cause; no.h-
ing whatever has occurred to discreGit
those great weapons by the use cf
which alone we have won reforms i'll
the past, namely, united and pledge
bound Party and a determined and
organized country behind US.
Of course, 1 know perfect unity is
impossible in any country in irteili.
gent men, Here in Ireland there al.
ways were, and there always will be