The Washington herald., 1907-06-12
The New Irish Movement.

since the rejection OI the lrlSn council
bill in Dublin. on May p, it would seem
that history has been making in Ireland
Or il. at least It had been in the making
prior to that time. 1t has come promi-
nently to the surface since. There has
been growing up in Ireland a new party
called the Sim Fein, which has for its
object a programme Of ireland for the
Irish. This, 10 be sure. is not a new
slogan, but under the new banner are en-
rolled new men, new ideas. new interests.
The Sim Fein is a movement only about
five years old It has, as yet. no COM
plete organization, but il numbers among
its following the better class Of young
men. and some women. in the towns and
cities Among It's leaders are Mr.. Shan
F. Bullock. William Butler Yeats. Lady
Gregory. Mr.. J. N. Synge. and people Of
that sort. II will be seen, perhaps. from
the character of some Of its leaders that
the Sim Fein is not solely a political or
ganization. II is allied with the literary
and artistic revival. which includes much
that is best in Irish life. Il is striving
hard to bring about industrial and COM
mercial autonomy. and. having adopted
some Of the doctrines Of Frederick List.
the German economist. It IS endeavoring
70 promote a tariff-bound national manu-
featuring and commercial system
The movement has no religious signif-
canoe, though in the matter Of the Irish
council bill the Sim Fein Joined hands
heartily with the clerical party and thus
proved too strong for Mr.. Redmond and
his followers. II has. however. I'm an IN
direct but efficacious way. a strong moral
side. The movement declares that every
source of revenue now paying toll 70 Eng
land must be boycOtted. and as the most
prolific source Of revenue Is the excise.
the young men I'm the towns are eIcour-
aged 10 become total abstainers, with the
result that the neral standard Of the
members Of Sim Fein is above that Of
the general population,
The movement has adopted the dictum
OF Lord Chancellor Plunkett. that the act
Of union is nullitv which no Irishman
is bound to obey. and the prime movers
have been active IN pointing out 10 the
people that I'm the period since 1855, during
which their Representatives have main
tanned an unofficial alliance with the Lib
eral party, there has been no single i'm
portant measure Of Irish domestic reform
The leaders hope. by transferring the chill
dren from the national schools 20 those OF
the Christian brothers. and by founding
voluntary schools and a national demo
cratic university. 10 educate the young in
the tenets Of the new faith. They expect
70 have an agricultural and manufactur-
ing union which will stimulate Irish man
ufactures, and TO take control of their
harbor commissioners. Mr.. Shan F. Bull
lock declares that Ireland wants its own
merchant marine. its OWE consular rep
resentatives abroad and to devote a part
Of the local taxation cf the country 10 IN
ternal improvements He SAYS:
We ask the people TO boycott the courts Of law
and submit their cases 70 our own national srbitra-
ton courts. We require orr national stock ex-
change devoted 10 the interests of Irish capitalists
in Ireland and the welfare of Irish industrial en-
terrrizes. We want our national banks We ad7o-
cate the refusal 70 recruit England civil and armed
forces. We propose to strike against the payment
Of British taxes 20 effect a diminution Of British
revenue and the consequent increase Of our own by
reducing the amount Of our expenditure on drink"
This is a radical and a daring pro-
gramme. The possibility Of its growth is
due solely 20 the complacency Of Mr.. Red
mond and his followers and 20 the weak
ness of the British Liberals. The Sim
Fein is gaining rapidly at the expense of /
the moderate party. and the only weak
ness that is visible in the armOr Of the
new cause IS its irreconcilablo hostility to
the priests. without whose aid and sup
port it can never hope TO capture the
peasantry Of Ireland