The Irish standard., 1907-01-19

produce an immense stimulus would be
given to Irish industries and agrioul-
ture. BY DETECTING the deposits and
controlling the financial transactions
of HE bodies IT represents it might,
without much difficulty, call into. be-
! ing both Il national stock exchange and
q national bank. 1t might also lay the
foundations of a national civil service
! by classifying all positions that are
under the jurisdiction of public bodies
by throwing them open to competitive
! examination and by making a knowl-
edge of the Irish language obligatory
/, in all grades. 1t might even. as Papi-
ncau did in Canada and Deakin Hun
gary. institute national courts OF law
tina, would supsrsede the British courts
| and establish with Irish and Irish
American money a national and popu-
larly governed system of education.
All This seems IL huge perhaps"
Yet it is not an impossibility and il
anyone can make it a reality it is tile
Sim F'einers. They are clear-eyed,
rorceful men who mean business and
have backbone. Except among the en-
tremists of the ascendency party 1 DO
not recall meeting any body" of men
vino made upon me an equal impress
sion of tenaci;y, and the tenacity Of
the Sim I'ciners is the tenacity not of
obstinacN, but of a. cool, far-seeins
land intlcxibe purpose. | expect to see
them grow in power until the direction
OF Irish politics is in their hands,. The
present membership OF their organiza-
ton probably does not number much
more than 5000. yet believe that il
there We're to be an election tomorrow
lin except Mr.. Longs and would cap
ture at least five other seats now held
by nationalist members of parliament.
Naturally the parliamentarians, fear
full for their seats and their. salaries
and no doubt honestly convinced III
spite Of everything that they are on the
right tack. are at odds with the Sim
Feincrs. The Sim F'einers~ are not
less at odds with the parliamentarians.
Their organ. Sim F'cin, never let's a
chance slip by o. holding up Mr. Red
mond. Mr.. Dillon and their followers
n RI rE l,.,tr t,p,,,
And of the two policies l can not doubt
which is the winning one or which,
produces the better type OF man. Tho
Sim Fein movement is constructive:
it urges Irishmen not to fight England
by force; still less to whine and man.
cuver in her house OF commons, but
to stay at home in Ireland, ignore her
boycott her and Quietly assume; the
administration OF. Irish affairs. 1t Is
also a movement that is based on tho
individual. 1t tells each Irishman to
be up and doing: it treats him not as
force: it breaches at him the doctrine
of personal responsibility to and for
the nation; it asks Of him as a patriot
ic right-sacritice resolution, endur-
ance. 49,.
Those are points in its favor that
those who know Ireland best will APP
preciatc most. Moreover. the Sim
F'cin policy gathers to itself and trans
lates into terms of political action all
| those literary, spiritual and industrial
impulses that are thrilling the Irish
people With a new sense of nationality.
1t is the political spearhead for which
tho Gaelic league. the industrial: re-
vival and the cooperative movement
consciously or not, have provided the
shaft.
! At the same time the Sim I'einers
| are all on the side of material inn
provements. They proclaim the buy
| ing of Irish goods and produce to he
have bold. definite and sensible views
on education. tillage. afforestaton, an
Irish merchant marine. drainage
| works. national as opposed to state
| ownership of canals and railways and
so on. Taking it, for all in all. I do
not know anywhere a more interesting
or. from the British standpoint, a. more
formidable movement. Young Ire
land priest and student alike. is4rally-
ing to it's side. and conceive the tim:
is not far Off when we in England
shall be confessing thar. compared
with Sim Fem. every other Irish agi-
tation was the merest suuib.
! In that resurgence of a zeal national
ity which have spoken of, as the
mote" of present day Ireland thu
Gaelic league plays an imposing part
1t is doing on the intellectual. spir'
itual and educational side what The
Irish Agricultural Organization soci
ETY. and Sir Horace Plunkett's depart