Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

j
| to coincide with any advanced theoretical
or sentimental notions we may entertain on
| the question of Irish nationality.
By Patriotic Statesmen.
THE United Irish League was first
established in 1898 in the west of County
Mayo, and was brought about by the most
advanced and patriotic statesmen-the late
| lamented Michael Davitt, William O'Brien.
NJ. P; John Dillon, M. p; John E. Red
| mond, NJ. p, and several others of practical
| experience, who. profitings by the lessons
of previous movements, resolved to elm
mate all obnoxious or impracticable fea-
lures that tended in any way to jeopardize
the success of the great movement. Three
years later the movement was introduced
| in the United States, and called the, United
Irish League of America; branches were
established In nearly every city and town
| in this country and Canada, and the very
best element of the Irish race here came
| forward and cheerfully gave their moral
and financial support to it's advancement.
1T will be remembered by the people of
Washington that at our first mass meeting
| in this city. the late Senator Hoar-the
venerable champion of human liberty from
Observation-Disclosures Senator Pat
terson of Colorado did at a subsequent one,
and that in both of these demonstrations
our most distinguished statesmen and citi-
Zens participated
Has Secured Concessions.
"Since the inception of the Irish League
ireland has secured some wonderful con-
cessions from the British government, and,
perhaps, in all the pages of Irish history
SO plentifully stained by blood and tears
| no more practical benefits have ever been
secured through the fundamentally of any
single movement. Though entirely distinct
from the Land League and the National
League, the United Irish League. which
embraces all the important features of the
other movements, Is operated on distinctly
open and admirable principles of moral,
legal and parliamentary measures. and. be-
ing free from all secrecy and circum-
Scribed limits, has appealed to the SYM
pathy and approval of all honest and
patriotic citizens of every race and creed.
IF we only consider the direct financial
benefits derived from these three leagues.
we will find Ireland has been the gamer to
the extent of more than billion dollars.
The following will prove this conciusiveiy'
Land act 1881 reduced Irish rents by SlO,-
600, 090 per year, for twenty years. $2oo,OO,-
600; land purchase acts. 1SS5-SS advanced
tenants to purchase land). $50.000.O0O land
purchase act, 1891 (same purpose), SlD,ooo,-
900; light railway act, 1882. $S,OO0,OOo; ar
rears of rent act, 1882 (wiped out complete
ly), $4,000, 600; laborers act. 1883 for buid-
ing laborers' cottages), S15.Ooo0ee; migra-
ton act 1882 transferring tenants to r1cher
lands), $1,000. 900; agricultural act, 49, (iIn-
proving agricultural, s1,0e0,OO0; annually
(for same purpose since 1929, SSi0,OOo; land
act, 1903 tamount to be advanced), SboO,-
ment), S60,000,000 Total, 81. 1O4. Os0,OoO.'
Money Must Be Repaid.
although some of this money must be
repaid, Ireland has secured during the twen-
ty-six years, from 1879 to 1893. $l,1o4,OoO,-
coo in grants which were wrung from
hostile government, and she has according
ly been benefited thereby. Surely the work
of a parliamentary party that secured this
substantial gain should not be recklessly
made light of by advanced 60 natlonallsts
who are yet waiting for the dimculty anu
it's promised opportunity. Far from me De
the desire to speak with slur or sarcasm
on the aspirations of 1rishmen whose mo-
tives, no matter how impracticable, are,
founded on patriotic instincts. but from
practicpal and business standpoint wnen
you remove the clouds of sentimentality
that obscure the vision of many weil-in-
tentioned man, we must concede that Ire
land has been more substantially benehteo
by this billion dollars than by long-distance
oratorical denunciationS of England ana
physical force will o the Wisps.
. ireland has secured great REFORMS
through the Triple League. The franchise
act of 1884 extended what Is practically
manhood suffrage for the first time In Ire
land. The local government act OF 1898 es-
tabished county, district and rural coun,
ellis and swept away at one stroke the oio
feudal grand jury system under which the
people of Ireland helplessly suffered Tor
centuries This act secured for the first
time for the plain people voice In the
management of their local concerns: any
one conyersant with the old grand jury
system and who understands or witnessed
it will easily appreciate the enormous oene-
fit its abolition has been to the social, ma
terial and national life OF ireland. Otnsr
reforms. as result of parliamentary agi-
alton and the assistance of the league. are
the great reduction In Irish rents. the aDon.
ton Of coercion, the conversion or fO,UOO
tenant farmers to be proprietors, taxaton
with some semb!ance of representation, the
naturalization of the civil service. repre-
sentation on the local judiciary and the es-
tablishment of 10000 laborers cottages,
rented at the rate of a shilling week to
replace the wretched novels In when peas
ants were compelled to previously reside.
Without Shedding Blood.
and all this has been accomplished
without the shedding of drop Of blood or
the destruction of one dollars worth OF
property-nor has a solitary dollar been ex-
pended in the alleged purchase OF NUM-
lions of war; but every cent has been
iudiciously applied where the most good
was expected Even the officers in this
country, from the national president to the
humblest member, give their services
gratuitously, and not penny has been eX-
pended in the payment of salaries.
In recent speech Mr.. Thol.las NJ Ket-
tie, NJ P. envoy of the Irish parliamentary
Darty referred to the accomplishments OF
the United Irish League as follows:
.."rwenty-five years ago under tenant
rights the holder of land had no legal
rights and his property could be wrested
from him on the slightest provocation.
Today two-fifths of the 2o,OO0,O0o acres in
Ireland are under the sole ownership and
control of tenant farmers. OF the $4,000
occupiers of land. 100000 are owners And
continuing at this rate, in very short
time. It is hoped, the whole of the Irish
land viii be in the hands of the Irish peo-
pie.
sinews of War Necessary.
For the least important of our political
battles in this country sinews of war are
necessary, 1t must not be imagined the
great battle for Irish nationality can be
waged without suitable ammunition. The
Irish NJ. P.'s, unlike American representa-
tiyes, receive no salary or pecuniary COM
pensation for their services. This being
the case, we should all strive to assist
this worthy movement, which has the in
dorsement of every intelligent Irishman all
over the world, and we should contribute
in accordance with our means to insure
the fund pledged from the citizens of Wash
ington Let us remember and emulate the
T,,;e DI;Io IaIn in