The Irish standard., 1908-10-24

Speaking at the inaugural meeting
OF the North Belfast Liberal associa-
ton. held in the Wellington hall of the
Right Hon. Mr.. Z. W. Russell, NJ. p.
said he spent the week in the Coun-
ties Of Wexford, Galway, and Clare,
and he proposed to give them some
thoughts concerning these parts of the
country, to tell them exactly how
things stood there, and TO indicate
what he thought ought to be done by
any government-Tory, Liberal, Or
Home rule-that governs Ireland. 1--WE
all hear" continued Mr. Russell, "a
good deal about disorder in Ireland. A
certain class of politicians think they
have done their duty when they have
pointed cut and condemned what they
think to be wrong. They never seem
to imagine that there are many things
that are-right that are worth speaking
Of, and that they could do a little to
make things better if they only chose,
to further what is right. Now, l pro-
pose to tell you tonight what have
seen during the week with my own
eyes and what have heard with my
own ears. I shall be quite frank In
tondemning what is wrong, and / hope
to- give the people Of Ulster a glimpse
of the country, which they are not like
w to get either from Unionist leaders
or from the Unionist press. Let me
start where began my tour, in the
County of Wexford, and let us remem-
Der that the South and West of Ire
land are constantly declared to be in Il
state of anarchy. Indeed, there is an
article in the 'Fortnightly Review with
tile alarming title, The Government
and Irish communism have not read
e, and never heard of the writer, but
/ know what it means-that it is SIM
ply reflection of the scare which the
press, a section of the Irish landlords,
and your Ulster members are working
up for their own purpose. The County
Ct Wexford, in which 1 spent three
days last week, has population of
100000. Nine thousand are Protest.
ants, the rest are Catholics. 1t is a
county where the national spirit is ex-
tremely strong, where memories of
1oh
Rebellion of '9S still linger. This is
II typical county to prove the truth or
the untruth of the several charges lev
clled against Ireland. To begin with,
three-fourths of the land of Wexford
has passed from the owner to occup1er.
Please note this fact. 1t accounts for
much. The men, therefore, who till the
soil own it, and they till it to a. very
large extent. 1t is. not in grass. Again,
Wexford is Il county where the temper
ance movement has long had a very
strong hold, where the consumption of
drink is less than in other parts of the
country; which had a Sunday closing
law 1Or lLSclL lOIlE DcAOAe I1IS NuAAuoS
Closing Act was passed, and where
drunkenness does not bulk to an abnor-
nal extent. 1t has also many prosper
Gus industries, apart from the land,
employing considerable numbers of the
people. There is absolutely no intoler-
ance. or religious bigotry among the
people. There are four Protestant
county and borough councillors. Some
of the traders who do the largest busi-
ness in the county are Protestants.
There is no boycotting, no cattle driv-
ing, no disorder of any kind. I was
the guest at farmers banquet in the
barony of Forth the other night. The
parish priest was in the chair, the Pro-
testant rector sat by his side. When
grounds belonging to Catholic could
not be had for the agricultural show
this year, the rector gave the grounds
OF the rectory and his house for the
purpose, and all through that county,
predominantly Catholic. strongly Ma