Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-11
PARLIAMENTARY FUND
BEGINS TO DWINDLE
NATIONALIST ARE DISSATISFIED
WITH RESULTS
Claimed by League Officials When
People Secure Holdings Under
Land Act They Lose Their
Enthusiasm

DUBLIN, Sept. 1O.-Much concern is
felt in Nationalist circles at the con-
dition of the parliamentary fund. De-
spite many appeals to Irish patriotism
and glowing accounts of the great SER
vices ungrudgingly rendered by the
party in an alien assembly, subscrip-
tions steadily are dwindling. So far
this year total of S17,770 has been
raised. Twelve months ago the fund
stood at $24,650, and in August, 1907, it
amounted to $37270. There thus has
been decline in two years of close to
$10 900. No explanation Is forthcoming
of this serious shortage. Probably it is
due in some measure to dissatisfac-
tion with the partys performances, but
the main cause would seem to be pure
indifference.
1t has frequently been complained by
league officials that when the people
in a district have secured their hold
ings under the land act they cease to
take any lively interest in the organ
izatien and its aims.
Only the other day at meeting of
the West Waterford executive commit
tee one of the league organizers crit
icised the apathy displayed by the peo-
pie in certain districts, who, he said,
Identified themselves with the national
movement only when they got into
trouble. He added that, to his own
knowledge, more money was spent in
the south and west in one Sunday on
excursions in connection with sports
than would suffice to maintain the par
liamentary party for two years.
These things would seem to point to
the conclusion that the desire for home
rule Is not so ardent and widespread
as the Nationalist leaders allege. On
this aspect of the question the remarks
of Mr.. Sheehy, M. p, at Duleek last
week are significant. The member for
South Meath warned the Irish people
that if they made it appear that, given
a settlement of the land question in
any form, they did not care any more
about home rule, they might say good
by to their chances of obtaining self
government. This season, he said, the
parliamentary party would have as
trying a time as any of the men could
have. What was Ireland doing to help
them? In the interests of the country
he demanded that adequate provision
should be made for the maintenance of
it's representatives.
Plain speaking on the subject is in
dulged in by the Nationalist Independ-
ent. Asserting the present state of the
fund is not creditable to Ireland, it
caustically remarks that while reso-
lutions of confidence in the parliament
tary party have been passed at every
lilSCIlil5 VI lSlO
out the country, the evidence of the
sincerity of those professions is not
conclusive.
1.-THE appeal was issued last March,
and now, after the lapse of five months,
only $17,770 has been subscribed. When
an appeal was made last year on be-
half of the sufferers by the Messina
disaster, in one Sundays collection,
taken up in only a few of the Irish dio-
ceses, a spontaneous offering of more
than $4,000 was made to the relief
fund. This sum equals the whole year s
contribution to the parliamentary fund.
Could clearer proof be given that the
people are not doing their duty by the
party to whom they look to do the
country's business at Westminster?
1.-THE overwhelming majority of Ma
tionalists believe it is necessary for
Ireland to be represented in the British
parliament. Mistakes of policy have
been made in the past, but, while we
should assert the right of criticising
fairly anything in the conduct of the
party that called for it, we should all
the more strongly urge that the country
is in duty bound to support its repre-
sentatives when they are on the ma
tion's business. Most Of them are poor
men, which is equivalent to saying that
they are of the people. 1t is but right,
then, that the people should support
them"