The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-05-01
STRONG AGITATION IN IRELAND IS NECESSARY
Why the Irish People Prosperous and Industrious
Every Country of the World Except the
Land of Their Birth.

On a recent occasion, Mr.. John Dill
Ion. NJ. p, addressed a large assem-
blage In Glasgow on the subject OF
Homo Rule. In the course of his
speech. he said:
Ireland had been held up before the
whole civilized world for century as
mendicant, always begging and star
wing. / declare most solemny that
there is nothing in the history Of the
British government Of Ireland that has
cut more deeply into my soul and ex-
cited my hatred of the system more
than this very fact, that our country
has been held up as beggar amongst
the nations. Ireland is naturally
wealthy country, with vast resources,
with one Of the finest climates and
soils in the whole world. and If she
were left absolutely to herself say
that Ireland would be today as rich
ss any. Of the smaller countries ,:of,
Europe. She would be as rich as Hol-
land, and there is no reason on earth
why Ireland should not be far more
prosperous than Holland. Men have
said that Ireland has no coal or iron
mines.
Ireland has been gifted by nature
doubly and trebly in comparison with
Holland. and yet Holland is teening
with wealth, and in that country pow
l. ,se1,s r
say If ireland had been left to herself
she is not by nature poor country,
but healthy country, and that hor-
rible humiliation which has been often
felt by her scattered children through
out the world of seeing their nation
held up as q nation Of paupers,
would never have been inflicted on
them, and therefore 1 say that this
late. though gratifying, revival of the
trade Of Ireland ought to be taken by
us and used by us simply as a. sign
and proof Of what the Irish people
would do in their own country If they
We're allowed fair play.
Why, it is only the other day met
q gentleman, friend of mine, and
was a new discovery that he made. 1t
was said by the London Times fifty
years ago. He said: "Can you tell me
why it is that wherever I have gone
in the world have found the Irish
people prosperous and industrious, ex-
cept at home in their own country?"
Yes" I said, II can tell you quite
easily. Wherever you have gone you
have met the Irish people in a. free
country, and here at home they are
under Dublin Castle" That idea never
FORE
I have noticed a. great tendency on
the part Of some critical gentlemen in
Ireland to say Home Rule is dead and
buried, and forgotten, and that we,
the members Of the Irish Party, have
acauiesced in that state of things. Let
us compare the position Of Home Rule
today with it's position in 1885 and
1888. We often hear from these dole
full critics, and croakers and prophets
of evil lamentations over the great
position that Home Rule occupied fK
1885, and statements that it has gone
back ever since. What was the posi-
tion Home Rule occupied then? True,
it had the advocacy Of two of the
greatest statesmen of the last century
in these countries. namely. William
Ewart Gladstone and Charles Stew
art Parnell.
But in the year 1885, with all the
gigantic. the unparalleled power Of Mr..
Gladstone over the democracy of this
country, it seems to be forgotten that
Home Rule was beaten In the House
of Commons by majority of forty.
and when Gladstone. with his superb
courage. and then in the plentitude Of
his power. went to the country on the
question of Home Rule, what was the
result? He was beaten in the country