The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-04-02
Printed in the London Papers
to Prejudice the English
Against Home Rule.
White Gloves Presented to
Judge Peter O'Brien in the
City of Limerick.
Twelve Prisons Closed Up in
the Emerald Isle for Want
of Any Criminals.

Augustine Birrell, Chief Secretary for
Ireland, in the House of Commons the
other day, in reply to a question, said
that during the last twenty years
twelve prisons in Ireland had been
closed. OF these eight have been hand
ed over to the local authorities and
turned to some useful purpose
This statement is interesting, for it
is one of those little rays of fact which
pierce the gloom of vast amount Of
misstatement. few days before
hearing Mr.. Birrell make this statement
read in the London Standard, a fav-
orite paper of the Conservative party,
an article which appears to be one o.
a series devoted to the congenial task
Of proving that Ireland is seething with
crime. The general title of the articles
is "The Price of Home Rule" Their
object is to show that if home rule is
granted there will be carnival of
"murther in Ireland" writes Col Ar
thur Lynch, M. p, in letter from
London to the st. Louis Republic of
| March 27.
Even now, it would appear from the
testimony of the man on the spot,
writing from town in the North of
Ireland, that mo man goes out at
night without loaded revolver in his
pocket-sometimes two revolvers-and
supply of ammunition. Presently one
of these weapons will go off"
I am reminded of little luncheon
| party at which boaster was spinning
yarn too elaborately. One of the
party. an Irish novelist, quiet man,
| drew his pipe out and murmured, bad
art" This remark cut the ground away
from the feet Of the tall talker. And
| when we hear of the citizens of a small
Irish town, not usually prominent in
| the worlds history, going about not
only with one revolver-wh1ch we
could stand-but two revolvers, 1 feel
inclined to murmur, like Richard
Dowling bad art"
| The writer said: "One of these
weapons will go off" Possibly; but the
two revolvers will not go off. In
Ireland We are becoming bilingual, but
we are not yet bimanual. ! have seen
some fighting, but 1 never believed
much in the two revolvers, away from
the cover of boys scent shocker.
1t is amazing what curious notions
people may form of adjacent countries.
At the very time our souls were being
narrowed by the danger of going out
at night in Ireland one of the Irish
members actually asked me if it was
safe to go to Paris. He had read so
much about the apaches. But imagine
with what trepidation a Frenchman
who read the Standard might look
forward to voyage to Ireland.
I glanced at another paper. My eye
was caught by the headings "Sprine
Assizes, Limerick City. White Gloves
for Lord O'Brien."
The high sheriff made pretty lit
tie speech, in which he said that al
the spring assizes last year he had
a similar experience in presenting white
gloves to Justice Wright, and during
the year he had presented white gloves
to their respected County Court Judge
Lord O'Brien, in reply, said he was
"delighted to receive the white gloves
emblematic of the crimeless condition
of their city. That state Of things
was by no means exceptional. He
did not care to make invidious com
parisons, but the City Of Limerick
compared favorably with any city ir
England, Scotland or elsewhere. Ir
saying that he hoped he did not Of.
fend anyone"
I have merely taken the City ol
Limerick at hazard. Something SINH
lar might be written about any towr
in Ireland. The Irish people are really
extraordinarily honest people. car
say that from personal experience, for
} travelling in all parts of the country
have left behind, unprotected, at rail.
way stations, bags, rugs, umbrellas an.
the like; and have not only fount