The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-12-17
Crisis is an Irish Home Rule Gen.
eral Election, Says Leader
of Irish Party.
End of House That Rejected Every
Extension of Popular Rights
is at Hand.
Sympathy of the Masses of the Eng.
lish People an Added AS
surance of Victory.

In his first political speech in the
campaign that is now we'll under way
in Ireland, John Redmond emphati-
cally renewed his pledges to his fol-
lowers. He said:
rejoice with all my heart that at
the commencement of the most mo.
mentous general election which has
taken place in Ireland since the Act
of Union was passed that l have the
opportunity Of delivering my first
speech here In Wexford to my own
people-this people whose history
proves that they are the bravest and
most incorporating Nationalists
alive and at the same time are men
of the shrewdest wit and the cool
est judgment. Speaking to such men,
I will create no surprise when 1 say
I must speak today with caution and
reserve. It would be impossible for
me to exaggerate my sense of the
gravity of the present political Sit
uation. So grave do I consider it
that I would be glad if it were pos
sible for me to remain silent alto
gether; but there are some things
can say. There are some things
must say. The first thing 1 say ise
this: Nationalists Of Wexford, all
goes we'll with the Nationalist cause.
This election is, above and beyond all
else, an Irish election, and, whatever
happens in this election, Ireland
stands to win. Some people are ask
ing for declarations on Home Rule
from English minister's. Now, l have
asked for none. The declarations
have been made; take them for what
they are worth. The prime minister,
in the most solemn way, pledged him.
self, his cabinet and his party, not
to devolution, not to Home Rule all
around; but, In his own words, to a
system of full self government for
Ireland. That declaration has been.
repeated by the chancellor of the
exchequer. by Mr.. Winston Churchill,
and by every minister who has spok-
en-, and only on Friday last the prime
minister at Hull practically. repeated
that declaration and pledge. For my
part. I say do not attach too much
Importance to the public declaration
of any English minister, whatever
party he may belong to. And I de-
clare here today that il none of these
declarations had been made, If not
one word about Home Rule had been
uttered by the leaders Of the Liberal
party still this crisis must be in it's
essence an Irish Home Rule general
election.
House Of Lords Permanent Barrier.
| Fellow countrymen, the masses of
the English people are no longer the
enemies of Home Rule, and we would
have Home Rule today with their full
consent were it not that the House.
of Lords has stood there permanent
obstacle in their way. Through the
century that has passed the House
Of Lords has been the buttress of the
irreconcilable enemies of our race and
our country. They opposed Catholic
emancipation, passed three times
through the House of Commons, and
rejected three times in the House Of
Lords, and only passed when civil
war was threatened. They opposed
/ the concession of the franchise to the
irish people and delayed it by long,.
long years after they had given it.
to the people Of Great Britain. They
rejected the ballot, which insured the
freedom of election; they opposed ev-3
cry measure of land reform-and ev-i
cry drop Of blood that was shed and
every crime that was committed in
connection with the land movement;
lies today at the House of Lords. They
denied education to our people, and
kept the Irish nation In ignorance. <
They have refused and rejected ev-S
cry extension of popular rights. The
extension of local self government
granted freely to England and to-
Wales, was denied to this country unsI
I'll the other day. and as for Home
n 4