Cañon City record., 1910-04-14
From Thursdays Daily.
In OLD IRELAND

In OLD IRELAND
OF course there is poverty in Ire
land. The island is no Utopia. And
the old people who under the new
order of hings with the fifty years
payment on the land still must face
many of the old conditions. Yet 1t
is not the same. They are saving
for their own. The improvements
they make on the land are upon
their own land. They do not have
their rent raised because they have
frightened up the place a bit as they
did under the old landlord system
So even the exceedingly poor have
hope. And the poor are most wretch
edly poor. The thatched house with
one room and a sleeping loft over
the barn in the next room, the thatch-
ed house with the chickens on the
kitchen table and the pigs in the par
lor," the duck pond in the front YARD
and the cow stable in the doorway
the matched house of the poor farm
er in ireland covers a degree OF ag-
riculturai poverty that we scarcely
know in America But It is no longer
the rule in ireland any more than II
is with u.s. They have compulsory ed
ucation for children up to IL years In
ireland now, and the child who can
read and write is too ambitious as
a man or woman to remain long in
abjact poverty. Moreover the Irish
people are doing much more than the
English people seem to be doing TO
overcome one source of poverty. They
are drinking less and less liquor. The
brewers and distiliers are complain
ing of annual losses. And on the high
way we saw men wearing the white
star of the pledgetaker. The Catholic
church has temperance missionaries
all over the island. The spirit OF
Father Matthew. the great temperance
revivalist, is abroad in the land. Tenn
perance posters may be seen on bill
boards in all parts OF the country
exhorting men to let drink alone.
And as for the women in Ireland,
they drink. and SO long as one wo-
man drinks. that is too many but
the drinking OF women is not great
national curse. as 1t is in England.
One might walk miles In Dublin and
not see a woman In a saloon. In Lon
don there are not only many more
saloons to the square mile. but they
are filled with women. In Dublin.
they told rs a woman loses caste
who goes to saloons. She does not
seem to lose caste in England. And.
compared with London Dublin and all
OF ireland. except the seaport towns.
which are invaded by British soldiers
and sailors. seem to be in a fairly
good condition, SO FAR as drinking is
concerned. Certainly the evil of drink
ing is recognized: it is being fought
Systematically. and with results =
that Is half the battle. And so far
as drink makes poverty Ireland Is
overcoming one source Of her former
poor estate.
Another hopeful thing about Ire
land Is that she Ia about to have
free higher education for the Catho-
lie youths. The present Trinity
college at Dublin, supported by the
state, Is an Episcopalian institution.
It is under the ban of Rome. But
this fall, for the first time in modern
history. Ireland will have a free pub
lie university. supported by the state
to which all classes-Catholics, nom
conformists, free-thinkers-every one
may send their children without hav-
ing their religion questioned or inter-
fered with. II will be an Institution
much like our state university in the
middle west. and 100000 and more
will be spent annually for teachers
salaries. The Catholics, to whom
higher education in ireland has been
extremely difficult. hail this new
state college with great Joy. And DO
everywhere one finds the best OF
feeling In ireland toward England.
The statue OF William of Orange has
not been tarred and feathered for
several years And while the July Il
riots in Belfast this year were up to
their old time vigor. 1t was really an