The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-10-08

,fulhlled our promises. \AppAauso.l
When we entered public life the
land system, which existed in Ireland
crushed all manhood and independence
out Of the people. The mass OF the
people were absolute slaves. The first
item in the program Of the Land
League was to create q peasant own
ership in Ireland, to put an end to
landlordism and to root the tenants as
owners of the land. We have achieved
that. Today the greater part of the
land of Ireland has changed from the
hands of the landlords into the hands
Of the tillers of the soil.
- The cruelest wrong of all, perhaps,
done to Ireland by English misgovern-
ment has been the stunning of the ed
ucation of our people, carried to such
a point that the Irish people, who
were once the center of education and
civilization of the western world, were
forced down into position Of ignor-
ance, which was reproach to their
history and their tradition. We now
have q system of primary education,
Of intermediate education, and of uni
versity education, which, although 1t
is only in it's infancy, yet undoubted-
ly before another generation is over
will have thoroughly revived in Ire
land that love, of learning which dis
tinguished our country in the past
(Applause.)
When was at the convention of the
United Irish League in Boston two
years ago l promised the people there
that If we got the support of Irish
America we would in the coming year
pass into law measure which would
carry out great reform, and am here
today to say that we have fulfilled our
promise. (Applause.) You gave us
the support that we asked and we
have fulfilled our promise. And last
year we succeeded in passing into
law a measure which created in the
west Of Ireland a great popular indie
pendent representative board called
the Congested District Board with
representatives from all the districts
affected and with two of the respect
ed prelates of the Catholic Church,
with men who enjoy the confidence of
the Irish people; we obtained for that
board an annual income from the i'm
perial fund of million and quarter
dollars year (appluse), nd we have
obtained for them an unlimited i'm
perial credit. We obtained for that
board the power Of compulsory pur-
chase.
When came to America first it
was to ask assistance to fight coercion.
We got the assistance and we killed
coercion. then came to America and
asked assistance to obtain great anne
lucrative measures to lift up the social
and material and intellectual condi-
ton Of the mass of the people. Again
we got that assistance, and we have
fulfilled our promises.
Well, now, what have 1 come to
America for now? Ladies' and gentle
may be passed can settle the Irish
question. (Applause) One of the
Irish patriots once said that Ireland's
demand for the recognition Of her ma
tionality did not rest upon grievance.
Every student of history knows that If
ireland had been willing to kiss the
rod. If Ireland in the past had been
willing to merge her nationality with
that of her Anglo Saxon neighbor, In
all human probability the material
condition Of Ireland would have been
far better than it has been for the past
century. But the soul of this Irish
movement has been the spirit of ma
tionality. (Applause.)
: I have come here today to America
TO ask you to give US your aid in
supreme and believe final effort to
dethrone once and for all the English
government of our country. (Great
applause.)
The Home Rule question has under
gone an extraordinary change within
the last two years since I last spoke
in America. The masses of the Eng
lish people are no longer hostile to
Home Rule.
The obstacle In our way is the
House of Lords. The House of Lords.
as you know, has the power Of reject
Ing any bill, no matter how large the
majority may be by which it is passed
In the House Of Commons. The House
Of Lords is unrepresentative: it is not
elected n any way; 1t consists of
men who ct there by hereditary right.
1t is an impossible barrier to the con-
cession Of Home Rule for Ireland.
What has happened since the death
Of King Edward has been that both