The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-05-21
From Joseph Devlin During
The Debate in Commons
On the Budget.
The Member For Belfast is
An Irish Democrat and
A Nationalist.
The Only Alternative Left is
To Join the Tories or
The Liberals.

During the debate on the budget in
the House of Commons, Mr.. Joseph
Devlin replied to William O'Brien's
attack on the Irish party, in an able
address, in the course of which he
said:
The honorable member opposes the
budget because he wants a text upon
which he can assail the Irish party
and endeavor to break up our move
ment in the interests of fiscal reform
and the House of Lords. (Cheers.)
If 1 were as strongly opposed to the
budget as I am in favor of it, would
as passionately associate myself with
have adopted and the course they
have pursued. My honorable friend,
the leader of our party (Mr Redmond)
was assailed here the other night by
the honorable member from North
Louth (Mr. T. M. Healy). My honor
able friend is not the only leader who
has been assailed by the honorable
member. These two apostles of con-
ciliation and Of the union Of all the
creeds and classes Of Ireland, Messrs.
Healy and O'Brien, are the gentlemen
who declared they would drive a great
leader (Mr. ParnelD to lunatic asy-
lum or the grave. He was driven
to the grave. Mr.. Justin Mccarthy,
an old and honored member of this
House, was driven into retirement,
and Mr.. Sexton, whose eminence in
this House will be admitted by all
parties (cheers) was afterwards driv
en- out of Irish politics. We will take
mighty good care there will be neither
a cause nor leader sacrificed while
we have the courage and the spirit
to maintain them. (Cheers.) We here
on these benches declare that high as
our leader stands in England for
craftsmanship, courage, political pre-
science and great parliamentary sue
cess, he stands deeper and warmer in
the affections of the people of Ireland
and he will come back to this House
with a stronger and more indestruct-
ible party than that which he leads
here today. (Cheers.) 1 would vote
against this budget, much as 1 believe
6 T Al; fIo 10 nd
er cause of Ireland was thereby to be
advanced 1 am an Irish democrat
(cheers); have never had any asso-
citation with Lords, unless, if I may
say so, in this House, and 1 was not
deeply impressed. I believe the House
of Lords not only to be an enemy to
home rule, not only to be the agent
by which home rule has been prevent
ed in the past and may be prevented
in the future, but I believe it to be
the enemy of all social and democratic
causes. The budget which has been
thing more than a financial measure
1T is great democratic instrument.
These gentlemen have told Ireand
that you propose and that this budget
is to be the instrument by which you
will carry your proposal out, to deal
with afforestation, with drainage, with
the general development of the coun-
try, and with all those great rural
grievances, which are deeply felt in
every branch of rural life in Ireland.
Nevertheless there is, to me, bigger
question even that that. I represent
a great city in Ireland. There is not
one of the social curses that apply to
the great cities of Britain which we
do not feel at Belfast, and all the Dun
raven meetings to be held from now
to Doomsday would not do half as
much to bring into communion and
into harmonious relationship Protes-
tants and Catholics as would one
speech on the taxation of land values
from the right honorable gentleman,
the Lord Advocate of Scotland (Mr.
Ure). (Cheers.)
In the city of Belfast there are
sweated women and sweated childreE,