The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-03-25
An Attempt to Disfranchise North
Louth Constituency Lost in
the House.
Probability is That Mr.. Augustine
Roche Will be Returned
Unopposed.
The Election Must be Made on New
Register Which Means Gain
For Nationalists.

The last assault on the political lib
critics of North Louth was delivered
in the House of Commons when Mr..
VIM. Moore. the representative of the
Orange Lambs Of PortadOwn and the
leader of the Carrion Grow party.
moved that the constituency be dis.
franchised for four months The pre-
tense was that the petition had dis
closed that in the existing circum-
stances it is impossible to have "a
free election" in North Louth, says
the Dundalk Democrat.
Mr.. Moore. who Is n lawyer as we'll
as a member Of Parliament, delivered
a vitriolic speech for the prosecution.
Using to the full the lawyers license,
he distorted the facts and ignored the
finding Of the judges. Just as the
Cnionist Press in it's onsaughts on
the people of Louth insisted on regard
ing every allegation in the petition as
proved, SO did Mr.. Moore. He wanted
the House to believe, despite the
judges report that widespread sys-
| TEN of intimidation prevailed in Louth
that Protcstants especially were ter
rG"iaed aud prevented from exercising
the franchise. Mr.. Moore was sup
ported by two other eminent Counsel
for the prosecution" Sir Edward Car.
son and Mr.. II. T.. Smith. All Of them
exhausted their powers of Imagination
and clOquence in the cndeavor 10 get
the House to endorse the opinion OF
the senior counsel for the petitioners
that the people of North Louth were
savagcs.
The case for the prosecution failed.
The English attorney general and his
Irish colleague brought the cold light
Of reason to bear upon the heated az
guments Of the honorable and learned
defamers of the people Of Louth. They
quoted the report of the judges: that
'in the constituency as whole no
undue influence or other corrupt or
illegal practices prevailed" and sub
mitted that it would be unprecedent-
ed that $500 voters should be disfran-
chised because 16 persons were report
ed for illegal practices affecting as
many individual voters. Mr.. Redmond
defended the people Of Louth from the
Infamous suggestion of the member
for POrtndOwn that Protestants were
singled out for intimidation in the re-
cent election. He pointed out the no.
torions fact that in Louth, with its
enormous preponderance of Catholics,
men belonging to the Protestant
churches are amongst the most pros
porous in the community, thanks to
the spirit of tolerance amongst the
Catholics. He might have been tempt
, ed to compare the treatment of Prot
out to Catholics in Portadown by Mr..
MOore's supporters and co-reigionists.
He might have quoted the barring out
of Catholic workers from the mills not
more than twelve months ago, and the
notices to quit served on Catholic
, traders. But with that spirit OF toler-
ance and kindness that characterizes
all his references to the minority in
ireland, Mr.. Redmond refraincd from
the obvious retort. He could afford to
do so. The House of Commons ig-
: nored alike the appeal to sectarian
feeling and the brazen misrepresenta-
ton Of the findings of the petition
court The motion to disfranchise
Louth was rejected by a majority of
, close on 100.
: Needless to say Mr.. Moore was less
:: Influenced by desire to salve Mr.
, Healy's wounded feelings, than by a
hope that North Louth and its alleged
i, 7awlessness and it's wholly imaginary
intimidation of Protestant minorities
might strengthen the cause of the
Union. His hackers in the press had
boasted that North Louth would be
+ IAN eye-opener to Englishmen and
would make Home Rule impossible.
Judging by the result of the division
,, he has not converted anyone. Mr.
r lByles OF Bradford, survivor of Glad
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