The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-02-10
Ireland at Present Over-Taxed by
Three and a Half Million
Pounds Per Year.
Present System of Government Re-
sponsible for the Severe Drain
on the Country.
Home Rule the Only Logical So
luton for the Threatening
Economic Difficulties.

At an enthusiastic Home Rule meet
ing in Letterkenny a letter was read
from Right Reverend Patrick O'Don-
nell, Bishop of Raphoe. in which he
warmly commended the efforts of the
Irish party. The letter is as follows:
Dear Sirs-scarcely any of the great
Commonwealth over the seas before
securing Self Government had claim
ed the right to manage its own affairs
with the same persistence that Ire
land has shown in her demand for
Home Rule, or backed the claim with
the support of an equal proportion Of
tho population. The strength Of Home
Rule is not confined to three prov
inches. Ulster also demands it, and
a decided majority of all the people
Of these countries favor Ireland's
claim.
The present is an impossible sys-
tenn. For Great Britain it means inn
peded legislation and growing dnan-
cial drain; for Ireland it spells unde-
veloped resources, and relatively an
ever diminishing taxable capacity,
quite apart from want of the uplift-
ing influence of National self-control.
Too often Of late the existing t1nan-
ciai relations have been paraded as
ideal, on the ground that the huge
Irish expenditure at last exceeds the
revenue from Ireland, without the
slightest concern for the fact that, as
compared with Great Britain, we are
now over-taxed by three and a half
millions a year.
Economics are good. but the finan-
cial relations can never be set right
except by raising the taxable capacity
Of the land, and only under Home Rule
have we any prospect Of the popula-
ton and prosperity that will give a
taxable capacity equal to producing
the revenue necessary to meet Irish
expenditure. The Childers Commis-
sion fully demonstrated that Ireland
had every right to be enabled to reach
that STAGE and more than that she
will not ask. It is in the interest of
Great Britain almost as much a. of
ireland to prepare the way for that
development with all possible expedi-
ton.
The mind Of Ireland will soon be
concentrated on the provisions of the
Home Rule bill in absorbing interest.
Careful examination, deep thought, de-
liberate and responsible opinion, will
then be a duty with every thinking
Irishman. Our public bodies, in view
of the gravity Of the issues, WILL no
doubt, discuss. sift and master the
bearings of the bill in meeting after
meeting before pronouncing their
considered views. It will not be bad
policy to reserve final expressions Of
opinion until the provisions of the bill
are calmly and fully considered in a
National Convention.
The bill will come to us from a
friendly Administration, with the con-
currence Of the Irish Party, and, while
determined that its provisions shall
be moulded to suit the requirements
of Ireland, we have to bear in mind,
as the Party has, that the solidarity of
the Cabinet and the steady support of
their followers in Great Britain are of
the utmost Importance to us at every
stage of the Parliamentary proceed
ings.
only wish our good neighbors, who
are opposing Home Rule, and who are
sure to flourish under it's influence,
could be one with us in the effort now
as well as in the enjoyment later on.
But no great cause ever triumphed
without encountering opposition. Let
us do our part in this eventful year,
and leave the issue confidently to
Providence.
Let me add few words on an
other subject. To one like me, who
In the discharge of the pastoral Office
must always deem it sacred duty
to discourage unnecessary litigation
and urge our people to arrange their
disputes out Of court as far as pos
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