Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-06-27
Hon. Jere A. Sullivan Reviews
Conditions That Cursed
Ireland.
UIsterites Are the Most Bigoted
People I'm the Whole
World.
THEIR PLOT A DISMAL FAILURE

Readers of the Kentucky Irish
American will peruse with interest
the following from the pen of Hon
Jere A. Sullivan, of Richmond, IL
the Peoples Forum of the Lexing'
ton Herald:
On last Monday | read an editorial
in your paper on the Irish home
rule bill, and Immediately there
after l sent you a night letter ex-
pressing my appreciation thereof,
and also appreciation of your edi-
torials and numerous articles on the
developments of Eastern Kentucky,
and | said that would write let
ter to you.
1t affords me great pleasure to
confirm that telegram to you con-
cerning the said editorial. AS stated,
the acquisition of home rule by Ire
land through the British Parlia-
ment is a memorable victory in the
history of the human race. A little
over hundred years ago the Irish
Parliament of that day and time
was destroyed by a so-called act of
union between England and Ireland,
and ever since then the Irish people
as a whole have been dissatisfied
with the act of union. However, the
Parliament which was thus de-
stroyed really was no Parliament
at all, nor representative of the
Irish people, for the reason that in
that day and time no Catholic was
eligible to hold any Office in Ire
land or represent a constituency in
Parliament, or even to vote, and the
Parliament of that day and time was
entirely Protestant and elected only
by Protestants. And the act of the
union has resulted in some good,
hope, in this: II has convinced Eng
land and Scotland of the iniquity of
religious prejudice and the acquisi-
ton of home rule by the people of
Orangemen shows that there is no
religious bigotry in England now.
Indeed there is less religious bigotry
in the British Isles, except only
Ulster, than any of the States of the
American Union. | know this, not
only from history, but from actually
travelling through the countries. The
most bigoted people in the whole
world are the 1rishmen of Ulster.
When / went into North Ireland
some years ago was amazed at the
feeling that they had against not
only the Catholics but Protestants
who were for home rule, vicious and
unreasonable in their denunciation
of the home rule then proposed.
told them 1t was coming, because the
people of England and Scotland
were for 1t, and why anybody in
North Ireland was opposed to it
could not understand To this one
of the. 0rangemen said: "We are
more loyal to England than the
English" and / said 81 would
think more of you for loyalty to
your own people in your own coun-
try" Ulster has attempted to stiI
up this religious prejudice in Scot.
land and England and thereby de-
feat the proposed home rule bill
but has utterly failed.
travelled for about two weeks In
France with a distinguished mem.
ber of Parliament from England
who was a Liberalist. He said that
the people of England were foi
home rule, and were going to give
II to Ireland ahead OF Scotland anC
even England. for the reason that
the Irish Catholics were treated yer,
badly from ignorance on the par
Of the English. He said for cen
turtles the Orangemen would come
to England and Scotland and make
religious speeches against Catholics
in Ireland, and tell their tales o.
alleged woe and raise money and &c
back and keep II for themselves, ant
that they had fooled the Engllsl
people and the Scotch people. HI
said: my father was great manu-
facturer. and very rich man. ans
a good man. and his motto wal
never to employ an Irishman to d.
anything for him where he couls
get anybody else; but i have re
yersed this motto. My motto is 4
employ nobody but an Irishmal
where can get him to do anything
no matter how skillful or unskill
full he may be. Our eyes have beel
opened, and We see we have beel
doing wrong for centuries to a loya
and courageous people" The so
tAAAN0 RA1tot ~ ny - Ithta aAA'
there will be no civil war in ireland
think. They have organized, a
they said. TO fight the home rul
bill. but how they are going to figh
bill with an army I can not under
stand. or course their idea was l.
bluff and bulldoze the home ruler
In ireland, especially In Ulster. an
TO stir up religious prejudice Il
Scotland and England. but In thi
they have utterly failed.
AS much as we Democrats re
ioiced In the election Of Wilson o
Cleveland, the home rulers In Ire
land appreciate the acquisition o
home rule even more than we di
the Democratic national victory. an
yet they have not celebrated as muc
as a person might think. Not a
all. I believe. In Ulster. In order I
keep down the possibility OF trouble
As YOU know, all Orangemen ar