Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-20
John Hughes Ably Describes the
Conditions of Today IN Ireland
Says English Parliament Try
ing to Solve Delicate. Dam
gerouS, Intricate Problem


John Hughes. master car builder for
the Oahu Railway and Land Company.
in Cooke hall Y. N, C. A. building.
last night. The address was an in
teresting one. taking UP the begin
ming a history of the politics of Ire
ming of a history OF the politics of Ire
presentday activities. Matters per
tanning to the church were discussed
and other subjects touched on which
were listened TO with keen interest by
the large number OF men present.
Mr.. Hughes said:
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen:-A
this time the English Parliament is
trying to solve with Justice to all con-
cerned, one of the most delicate, dan
gerous and intricate problems that
ever came before it: the combined
lrish-U Ulster question, one political and
the other sectariarl. and as the de-
scendants of the men engaged in the
present trouble, English, Irish and
Scotch, predominant in every land
where the English language is spoken,
il is quite natural that local interest
should be aroused.
Fer and against Home Rule
Ireland comprises four provinces
with 80 counties. The province of
Ulster, situated on the northeast cor
ner of the island, has nine counties.
The population of Ulster is about =
$4,000, of which number about one
half are Catholic and one-ha1f Pro-
testant. OF the latter one-third are
for Home Rule; that is. a native Par
! lament in Dublin; whilst the other
two-thirds comprise what are known
as Orangemen, who are bitterly OPP
posed to home rule. Tory politicians,
for conscientious reasons" and also
/, to embarrass the Liberal government
are supplying funds, arms and lead
ership to the orangemeD and in other
ways are tanning into a flame the
seetarian bitterness OF this unhappy
flight, which, If once started. no man
can foretell the end.
The agitation for a Parliament in
Dublin, a restoration of Irish rights,
has been, carried on for 100 years, and
; 1t is strange in view of the present
opposition to that movement that in
!, that fight the strongest leaders have
/. been Ulster Presbyterians. In the
revolution of 184S two of the leaders
were Ulster Protestants, John Mitch
!, all and John Martin. The latter was
the son of clergyman and a grand
son of Mitchell is now mayor of New
York city. When revolutionary meth
DDS failed, an Ulster Presbyterian,
Isaac Butt organized Parliament
airy party for the fight in Parliament
!, Butt was originally opposed to Home
!, tin and Mitchell, who we're transport
. ed to Van Diemen's Land, he became
an ardent Home Ruler, When Butt
died another Protestant, Parnell, led
the Irish party and brought Home
Rule within sight of the goal I en-
phasize these points to show that in
every part Of Ireland at this time
men of different creeds are working
together in harmony, excepting in
Ulster, where the fires of religious
bigotry seemingly never die The
electorate of Scotland. England and
Ireland are in favor of Home Rule.
and forced it into the realm of practi-
cal politics The present government
has passed it twice. to be rejected by
the House of Lords Lords were
wheeled in chairs from sanitariums to
vote against il. 1t is now up again
for third reading the third time. and
when it passes the English Commons
lit is law.
Advent OF 0rangemen
Briefly told, the advent of orange
men into Ulster is this: Some 500
years ago, the Ulster chiefs, O'NeiIl
and 0'Donnell, arose in revolt against
the encroaehments of the English,
who controlled the southern part of
the island After a long and bloody
struggle, they were defeated and driv-
en- into exile or hung if captured. and
their vast territories confiscated to
the crown. Their retainers and fol-
lowers who were not slaughtered
were given a choice of H or Con-
naught. They chose the latter tan
|orangeman stated it was wrong to
give them choicel. The land that
was confiseated was divided between
the English and the Scotch, and in
that northeastern corner of Ireland
they have since lived and thrived un-
subdued and unabsorbed because of
their great numbers and the immense
amount of country cleared for them
They constitute separate race, diff
ferent creed. dialect, manners and
thoughts. They even live in separate
localities. Only in isolated cases do
they intermarry They are strong.
yirile and thrifty race, both Catholics
and Protestants, in Ulster, and from
them has sprung four of our presi-
dents, and Lord Dufferin, who was a
Scot, and Sheridan, and it is only at
times like the present or when the
orange lilies are in bloom, times of
political excitement or the anniver-
sary of the Boyne, that the smolder-
ing fires of bigotry reach the point Of
insanity.
If the Home Rule bill had been in
trodueed and passed as a local gov
eminent bill, the orangemen of us
ter would not object, but he balks at
Home Rule. He fears and distrusts
his Catholic fellow countrymen. and
/ hn bryo Do ri IN