The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-12-04
BISHOP 0'DWYER FLAYS
RECRUITING CAMPAIGN

In isolated instances Irish priests
have spoken a word in favor of the
recruiting campaign inaugurated by
the members of the Irish Parlia-
mentary Party in Ireland, but the
weighty silence of the great body of
the Irish clergy and the members Of
the hierarchy in Ireland admits of but
one Interpretation, and that interpre-
tation is just to them, and compli-
mentary to known friends of Ireland.
But few days ago, John Redmond,
spoken Of as the leader of the Irish
Parliamentary Party, declared that lit
was very cowardly for the young men
to leave Ireland rather than fight un.
der the British flag"
Presiding over the See of Limerick
Is the vigorous, scholarly Bishop
O'Dwyer. The name and fame of Linn
erick's treaty stone" is bitter re-
minder that the city from which the
See takes its name is known as the
city Of the Violated Treaty." Bishop
ODwyer has taken issue with Mr.. Red
mond, who called the Irish young men
towards. An English mob in Liver
pool shared MIR. Redmonds views.
They jeered at the young lrishmen
who were denied passage on an Eng
lish steamer. Mr.. Redmond has ex-
pressed himself as in sympathy with
these hoodlums in Liverpool. T. P.
O'Connor is an lmperialist; Redmond
is an lmperialist. Openly the actions
of Mr.. Redmond are in keeping with
his 1mperialistic motives and policies.
In no uncertain terms does the
Bishop Of Limerick tell the young men
of Ireland that the untitled promise
of Home Rule is not sufficient reason
for the young men of Ireland to die
In defense of the British flag. Ire
land is suffering as the result of the
recruiting campaign, not only eco
nomically and politically, but morally.
One Irish paper, in commenting upon
the results attending the recruiting
campaign, draws the following pen
picture Of conditions in Ireland as the
result Of turning soldiers loose upon
the population. especially the kind of
soldiers that are made upon men who
think that it is the business of Ire.
land to fight the battles of England.
Especially since the war broke out,
and since every agency in the press
and on the platform began praising
the military, vice has been running
rampant in Ireland. To be soldier
is to be forgiven every crime. Drunk
enness, bigamy, assault, theft, per-
jury, seduction, wife desertion, aban-
donment of helpless children, are daily
forgiven in our courts If only the &C.
cused is a soldier. The attitude of
the official, loyal, lingo classes to the
soldier is shown in the fact that these
people who are protesting against the
evil life of Dublin all know that the
present saturnalia of vice centers
round the soldier, but they dare not
say SO lest it should discourage re-
cruiting. They want militarism with
out its results. They cannot have it.
An evil tree must bring forth evil
fruits"
The moral penalty which Ireland is
forced to undergo is in entire keeping
with what Ireland has suffered in the
past. Irish Catholic priests in general
are on the side of Bishop O'Dwyer.
They realize the influences always at
work by outside agencies attempting
to destroy the moral fabric and there
fore the religious vigor of Ireland.
What they have not been able to do
successfully by other insidious means
they now attempt to accomplish by
making Ireland an armed camp. The
letter of Bishop O'Dwyer's is timely.
The letter reached the office of the
Irish Standard having successfully
eluded the censors.
TIE treatment which the poor Irish
emigrant lads have received at Liver
pool is enough to make any Irishman's
blood boil with anger and indignation.
What wrong have they done to de-
serve insults and outrage at the hands
Of a brutal English mob? They do
> not want to be forced into the Eng.
lish army, and sent to fight English
battles in some part of the world.
Is not that within their right? They
are
. Supposed to Be Freeman,
but they are made to feel that they
. are prisoners, who may be compelled
to lay down their lives for q cause
= that is not worth three rows of pins
to them.
1t is very probable that these poo,
Connaught peasants know little o,
nothing of the meaning of war. Thei,
- blood Is not stirred by the memorie,