The Irish standard., 1916-07-22
to the demands of many distinguished


| ava
We are told that the Belfast con.
ference of last week, dominated by
Messrs. Redmond and Dillon, by vote
of some 600 to 300, determined to &C.
cept the plan of Home Rule accept
able to Sir Edward Carson and his fol-
lowers, whereby certain Protestant and
! Catholic sections of Ulster are cut out
of the Home Rule Act and the bulk of
the Catholics of Ireland are to live
under the operations of a new Irish
government.
Sections Cut Out.
For instance, the section Of the
county in Ireland where my people
hail from (Fermanagh), as we'll as
Tyrone and South Armagh, are cut out
of the Home Rule bill.
1t is proposed to make Home Rule
Ireland from the provinces of Nuns
ter, Leinster and Connaught and add
to them, from Ulster, the three Cath
Ollie counties of Donegal, Cavan and
Monaghan, although even the geogra-
ply does not make that territory nat
ural or convenient for division.
The political divisions proposed may
be described as a gerrymander, de-
signed to concentrate the poor Catho-
lies of Ireland in skeleton of state
destined, the British Government be-
i lieves, to fail as an autonomous body
Z q nd IN
, Irish farmer that the new Irish Par
lament will be speedily abolished after
the war.
No part of a State organized purely
along religious-geograp lines de-
serves to succeed or will prosper, espe-
cially when one part reckons with a
Dublin Legislature and the other is
governed from London.
Only Makeshift.
The arrangement at best can only
be regarded as makeshift, is of lit
tie value to either side, and as Lord
Balfour, Lord Curzon, Lord Lands
downe and other enemies of Irish Ma
tionality say-"a dubious experiment,
conceived through fear of Sim Fein
uprisings."
But what is to be said when the
Belfast convention by vote of two to
one secured an endorsement of the
plan?
The Irish Parliamentary party is q
close corporation political machine
whose inherent weakness as a gov
erning power in Ireland was exposed
by the bullets of the patriots of Dub
lin, Kerry, Galway and Tipperary.
There was no news that could reach
American newspapers from ireland for
two years save censored news, and
when one thinks of the deception prac-
ticed on the American public as to the
| state of Ireland which eliminated in
revolution that has overthrown the
Dublin Castle Government, and driven
the Lord Lieutenant from Ireland. and
placed the whole country under martial
law and military government, the
wonder is that any war censored Irish
cable news will find credence in the
| United States hereafter,
The conventions in Ireland are not
representative The voters do not hold
primaries. The United Irish League.
the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the
Foresters and the clergy send dele
gates to the conventions.
The U. I. l.. is Redmond's machine.
but far more powerful in political
manipulating is the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, whose national president
is Joseph Devlin, of Belfast. Mr.. M.
gent, of Dublin, is secretary. Both are
members of Parliament.
Benevolent Society Here.
! In this country the A. o. H. is a
benevolent society looking after the
sick and burying the dead. In ireland.
Mr.. Devlin has made it more efficient
than Tammany Hall, and the number
of Jobs that Devlin has secured for his
followers from the British Government
through the Judgeships. the Insurance.
and and Pension acts and through tho
| 'AAAAAo1Si VI MuAAIlOuS, must nave won
the admiration of the experienced Mr..
Richard Croker, of Dublin, who is p
generous contributor to the funds of
the Irish party organization.
The Sim Fein, the Irish Volunteers
citizens Army or the Irish Republicans
were not accepted as delegates to the
BELFAST conference, although those ele-
ments are solely responsible for the
convention born in fear of them: and
their absence will cause the whole pro.
ceedings to be regarded on this side of
the water as political burlesoue.
The Irish Revolutionists nut ireland
on the map as belligerent nation.
and the sacrifices of their lives practi-
cally cemented all classes of Ce]ts and
Gaels in America. To go on and form
Government without these patriots
! would be like play of Hamlet" with
! the Dane left out of the cast.
Priests Oppose Bill.
The Government politicians. eaoor
for the control of places under the act
will have the opposition of the best