The Irish standard., 1917-08-11

1t is now perhaps fifteen years since
Arthur Griffith, an Irish Journalist be-
gan publishing in small north of Ire.
land town little weekly newspaper
called The United Irishman. It was
frankly a separatist organ, and ex-
pounded in an able and lucid way the
idea that the salvation of Ireland
must, In the final analysis come from
the Irish people themselves and not
from any foreign parliament. That
idea is the keynote of the movement
which came to be known in Ireland
as the Sim Fein policy, or, more SIM
ply, as Sim Fein.
"Sinn Fein" pronounced Shin Fane)
is Gaelic word meaning For our
selves; and the Sim Fein policy of
self-confidence, self-respect and self
reliance. Going back to first prin-
ciples, even as did the founders of the
American republic, it established as
it's fundamental axiom the statement:
The Irish people are free people,
and that no laws made without their
consent can be binding on their con-
science"
Once this basic idea is grasped, the
gradual development and spread of
the Sim Fem movement becomes
readily understood. 1t called for the
establishment of a de facto provisional
government in Ireland and of passive
resistance to the British government;
it embraced the work of the Gaelic
League for the revival of the Irish
language and literature; it accepted
and co-ordinated into scheme of ma
tional development the efforts of the
industrial associations to encourage
the growth and consumption of Irish
products and Irish manufactures. And
since these Irish products and manu-
features were not protected by tar
if against dumping" from England,
Sim Fein sought to create in Ireland
a system of voluntary protection by
the preference of Irish-made goods
and the consequent boycott of British
made goods. 1t supported and encour-
aged in every way Irish art, Irish lit
erature, Irish sculpture and Irish
music. So far as the activities of the
Irish parliamentary party were con-
cerned. Sim Fein proposed that the
Irish members, instead of wasting
their time in futile efforts to squeeze
modicum of relief out of the British
parliament, should return to Ireland
and devote their energy to practical
work in Ireland, thus concentrating
the attention of Ireland where it ought
the several hundred thousand dollars
year which it was costing to main
tain the party in London. In brief,
Sim Fein was a complete scheme of
national self-development and sup
ported to that end every movement or
phase of a movement which sought
to make Ireland Irish, united and free;
for free, united Irish Ireland was the
goal at which it aimed.
For about a year Griffith published
his little paper in the north. Then,
seeking a wider field and having got
ten into difficulties with the local au-
thorities, he removed to Dublin, where
he started new weekly, Sim Fein,
as the successor of The United Irish
man. Like it's predecessor, Sim Fein
practiced consistently what it
preached. It was bi-lingual, written
in both Irish and English; it was
printed on Irish-made paper with
Irish-made ink; it dealt almost exclu-
sively with Irish topics handled from
an Irish standpoint by Irish writer's.
From a literary and propaganda
point of view, Sim Fem almost at
once became success. Griffith, him.
self an original thinker and an able
writer, gathered around him the best
of the young Irish writer's; and many
men who have since become famous
in those days contributed to it's pages,
James Stephens, author of ''The Crock
of Gold" and other volumes which
have attained a wide circulation in
America; Padraic Colum, the poet and
playwright; George Russell GA. E.)
who combines with a genius for mys.
tical poetry and talent for painting
great executive ability in the organ.
ization of cooperative agricultural so
cieties; William Butler Yeats, Seumas
MacManus, Lady Gregory, ]. NJ
Synge, P. H. Pearse and Thomas Mac
Donagh, executed last year for their
part in the Easter week rebellion
these and many more contributed to
make Slim Fein a remarkable period
ical.
About 1907 or 1908 Arthur Griffith
endeavored to make the paper a daily
publication and for few months did
so issue it; but lacking sufficient cap
ital, that enterprise failed and he re
turned to the weekly edition. The
movement, however, was all the time
spreading rapidly, particularly among
the towns and cities, Dublin, Cork and
Belfast being it's chief strongholds. II
ramified and Intervene throughout the
other Irish organizations and served