Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-04-16
Public Forum
Information Wanted.

be granted independence at present,
the thought strikes one that authori-
tative information would remove
many misunderstanding The writer
held opinions that were greatly mod
flied by reading history and looking
up few facts and figures.
Many people, the writer included,
thought of Ireland in sort of vague,
hazy way as being small "scrappy"
little Island in state of unreasonable
revolt, or nursing a chronic crouch
produced by brooding over grievances
of by-gone ages; catalogued Ulster as
producing the safe, sane and learned
brains and the taxes, and the country
as a whole as not having produced
much worthy of note except st. Pat
rick, shamrock and potatoes. 1t SEEM
ed somewhat surprising to find that
Ireland is a regular" country and
that geographically and politically
speaking it has as fair claim to in
dependence as any country in Europe.
It's geographical area is three times
larger than Belgium and twice as
large as Switzerland or Holland. In
fertility of soil it is not surpassed by
any country in Europe and excels in
possibilities Of great grazing and
dairying industries. 1t has coal, iron
and copper mines but little worked.
The greater amount of the ores taken
out are sent to Wales to be smelted.
The principal part of the coal used
for fuel is brought from England.
Statuary marble, but little inferior to
the Italian, is found in Donegal and
Galway. Black and gray marbles are
exported from Kilkenny being not
fail to remember Kilkenny being not
ed for anything except the famous
Kilkenny cats" The sea coast has
numerous fine harbors. Fourteen are
accessible to the largest vessels, the
harbor Of Cork being the finest in
Europe.
In spite of these and many other
great natural advantages and resourc-
es the population is steadily decreas-
ing. The only country in Europe of
which this is true. The population is
now only a little over four millions.
A decrease of four millions in the last
so or 20 years shows something rad
ically wrong. The country is over
taxed and undeveloped. The young
men cannot stay at home, so few OPP
portunities are offered to better their
condition or develop the great natur-
al resources of the country. 1t is
emigrate or stagnate. The common
belief that Ulster, the Unionist prov
ince, is the wealthiest and most in
telligent is fallacy. Leinster, rad
ical Nationalist province with pop
ulation of $4,000 less than Ulster, has
24091 more engaged in the learned
profession and lab more in CONNER
cial life. The income tax assessment
in Ulster is $40 ,761 900. in Leinster,
$66,371,000. The per capita income
tax in Belfast is $50; in Dublin, $98.50.
The entire amount of direct taxation
in 1918 was about $150,000.000. The
oft quoted English sense of fair play
will be put to the acid test to relin
quish a plum" of that size.
History tells us that civilization in
Ireland dates back to the fourth CEN
fury, that the land flourished under
native rule in a most remarkable
manner, and civilization advanced so
rapidly that in the sixth century its
institutions of learning were especial
ly noted and attended by students
from the entire continent Of Europe.
The laws were wisely administered
by professional jurists and it's poets
and men of learning were held in high
honor. The country was not complete
ly subdued by foreign invasion until
the thirteenth century. From that
time to the present history shows the
disastrous results to industrial and
economic life of alien rule A Chica-
go Tribune correspondent who visited
Ireland recently writes that a visit to
the Sim Fem headquarters left him
in puzzled mood He no doubt found
it difficult to identify his previous lu-
rid conceptions of Sim Feinism with
what he saw. Their poor and meagre
surroundings, the few clerks on duty
so pathetic in their youth, in their en-
thusiasm, in their determination to
attempt an almost hopeless task. The
once beautiful city of Dublin in ruins
about them as if under blight and
fallen into decadence. The hand Of
Junker rule is cruelty heavy in any
land, Think Of raZing the best part
of one of our beautiful American
cities because it was the scene of an
l. w. w. riot. The uprising was such
small and insignificant part of the
whole population that it could scarce
ly be called anything but the insane
oSb VI OAAy AANC Vi SAA AuAQAO0 pun
misguided, misled dreamers.
Phillip Gibbs, the we'll known Eng
lish correspondent visiting this coun-
try writes: "The movement for Irish
independence is growing In New
York 1 saw outward and visible signs
of its strength in miles and miles
long Of marching men and women and
in the thousands of people in the on
looking crowds. I prayed God that
Ireland's desires be granted to safe
guard the peace of the world"
Every true friend of England wants
to see her repudiate the Junker ele-
ment of government in Ireland and
give a full measure of justice to a
land that for seven hundred years has
dreamed and struggled and fought for
the God-given right of freedom to
carve out their own destiny among
the nations of the world in the pur-
suit of life, liberty and happiness.
The Irish people will probably not
gain their cherished dream of indie
pendence at present, but the desire
for freedom is God-given and natural
to the heart of man and deserves SYM
nathV NOT ppucurn FROM, Iox,o,,