The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-06-14

June 15 Sunday-Trinity Sunday.
June TO- Monday-St. Benno.
June II, Tuesday-St. Adolph.
June 49, Wednesday-SS. Mark and Marcellian.
June 49, Thursday Corpus Christi.
June 20, Friday-St. Slverino
VIEWS OF AN ANTIQUARIAN ON IRISH
AFFAIRS.
Under the caption, "The Ireland Case Stated,
the Minneapolis Journal of June printed all
excerpt from an article by G.. Ward Price in the
Century Magazine that contains so many glazing
inaccuracies and grotesque conclusions as to cause
surprise that the Century" any other respectable
publication should foist it upon it's readers. We
would have no fault to find with the Journal in
reprinting the stuff if it had been placed where it
clearly belongs, upon the back page of that excel
lent newspaper, along with the rest of the fun, riff
raft hapdoode and fiction that go into the makeup
Of that sprighty department OF the Journal AS
bit of hunaor, grandose but harmless bombast,
it fully deserved place alongside Of the efusions
OF the irrepressibe "B. L. TT, who daily news to
the line, letting the chips, if any, fall where they
gulble ANDY Gu1np," who has invested in "mour-
tain canaries" Perhaps however, the Journal edi- |
tor entertained some doubt to whether B. L. |
IT, or candy" would stand for such juxtapostion
OF buncombe and and cant with their candid and
honest offerings and for this reason placed the
Price article elsewhere.
1t is to be regretted, especially at this critical
hour in lreland's destiny, that newspaper OF
standing SnOulQ nave given quasi Endorsement
the views expressed in the Price delverance by
ranging it alongside of its editorials, Such,
indeed, may not have been the intent of the Jour-
nal in publishing it, but it may be worth while
to call attention to few OF the statements and
. conclusions OF the article to show their lnconsiSt
ency and inaccuracy, and to indicate how much out
OF step with current thought in Ireland, America
and in Great Britain itself is this review of Irish
affairs.
Here are few of the Price propositions that
show the trend OF the whole article and incidentally
the authors antiquated attitude in the discussion
of the subject:
"The immoderateness of the Irish their refusal
to accept and compromise, stands in the way of
their own interests"
IF, as the Nationalist Irishmen maintain, modera-
ton and tolerance for all should prove to be the
characteristics OF the government they would set
up in Dublin it might we'll be that after lapse Of
time listers fears would be allayed and the north
ern province of her accord might seek union
with the rest of Ireland
ireland is not united in her demand for political
autonomy.
1T (Ulster) is predominantly Protestant and the
people of that province fear from Irish govern
ment both religious persecution and economic
exploitation"
These the salient features of the Price ema-
nation which bears all the ear-marks of British
smugness cant and hypocrisy. Even before the
war they would have been regarded as obsolete and
defunct considerations, which take account of
the progress of modern democracy In the light of
the principles of the world which have been
decided by the arbtrament of the sword they
appear decidedly Rip Van Wnklish The author
has apparently never heard of President Wilson'S
fourteen points, the points upon which the Amer
lean entry into the world war was predicated, with
out which intervention Great Britain's least worry
by this time would be the Irish troubles The snug
and complacent Price has not the remotest notion
that these principles should be applied to Ireland
and never for moment gets away from the stolid
British view that Ireland is absolute and irrev-
ocable possession of England, and must be always
subservient to her interests.
Obviously he has forgotten all about the Irish
Convention which adopted by great majority vote
a plan of government which they had formulated
after more than years deiberation, but which
Lloyd George repudiated under the threats of a
handful of Carson Orangemen in Belfast. He has
also ignored the December elections which returned
70 Sim Feners and Nationalists out of the total
of los Parliamentary seats. The LLOYD George
coalition party in England received the same pros
portonate Endorsement of the English electors but
no one argues that the Coalition victory was not
the democratic expression of the will of English
people. Why then, were not the Irish elections
equally the expressions of the will of the Irish peo-
pie? Where when has unanimity ever been
required to settle political question:? Why then
this ridiculous pirate aboute the lack of unity in Ire
land in her demand for political autonomy? To
maintain that minority of 20 per cent may efec-
trally bar the progress of the whole people is an
argument that should not be advanced before intel
Z. lgent persons, and certainly not in America =
It - hardly necessary to make more than passing
mention Of the statement that runs through the
Price article that the province of Ulster is opposed
& TO Irish autonomy. On the contrary, the Ulster