The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-01-18
CHURCH CALENDAR.
Week of January 1925.


THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CLEARS THE
PATH FOR 1RELAND'S INDEPENDENCE.
More than three -fourths of the people of Ireland
have registered their approval of the program of
the Sim Fein party at the December elections
Out of total of los Parliamentary seats the new
party-the party of national resurrection, of ma
tional sef-realization and self-dependence-as it
has been described by Sidney Brooks, an English
writer, has won in at least eighty constituencies,
Five of the seats in the city of Belfast were won
over to the Unionists as the result of shameless
and despicabe "Gerrymander" by which the lines
of the districts were so manipulated as to guarantee
the election of the Carsonite candidates.
Under the new Registration Act about eight mil
lions OF men and women added to the electOr-
ate in the whole of Great Britain In ireland the
augmentation of electors more that 156 per
cent compared with the numbers exercising the
privilege of the franchise under the old regime The
December election, therefore, on the whole a
clearer and more definite expression of the will of
the people than was ever made ever possible be-
fore If such preponderence of ballots was regis
tered in America, the worlds school of democracy,
it would be designated Landslide" tidal
wave" in favor of the parties or candidates so in
dorsed. Who will now be Grass to repeat that
stupidity: "the Irish cannot agree among themselves
as to what they want?
If they have failed to convince the bone-heads
who keep repeating this line of twadde by the re-
suits OF the recent elections then this tribe of num-
skulls must also admit that the English people
failed to register their will when they returned the
heavy majorities. In neither the vote u1l-
animous though unanimty is made requirement
by certain dots essential to the expression of
the will of the Irish people. The willy Lloyd George
himself is rank offender in this respect He
soemnly promised the enactment of scheme of
government for Ireland if the Irish convention
should reach Substantial agreement" regarding
it's terms: That convention presided by Sir
Horace Plunkett did reach substantial agreement
and recommended plan of government which was
approved by great ma ority of the delegates to
the convention. But because forsooth it was not
unanimous it was indefinitely pigeon-holed by the
Welsh political acrobat, in shameless disregard of
his public pledges. He allowed himself to be in
Inundated and bull-dozed by Carson and his hand
tul of Unionists and the case of Ireland was in
definitely postponed so far as it was possible for
these two opportune politicians to do so.
These repeated disappointments and the break
ing OF solemn pledges with the ruthlessness
as the Germans turned treaties into scraps of paper
naturally and necessarily got on the nerves of the
people OF Ireland, and strong contributing
factors to the growth of Sim Fem the party that
has now become the political spearhead of the
country. In the light of what has happened since
the Irish convention De Valera and Griffith must
be allowed great credit for their political acumen
and foresight in refusing to take part in its debera
tons. They appraised and assessed at their true
value the sincerity and candor of the British leaders
in proposing such plan for the solution OF the
Irish problem and they refused to be entrapped into
acquiescence in its findings by any semblance of
participation in it's work. and events have fully vim
Dictated the soundness of their judgments and the
keenness of their political vision They could and
did many loopholes of escape from acceptance
of the conclusions of the convention Gas many
friends of Ireland did not), that they were per-
suaded of the utter futlty of the efforts of their
fellow countrymen along these lines.
Providentially the outcome of the world war has
contributed strength the principles which they
builded their charlottesville rights of each nation
to determine the sovereignty under which it chooses
to live. Persistently and consistently they have
stuck to the theory that the Irish people and they
alone have the right to say by what form of gov
eminent they wish to conduct their affairs, and at
last the people of the whole island have arisen en-
masse to their ranks There can be no doubt of the
genuneness of the commission that they bear from
the whole Irish people.
Handicapped by the deprivation of their best and
wisest leaders, still confined in British prisons and
interment camps and denied lawful trial, the new
party approaches delicate and difficult task They
have decided to take their seats at Westminster
where the Nationalist have been humbugged and
baffled for so many years, but rather to set up a
Parliament of their own in Dublin other
Irish city. Following this will be Declaration of
Independence from Great Britain, in accordance
with the American precedent and the forming of a
constitution and system of laws for the government
of Ireland.
It is hoped that this program may be carried out
without violence bloodshed, and such is the in
tent of the Sim Fein leaders. But it would be too
a