Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-28

Hon. B. F. Maher
Speaks Of Irish
Home-Rule Struggle
Gives Pointed and Eloquent Address
at Sunday Evening Meeting Of St.
Patrick Council, American Aes'n
for Recognition Of Irish Republic
Other Speaksrs
Hon. Benedict F. Maher was the
speaker. Of the evening at the meet
Ing Of ST. Patrick's Council, Amer
lean Association for the Recognition
Of the Irish Republic, which was held
Sunday evening at st. Mary's hall.
Patrick Fitzgerald. president Of the
local council. was the chairman and
performed the duties Of this Office in
his usual able manner, introducing
the speaker OF. the evening with a
few words regarding the subject
which he would talk about. II
Mr.. ,Maher said that there was q
belief on the part of many that the
people Of America should not take
sides Of this question. This is a
wrong idea according to words which
were spoken by no less a person than
Washington himself, who said that
justice was the keynote of the United
States and that a man had right to
settle his own destiny.
Then giving brief history Of the
struggle which the people Of Ireland
have made for the right to govern
themselves. he told Of the union of
1900 which was the result Of bribery
and duress and which was Of no value
on that account. He spoke shortly on
these points and then brought his
discussion up to the time that Red
mond succeeded in getting a measure
Of home rule, which would have been
acceptable to the people as stepping
stone to better things. This was after
a law had been made which provided
that after bill had passed the Com1
mons three times 1t would become a
law in spite of a veto by the House
of Lords. AS the bill for Home Rule
had done this. 1t became law and
would have been put in operation il
the war had not occurred at this time.
However. a kind of fatal vacilation''
then occurred and it was never put
in operation. At this time Ulster
made open defiance to ENGLAND
against the adoption of the Homo
Rule bill.
,It<was said after the war that Ire
land made mistake and was not
loyal in the war and that she have
have put away her desire for Home
Rule and gone whole into
the war. For two reasons this is
wrong. First, because to forget their
grievance and go into this war with
no thought of the thing for which
they had struggled so long, would
have been more than human. Sec
ondly, because many men from Ire
land lost their lives in this war and
are now resting under the sod of
France. That there were many Irish
men in the British forces is proved
blythe fact that Of all the songs which
were popular during the war, Tits a
Long Way to Tipperary'' was the IA
vorite.
It was the speakers opinion that
the truce which is now in effect
would be prolonged for some time
and that this was no time to be go
ing about preparations for prolong-
! alton Of the conflict, but, as to the
necessity of having a moral backing
for these people, that no matter what
happened, whether the trouble should
continue orIreland should get that for
which Sc was striving, there was a
great need for the moral support of
the people of the United States to
help them and give them confidence,
and that to get this support it was
necessary, not to have large meetings
at Madison Square Garden or some
large place like that, but rather to
have many small meetings like that
which was assembled there last
night. The people of this council and
Of all other councils would be able
, to do much to help by teaching the
others who have no preference eth er
way, and in getting them to join the
| tliC loSdIS anu pStSh Liz p-oplS VA LAAS
other side of the ocean. .
Rev. FIR. Enright of Portland, who
Is in this city assisting in the alb
sence of Rev. FIR. Mclaughlin, who is
away. then spoke a few words in
support of what Mr.. Maher had said
He was followed by Michael Frawley,
and he by Father MCGOWAN who at
ter saying that he had been asked If
the church approved Of the Sim
Fein, said that any form Of govern
ment which was desired by the ma
jority Of the people was approved OF
by the church and therefore the
church could not disapprove Of this
movement. He then offered closing
prayer and the meeting came to an
end. beg. :.