THE
'E DlTED Vo·I·. 2.
. I
SATURDAY, D.E CEMBER 4, 1915.
No. 52 (N ew Series).
N QTES
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- - -...- - - - - - - - -- - - - • Various reports of cases of economic pressure exercised by employers on men are going the rounds . Some people seem to 'think that it is .enough to report such reports. It is not enough . They ought to be verjfied. The facts should be at once reduced to writing and properly attested. I am told 'of ~ne Dublin firm which has dismissed or threatened to dismiss fifteen young .m~n, but this has only reached me as a carried story.
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PRICE ONE PENNY·,
would be b~tter for. him not to buy this more of thei~ rightful liberty in personal br that paper, I am perfectly certain that and local matters, until they have it all. Dr. Starkie· would have sufficient zeal for We Irish have been contending since the . protectiqn of his own liberty to tell .O'Connell:S time for the recovery of more that policeman to ~ind his proper busi- or less of our rights and liberties as a ness- even though political prejudice Nation, and all the time we have tamely might mak~ Dn. Star~ie . disposed to ac- suffered the systematic infringement of cept a pi-ivy commission from' Dublin our rights as citizens, acquiescing i.n Castle to execute decrees when the Castle every sort of. minor oppression - and · illeitself shirked their ~xecu.tion. .For a man gality. In my opinion, that is a bad who will not suff~r , the· oppression of his policy.. . People who have learned to disown rights .may make ~ims.elf a volunteer . regard the liberty of the individual make. bailiff to _oppress the rights of others bad material for. winning . the · liberty . . ' of when it gratifies .h is own po~itical animus. the nation .
• * * 'Phe humblest citizen in Ireland is under no,' obligation to answJ r question~ by the Government or by any ·agent of the''Go. vernment, unless such questions are put under the authority of ~ legal tribunal or of an express statute . . l£ questions are put without such a.u thority, and answers demanded as though the .Government wiere entitled to theµi, it is a public duty to refuse any answer, because every compliance with' an unlawful demand of the
Most people in Ireland- are so.. thoroughly accustomed to see through pretences and regard only facts that they entirEl'ly: acGept the position that constitutionhf government and civic rights exist hei·e only i.n nan;te. They take the violation of . their rights by Government, its officials, and its privateer instruments, as a matter of COU:'rse, ji.lst what the mere Irish have to expect. · l£ a policeman, on Government is aiding a.nd abetting the Castle instructions or ~n the instructions illegality of the Government and of any underling of the Hicks va.riety, strengthenin.g the Government in its walks into a country, shopkeeper's plaee, policy of oppressing the rights of citizens. or even into a shop in one of our large H any Government agent threatens a citicountry towns, .and demands to be inzen with vague or definite consequences formed wha.t customers are supplied with for doing what the citizen ha:s a legal certain newspapers, or goes so far a5 to right to do, or for not doing what he has say that it would be better for the s}lopa legal right to refuse to ·do, then to subkeeper not to keep certain publications mit to such a thTea.t is a surrender of for sale, such outrageous and illegal beliberty . hests are not seldom received with . sub* * * m1ss1on. The thing 'is itself a complete illustration of the character of the Go-. It is quite ~:rue that we are not free in vernment to which, Dr. Starkie says, Ireland. Ther~ is o:qly one freedom in hostility is a greater crime than to neglect Ireland and that i.s for those who make the morals of school-children. I say, on themselves the allies and adherents of the the cont~ary, that hostility to such Go- tyranny . But we should exercise convernment is a public nad private duty, stant pressur~ for the recovery of their and that a National Teacher who would freedom in all things; small as weJl as teach his pupils to refuse submission tO great. · It is a mistake to dispise the such .lawless forms of Government ·would small things. It is making the game be acting well within his duty and his easy for the oppressors. A powerful rights. l£ Dublin Castle sent a police- tyranny may be able to wit4hold the man to Dr. Starkie to demand informa- ·hiO.her liberty of a nation,)t can never tion of what pa.pers Dr. Starkie bought or resist the unre~enting pressure of millions rea.d, or to threaten Dr. Starkie that it who are determined to have more and
- --·:··--MANCHESTER MARTYRS.
We- regret . that pressure on our space prevents us from reporting a .series of splendid meetings which ha.ve been held all over the country -in honour .of the Manchester Martyrs. In Dublin the Round Room o.£ the Mansion House was packed to overflowing, and h1rndreds were unable to g:;i,in a.dmission. Eoin Mac Neill presided,. and Bulmer Hobson delivered the oration. In Cork Sean Mac Diarmada and . A. Newman addressed the biggest meeting ·held there for years. In Waterford, A. Newman; in Carrickmacross, P. H . P earse; in Belfast, Rev. F'a ther O'Flanagan, . a.nd in .Strabane, O'Rahilly, spoke. . Th~ great meeting held in Atlienry recently and other e•v ents o.£ importance to the Irish Volunteers have also been crushed out, but it is hoped that arrangements can now be made to re·p qrting the progress ·of the I.'V_. _from week to week .
- - -•!•·- - THE GAELIC LEAGUE.
Readers should make a point of attending the lecture which will be delivered in the Hall, 25 Parnell Square, on Sunday next, the 5th inst. The lecture will be delivered by Arthur Griffiths, who will deaJ with "The English Invasion of 1167. Tickets (3d . each) may be obtained at door on night of lecture.
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