The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-17 00:00:00

Stottrbrible better,

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 1885.

"OUR IRISH BRETHREN."

"OUR Irish brethren, now much irritated and
estranged" to adopt the electioneering
phrase of a prominent politican besides
playing an important part in the cominc,
battle of the polling booths, seem very likely
indeed to be more difficult to deal with in
the future than they have been in the past.
T 1 ID' I. demands for reforms— as represented
by the somewhat alarming propaganda of
the Parnelite party— are louder than ever;
ancl, in brief, that sore cruil of statesmen,
the Irish question, has now assumed such
serious proportions as to call for Parliament's
prompt action. It will be well if the subject
is approached by the Legislature with
greater gravity and more earnest deter-
mination to arrive at a just and satisfactory
settlem, nt than has in the past been evinced.
We have had far too much "conceding"
and "conciliating" for mere party purposes
in time gone by; law making to the end of
securing the Irish vote to strengthen the
Liberal or Conservative position, as the case
might be, in place of an united endeavour to

grapple with the difficulties of Irish policy.
This coquetry and procrastination is respon
sible for many dangers which now surround
Irish affairs ; it has rendered the position
much more complicated than it need have
been. The Parnellite party has grown
stronger and stronger by reason of the en-
couragment it has received at the hands of
successive Governments and Oppositions in
return for support in the division lobbies ;
until, emboldened by experience, it is loudly
clamouring for changes in the Imperial cell-
sntution of such a sweeping and revolution-
ary character that no set of statesmen worthy
of the name dare dream of granting the de-
mands. And yet the bidding for the Irish
vote goes on as briskly as ever. Conserva-
tive and Liberal vie with each other in their
attempts to "conciliate" Mr. Parnell and
his following, instead of standing shoulder
to shoulder in a honest, thorough-going en-
deavour to set wrong right, and keep it so,
at the same time resisting unitedly with
sternness and dignity all attempts to bring
about injustice. If Parliament would only
forget party interests for awhile, and show
such a solid front as this, a proper and right-
ful solution of the question might speedly be
arrived at, we make no doubt. What is rea-
sonable and calculated to enhance the com-
mon weal in Mr. Parnell's programme would
quickly be expected and turned into effect.
The unsound planks on the Parnellite plat-
form would be broken !up and cast aside,
and safe ones, shaped by unprejudiced col-
lective wisdom, supplied in their stead. We
have in the British Parliament sufficient
legislative force and ability to govern "our
Irish brethren" for their good and that of
the whole Empire. But the task can never
be accomplished by splitting our adminis-
trative resources and using them in all sorts
of haphazard and oftentimes opposing at-
tempts ; especially if we allow our experi-
mental efforts to be influenced by misguided
pressure from wrong-headed Irishmen who
have succeeded in deceiving themselves and
many of their fellows into the false belief
that they are truthful exponents of the
wants, wishes, and feelings of the sons of
the soil. The freeing of land and
education are being placed in the fore-
front of the political battle, but depend upon
it this Irish business will have to be settled
before either. There are many important
reforms crying out for a place on the Stat-
ute Book, but none more important than
this, even on its own merits. But were we
inclined to meet the difficulty as we have so
often done before, by measures of a tempor-
ary character, we should not be permitted.
The new Parliament, judging from the pro-
gress of the political campaign in Ireland,
will find the supporters of Mr. Parnell nu-
merically stronger and more in unison than
ever. They will practically—supposing the
old system of Liberal against Tory be con-
tinued—find themselves masters of the situ -
ation in the House of Commons, and be able
to alter the balance of power at will. It
would be a melancholy sight to see such an
assembly as the British Parliament permit-
ting itself thus to be at the mercy of an in-
significant minority. Cannot we learn a
lesson from the past, and make such a ri-
diculous and distressing situation impossible.
It would be monstrous to permit a handful
of men to dominate the representatives of the
entire United Kingdom. On the subject of
re-distribution and enlargement of the
franchise, it was found practicable for the
two political parties to join issue. Surely in
the immensely more momentous matter of
Irish affairs Liberal and Conservative could
act in concert ; for we cannot but believe
that both parties are sincerely anxious to
remove for ever the difficulties which sur-
round Irish rule. The state of Ireland to-
day is a dark blot on the Empire's fame. A
coalition of parties would, we again repeat,
be potent enough to evolve order and good
government from disaffection and legislative
chaos. In whipincr away discontent, "boy-
cotting," and kindred crimes, we should also
put an end to the calling of those agitating
political adventurers who falsely pose as
patriots ; and we should, moreover, lay the
foundation of an enduring prosperity for
Ireland without endangering the integrity of
the Empire. We cannot, here and now,
sketch out the main lines upon which the
plans for Ireland's salvation frnm suffering
error, and unrest should be drawn in order
to bring about abiding success. That, we
think, could with confidence left be to the
partyless Parliament for which we have
pleaded. We would earnestly reiterate that
the magnificent machinery oi our Leis la-
ture has never been directed with all its full
and undivided power to the end of righting
Ireland's wrongs ; and call upon politicians
of every section—be they Wig or Radical,
Conservative or Democratic Tory— to link
hand-in-hand for a gnind and mighty con-
certed movement which should lift at °ilea
'our Irish hrethren' from their low estate
of suffering and reproach.

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