Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-25
The Goal az Ireland.s Home.

The British Parliament, in dealing
with the Irish land problem, has shown
that the present generation of British
statesmen are no wiser than their fathers.
The history of most English reforms
goes to establish what may be considered
a law that governs British remedial
legislation. As rule, when changes have
been demanded, they were resisted only
to be granted at later stage with their
really or supposed dangerous features
multiplied. Where, had the legislators
been wise, a sop would have answered,
they have usually been compelled to feed
the appetite of reform to the full. In
stances establishing the law will present
themselves 10 anyone at all acquainted
with the record of English politics for
the past century.
Parliament approached the land ques-
ton, and has thus far dealt with it as
it has with the other great problems that
have come up for several generations.
There is not man in England compe-
tent to form an intelligent judgment,
that does not know that this question of
land tenure is what We Americans would
style burning" one. and yet the Con-
servatives, from Lord Salisbury down to
the humblest follower, start the bugaboo
of danger and resist to a man any step
that threatens to disturb the present re-
lations of landlord and tenant.
The stubbornness of the Conservatives
is only equalled by the yacillating COM
pliance of the Liberals with the de-
msnds of the promoters of the agita
ton. No one knows better than Mr..
Gladstone that the question must be set
tied He knew it at the start, and, with
the history of British legislation at his
fingers ends, his penetration should
have taught him that q partial compli-
ance then would have been taken as a
large col cession, and what is now little
less than an enforced exaction, would
not have confronted his contemporaries.
But he and his associates procrastinated
and, yielding to the Tory clamor, raised
the standard of coercion.
The farce of the Estate trials" was a
sop to the alarmed British public. 1t
gave the government a breathing spell,
and in the interim, while they were
wrestling with the problem that might
have been disposed of long before. John
Bright added strength to the agitation
by admissions that gave the Land League
fresh hope. The clamor was renewed,
and the coercion bill followed, and now
the government proposes its remedial
measures, trusting that with the dun
geons ready to receive the boldest critics
the timid will be thankful to take what
is offered.
Parnell, it appears, has sensibly con-
cluded to let the government fight
the battle with the Tories on the land
bill, and not to take hand, save to
strive to improve it where he can. As
things stand now the bill is loaded down
with clogging amendments, which Tory
ingenuity has tackled on to it, and if
Mr.. Gladstone can undo the snarl he
will disappoint his most ardent ad-
mirers.
To the average observer the struggle
appears, first and last, a battle for land
tenure reform. Such it was year ago.
Now the land question is side issue.
Then its settlement would have been &C
copied as bountiful concession. Now
it is regarded as forced compliance
with the demands Of the agitation, and
looming up in larger proportions from
day to day rises the spectre of Irish self
government no less disturbing to the
Bourbon Tory than to the canting Libe
raj. The government may pass its bill
1t may strangle criticism, but the end
must come, and that end is Home Rule
for Ireland.
The buster and fireworks of the agi-
tation displayed by the irresponsible
segment of the Irish party led by ODon-
novan Rosa, if they can really be class
ed with the party, are only elements of
the agitation as they alarm the Tories
and distract the Liberals. No respecta
BILE Irishman approves of their course,
nor could he do so.
The Ireland of o-day is not the Ire
land of AS, much less the Ireland of SO,
and English statesmen. under whatever
banner they may train, may as well
recognize it. Home rule is the goal off
Ireland's hopes, and she must reach it.