, 1886-04-15
Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes.
If this fatefuI division On the tariff.
civil service. foreign policy and other
leading issues continues wltaia the
democratic party it Is thooght that
after the end of the present admins
tration democracy viii relapse into a
permanent condition Of iuoeU0U-
disuetude
The Seattle idea" il Territorial
politics continues to he tie subject II
comment among our exchanges.
Among the latest Is the following
from the CheLalis Nugget: We
think, too, that the fight between the
rival cities Of Tacoma and Seattle
should not be dragged into Icrutor-
ial politics" The SkagIt NccS also
says: In the case Of Seattle. It Il q
well known fact that II was jealousy
Of Tacoma which caused them to de
clare in favor OF absolute forfeiture
Had the Northern Pacific terminated
at Seattle, nothing would have ever
been heard from that city in regard
to forfeiture In all probability they
would have been playing on the other
string"
Perhaps the greatest damage the
democratic party Is doing the coun-
try at present is by its unsettling and
disturbing influence upon business
through an everlasting tinkcring
with the tariff question. No such I'M
easiness and apprehensive timidity
was ever noticeable in financial circles
under republican rule, because the
country was settled under perma-
nent policy of protection to manufac-
ringindustries, and capitalists knew
what to expect.
IRELAND's CRIs1s.-Thursday was a
red letter day in the British Parlia-
ment, it having been the occasion of
the unfolding of Gladstone's great
scheme for home Srule for the Irish
nation. Some idea OF the intense
feeling that prevailed may be gath
cred from the fact that even members
Of Parliament gained admittance to
the floor and took their seats at day
light in the morning, eleven hours
before the Premier's speech was to
begin. Not only were the govern
ment buildings packed to their utmost
capacity, but the streets for many
blocks away were so densely filed all
day that every kind of business or
traffic was brought to a standstill.
The great commoner's journey from
his residence to the Parliament
building called forth a continuous
ovation, and cheers continued Tor
many minutes so loud that every
thing else was drowned in the up
roar. Gladstone spoke for about
three and a-half hours, celebrating
scheme for partiel independence for
Ireland. He reviewed the history of
the Irish nation under the policy Of
coercion. and showed how utterly it
had failed to render the subjects
peaceful, happy and prosperous; how
it had failed to stimulate national
patriotism; and finally summed up as
follows: 81 have no right to say that
Ireland, through her constitutionally
elected members, will accept the
measure I propose; hope they will;
but ] have no right to assume it.
Nor have I any power to enforce it
upon the people of England and
Scotland, but rely upon the patriot
ism and sagacity of this house, on
free and full discussion, and more
than all upon the just, generous
sentiments of two British nations;
and looking forward ask the house,
believing that no trivial motive could
have driven us to assist in the work
We have undertaken-the work which
we believe will restore parliament to
its free ana unlmpeded course-I ask
them to stay the waste OF public
treasure under the present system of
government and administration in
Ireland, which is not a waste only,
but waste which demoralizes while
it exhausts. ask them to show to
Europe and America that We, too,
can face political problems which
America had to face twenty years
ago, and which many countries il
Europe have been called upon to face
and have not feared to deal with.
ask that we shall practice as we have
very often preached, and that in oul
own case We should be firm and fear
less in applying doctrines we have
often inculcated in others, that con
cession Of local self government is
not the way to sap and impair, but
to strengthen and consolidate uni,
ty. I ask that We should learn tx
rely less on mere written stIpu
lations and more on those BET
ter stipulations written on the
heart and the mind of mar
ask that we should apply to ireland
the happy experience we have gained
in England and Scotland, where the
course of generations has now taught
us. not as dream or theory. bnt as {