The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-06-10
BLAINE ON THE HOME RULE CUES
TlON


a ''home rule'' meeting was he d in Port
land, Maine, a few days ago, at " hich Mr.
Blaine was the leading speaker. His utter
"hces did not attract a great deal of atten
zion until the cable, the next day brought
the furious onslaught GU the speech by tn,
leading English papers. Since then thu
pub tic have been good deal interested Il
read what has so stirred up their transat
lantlc cousins. We accordingly give liber
a1extracts. Mr.. Blaine was introduced b1
Gov. Rubis and said:
Directly after the publication of this meet
ing received a letter from a venerable
citizen in an adjacent county asking me tt
explain, just what the Irish question is.
appreciate the question, or rather l appre
clate his request; for, in question that
calls forth SO much sympathy and senti
ment on the part of the world at large, and
yet evokes so much opposition among
those Who are directly interested, there
may 1e danger OF not giving attention
enough to the simple elementary facts OF
the case. Now, what is home rule? WHY,
it is what every State and Territory of the
United States completely enjoys-and il
is what Ireland does not enjoy. In q parlia.
ment OF 65s members Great Britain has SIS
and Ireland has 105; and, except with the
consent OF that Parliament, Ireland cannot
horse railro d company or ferry over q
stream-Qaughter)-o do the slightest
thing thatimplies legislative power Now,
suppose we bring that home and the State
OF Maine should be linked with the State OF
New York, relatively as large with the
Ireland, and your beautiful city here could
not take step for its improvement, MOI
the State OF Maine organize an association
OF any kind. or charter a company of any
kind. unless the overwhelming galaxy Of
ne New York Legislature gavehe consent
would stand it, That is, in brief, a sim.
pie question between England and ireland
except there is the great fact in addition
which would not apply to New York and
Maine: that there are centuries of wrong
which have built up monuments of hatred
on the part OF those who are subject to op
question between Ireland and Great Brit.
ain far beyond the limits that would be
found between New York and Maine.
suppose it the question were put to the
United States to decide we should saw,
adopt the federal system. Have your
for England, your Legislature for Wales.
your legislature for Scotland and your inn
perial parliament for the British Empire,
Let questions that are Irish be settled bv
1ris6men; questions that are English be
settled BY Englishmen; questions that are
tions that are Scotch be settled bv Scotch.
men. But the question that affects
the whole Empire of Great Britain
should be settled by the parliament In
which tho four great constitutional ele-
ments shall be impartially represented.
80 l come to say that would be the
a n MI -
for we have lived that wav for one hun.
dred years nearly in the Uxited states OF
America.
do not forget, however, that it would
be political empyricism to attempt by any
prescription to give the exact measure,
should settle this long dispute between
treat Britain and Ireland. am admon.
1shed by what have noticed in the British
Parliament in discussions Concerning
America not to be too forward in knowi.
edge OF details or in prescribing exact
n measures t, because, suppose, they would
their precise troubles as they know about
ours. Therefore do not stand here sim.
ply to say that Mr.. Gladstone's is a ner-
feet measure. do not stand here to sav
that could even give you the exact de-
Iaiis OF mat measure. do not say that !
ever took time to examine them: but I do
say that am in favor of any bill tha,
shall take the first step towards Fighting this
wrong, and of handing over the government
to Ireland. As to professional statemeat re.
gardlng parliamentary power in Great
brltaln, am adnonished TO be modest,
because we'll remember that Lord Palm
erson, during the war on a We v grave &C.
caslon, informed the House Of Commons
that the President of the United States
could not alone declare war, that it re-
CURED the assent of tho Senate, when
every schoolboy knows that it is the Con.
gress OF the United States to whom the
war power is given in this country
uughter) But that was not so bad az
another member of Parliament, who as.
sured the House on a certain occasion, that
no Ii " IN the United States was perfect
untl! 1t had received the assent Of two
thirds OF the legislatures of the several
states laughter); and q fellow member
corrected him and said :-s.You are wron9:
Congress cannot take up any law to dis,.