National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-09-24
Parnell's Defeat.

Irish leaders, measure for the reduction Of
rents and stay Of ovictions must be defeated
by the coalition Of tories and unlouists.
The Englieh government has now on hand
about as difficult task as any that has
fallen to the lot OF modern statesmen. With
Ulster in q state Of riot, which seems to
have become chronic, and the remainder OF
the population thoroughly dissatisfied aud
in frame OF mind as unsettled as that
which Mr. Wiggins has produced in Charles
ton, the outlook for the coming winter IS
indeed alarming. II Is stated that Mr.. Dill
Ions speech, In which he asserted his deter
miDation to urge the non-payment Of rent,
sent thrill through the house OF commons,
and was succeeded by an ominous silence,
during which assembled members saw
themselves face to face with greater difIl-
culties than they had set encountered.
For present purposes It is more important
TO know what the tory government intends
to do, II anything, than to recapitulate
reasons for the rejection Of Mr.. Parnell's
bill or to venture upon the predictions OF
mere possibilities. Lord Salisbury's speech
at st. Albans strikes the keynote Of his
opportunity to observe the working Of the
conservative mind. just as Lord Churchill
proposed an extension OF county-board
jurisdiction as a substitute for the compre-
hensive measure Of home rule offered by
Mr.. Gladstone, so now the conservative
leader offers peasant proprietary as au
eiTectual solution Of the land difficulty.
"Mr. Gladstone" said Lord Salisbury on
Wednesday night, "has indicated that he
would strongly oppose the policy to substi-
tute a small for large proprietary, which,
OF course, would be made with perfect
justice and proper compensation all round.
The proposal to multiply small freeholds In
Ireland originated with Mr.. John Bright,
who parted from Mr.. Gladstone this year,
but the proposal was never party ques.
tion. /, myself, and many other conserva-
tives, have supported it for twenty years.
IL is the true policyof statesmen. Ina sound
system of peasant proprietary lies the future
social Sdlrdtion of Ireland"
This is completely part and parcel of the
laundering and dishonest system almost
invariably adopted by tory statesmen when
in quandary. There is well.known rule
Of life, "when in doubt, do nothing" which
is useful enough when the interests Of one
individual may be IN temporary risk, but
when the overwhelming majority Of ma.
tion demand one thing and the government
persists in Offering another, which was
never wanted, never asked for, and not
desirable enough even to be accepted as q
gift at any time, that government may be
fairly accused Of "fooling" with the gov
erned. Lord Churchill knows perfectly
well that Ireland does not care one straw
about his trumpery county-boards, and
Lord Salisbury knows that peasant proprle-
tary is worse than useless, II not absolutely
impossible In Ireland.
And here we may as well explain why
It is impossible that this continental system
Of what is called petite cutie, or small farm
ing, should take firm root on Irish soil.
For nearly hundred years, ever since
Arthur Young published the justly ccle-
brated account Of his travels abroad, there
has been no portion Of economic science more
! open to dispute than this superiority OF
small farming. The argument is too pro-
tracted to be usefully opened up just now,
but the conclusion OF economists is that
although "small farmlng''-the farmers, Of
course, being owners and not tenants-has
succeeded in some parts Of Europe, condi-
tlons existed in those places which are not
found in Ireland The main objection To
| peasant proprietary is that the system leads
inevitably to subdivision Of the little plats
Of land, thereby producing race OF pau
pers, unless prudential checks are imposed
upon the increase Of population. The French,
Swiss, Germans of the Rhine valley, and
Italians have long since adopted such
checks, in the face Of most violent opposi
tion from the Roman Catholic Church.
The Irish people are now more amenable
to their priests than any other race in
christeudom, and their church is sternly
| opposed to the conditions OF successful
small proprietorships. This has been one
| great stumbling block from the beginning
Of the land agitation, and Lord Salisbury is
| perfectly aware Of the difficulty. II the
small-holding system had possessed any
| possibility OF permanent success, Mr. Glad
stone would have been first to embrace the
opportunity. But those members Of her
majesty's government who are in such con-
slant terror about "the stability of the
empire" are satisfied, as were their pred.
ecessors, to continue year after year with
the miserable policy OF subterfuge, while
they persist In calling 1t statesmaushp. AS
far as we can see at present this last pro-
| posal Of Lord Salisbury's will more than
compensate Mr.. Parnell for the rejection OF
his measure. 1t will enable him and his
party to go before the Irish people and say
'The tory government will grant you any.
thing and everything that you don't want
and won't have, so you must make up youl
minds about some immediate and practical
methods Of doing political business" And
the people will promptly adopt the advice