The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-01
Mr.. GLADSTONE ON IRELAND.

NH ~ ~ -A~@N' = - ~ -
In the March number of the Contem-
porary Review, just issued, Mr.. Glad
stone has an article on "Ire.ands
Demand for Home Rule" which is
singularly able paper, and OF such IN
ferest to Americans that a careful sum-
mary is cabled He reiterates at the
outset a principle he maintained two
years ago that the adjustment of the
Irish question can only be effected by
the cooperation of the two his .oric
Uarties of British politics, to whom 1t
offers a common ground for action.
He points out the unparalleled intell-
cities" of the existing relations between
England and Ireland, asserting that
Ireland is governed in civil matters
worse than England or Scotland ana at
about twice the annual cost per head.
In civil charges and army charges taken
together it costs 30 shillings per head
annually to keep the Irishman in
chronic state Of discomfort, while for
dttIe more than l3 shillings the Eng
Itshman is better provided and general
" contented This is the strongest OF
pocket nerve arguments. He recurs to
the subject of contributions to home
rule from America, which are subject
of indignant denunciation by the
Tories, and with some humor points
out that "the vast tribute which for so
many years was paid by America to the
landlords of Ireland did not shock the
most sensitive" Then with great
acuteness Mr.. Gladstone considers the
British Irish question as an American
question presenting these rather novel
views:
But America seems to be of the
oninion that in the matter of this Irish
question she has some title to complain
of us for vexing her with with cause
of internal trouble. Whether TINS be SO
or not, there can be little doubt that she
suffers in her internal politics from the
unsettled state of the Irish question.
1t is obviously to her IN
terest that the various races
and nationalities represented by the
crowds of emigrants to her shores
should as rapidly as possible melt down
and merge into the great American
unity. In the case of the Irish portion
the lines of cleavage are numerous be-
tween them and the general community.
Speaking generally, that vast commu.
nity is AnglO-saXOn, Protestant and
rich. while the Irish are generally Gel
tic. Roman Catholic and poor. But all
these distinctions would be gradually
softened away and blurred if it were
not that one master sentiment holding
the entire Irish element together, main
tains ana is maintained by these sec
0ndary divisions. 1t is not too much
To saw that the Irish-Americalls are
snbiect to action of many influences,
disposing them even to embroil the
United States with England, and if hap
nily It should be fouud that these infu.
ences now govern the minds Of no more
than a handful, surely the reason VIII
he that American observes the con
Fessed and amazing accession OF power
which within two years the cause o.
irish autonomy has received through
out the United Kingdom, and halls th'
reasonable prospect which this acces
sion opens to them of an early ana Ell
fectuai settlement.
Another point by Mr.. Gladstone 10
the consideration of Liberal Unionist
is that in "the rule of Ireland by
mixed force Of military and police
which cannot be diminished till til
present political controversy is settled,
there is virtually threat (which beget
only kind of secondary security an
confidence" Proceeding, he makes hi
meaning palmer. would Irelan
have the same joys and sorrows
our success and defeats? TAKE
must in such an event be largel
and severely laid upon the three coul