The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-04-14
GLADSTONE ON HOME rule.
His Remarkable Appeal for ireland
in the Contemporary
Review"
A SINGULARALY ABLE PAPER.
Several Pages Are Devoted to Lord Sails
bury's Chief Arguments Against
Home Rule for ireland.

Home Rule for ireland.
Bv the courtesy of the editor Of the
Contemporary Review I haye been per-
mitted to look over the corrected proofs
of Mr., William E. Giadstone's article
on "Ire]and's Demand for Home Rule, y
which will appear next week IN the
March number of that review. It is a
singularly able paper, and will be read
with interest both here and in America.
at the outset Mi Gladstone relterates
the principle which he has maintained
ever since the question Of Irish autono~
my was opened two years ago. Namely
that the adjustment Of this great ques~
tion can easily be effected by the coop
Grafton of the two historic parties or
British politics, to whom it offers a
common ground for action.
1T is a measure, he says. which &C
knowledges and consecrates the traal-
tiops of the country that calls tor its
application. 1t is a. message which re'
stores ancient and prescriptive rights
long enjoyed in principle and in l7S5
most solemnly and not less unanimous
ly acknowledged by Great Britain.
descend to much lower order OF IDEAS
when L add it is a measure, which,
whatever particular form it may take
must certainly diminish the weight
and activity at st. Stephens OF an ele-
nent which, whether by it's nature DEM
ocratic or not-and On this point there
NAV be serious doubts--ls and must be
under it's present circumstances dlscon-
tented and estranged, and on that &C.
count inclined to promote political and
administrative innovations.
Gladstone goes on to point out some
of fine nurayalIeled infelicities in con-
,,ection with .England;s present rela-
tions with Ireland, asserting that Ire
land is governed III civil matters worse
than England or Scotland and at about
xvice the annual cost per head. In
civil charges and army charges taken
topetber it costs thirty-two shillings
oer head annually to keep the lIlshman
in - chronic state OF discomfort, while
for little more than thirteen shllllngs
the Engl!shman is better provided and
generally contented.
Regarding the contributions to Home
Yu,e from America MI. Gladstone
saws: ''The vast tribute which Tor SO
many years was paid by America to the
landlords of ireland did not shock the
most sensitive. Yet the. sums, compar-
atiyeIy triding, which America has con-
triputsd more recently towards ena-
bling the impoverished tenantry to
sustain their Parliamentary struggle,
have become the subject Of indignant
denunciation. But America seems to
be of the opinion that in the matter OF
this Irish question she has some title
to complain of us for vexing her with a
cause OF internal trouble. Whether
this be 50 or not, there ctsn be little
doubt that she suffers in her internal
politics from the unsettled state OF the
Irish question. 1t is obviously TO her
interest that the various races and ma
tionallties represented by the crowds OF
immigrants to her shores should as ra-
pidly as possible melt down and merge
in.o the great American unity. In the
the case Of the Irish portion, the lines
Of cleavage are numerous between
them and the general community.
Speaking generally, that community is
Anglo Saxon, Protestant and rich,
while the Irish is generally Celtic,
Roman Catholic and poor. But all
these distinctions would be- gradually
softened away and blurred If it were not
that one vast sentiment holding the
entire Irish element together, main
tains and is maintained by these Sec
ondary divisions. 1t is not too much
to say that the Irish.Americans are
subject to action Of many influences,
disposing them even to embroil the
United States with England, and it
happily it should be found that these
influences now govern the minds of no
more than handful, surely the reason
will be that America observes the con-
fessed and amazing accession OF power
which within two years the cause Of
Irish autonomy has received through.
out the United Kingdom, and halls the
reasonable prospect which this access
sion opens to them Of an early and eff
fectual settlement
Mir. Gladstone then climbs on to the
wall by which the. Unionists have
hedged themselves off from the Home
Rule party, and calmly surveys the
battle ground from their own stand,
point. "a legislative Slamese union