Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-02
AN IRISH BARGAIN.
Dicker Between Balfour and ParneIl-
Catholic University Scheme

Catholic University Scheme.
New YORK, September 1st-A London
cable special to the EceHing Post SAYS: The
political topic of the week is Balfour's
startling promise in Thursdays debate to
get the views of Catholics on the university
question. This means the establishing aud
endowing of an Irish Catholic university.
Mr.. Sexton and Mr.. Parnell welcomed the
promise gratefully, but the Radicals are
highly indignant. Owing to the absence of
political leaders from London, the fall sig
niticance of this new move is not vet
grasped by the newspapers
Much smaller concessions wrecked Mr..
Gladstone in 1878. TIE Parnellite accept
ance of Balfour's extreme concessions
places the most severe strain on the alliance
between the Parnellites and the English
diSsenters, to whom the deuominational
endowment is an accursed thing.
The Daily NelCS and Star keep strict ST.
lence. Meanwhile an important complica-
ton is the following attack on Parnell,
which Mr.. Davitt sends me to day. He
says: THE hand which has recently been
charged by Irish members with the muir
der of Donegal prisoners in the London
derry Jail, and that again turns the key of
prison on William OBrien, is grasped
with enthusiasm amidst a hullabaloo of
congratulations when it offers an endowed
Catholic university to the church whose
priests Balfour has wantonly insulted.
confess this is somewhat amazing to me.
1t seems that the entire position taken up
in the programme of the single plank of
home rule in 1886 is abandoned, and we
are again bargaining with two English par
ties as to which will peddle us the most
concessions for our vote.
This abandonment of the single plank
position of home rule for a mess of Catho.
lie university pottage is, together with the
vote on royal grants, sorry exhibition of
Parliamentary opportunism. Little sur
prise will be caused if the democracy Of
Great Britain, who have helped us convert
the Liberal party to home rule principles,
should turn their whole attention now to
pressing social reforms affecting their own
material welfare, and leave us to carry out
our peddling policy with the Tories under
the more potent auspices of the Sacred
College of the Propaganda.
This policy landed the cause of home
rule in bog in 1885, when the Tory
ignis fatuus enticed Land League votes into
the landlord ballot boxes, and it will be
matter for agreeable surprise if repetition
of the fatal mistake which gave power to
the landlord Government in 1886, will not
destroy all hope of winning home rule al
the next general election
Mr.. Davitt goes on to argue that the Eng
lish Radicals will certainly do that. The
question was eminently one to wait for
home rule Parliament. This scheme is re-
garded in a double light. First, as the
price which the Salisbury Government is
ready TO pay for the pspal rescript against
boycotting which was obtained some time
ago. and, second, as an easy means, quite
hal Nf paIf
dissension and discoId in the home rule
party.
Mr.. Parnell himself does not think that
Radical opposition to the scheme will be
very strong, but he explains that he is
always ready To assist the Government or
any Government in any measures that are
expected to benefit Ireland.
The fact that Mr.. Parnell is Protestant
gives peculiar significance to the position
he takes on the question. The opportunist
sentiments which he expresses prevade the
whole Irish party, who, whatever unwise
lmpetuosity may sometimes be exhibited
by individual members, keep always in
view the good of their country, even when
1t conflicts with their personal ideas.
The Roman Catholic paper, the Tablet,
calls attention to the fact that under Mr..
Gladstone's home rule bill the Irish Par
Lament would not have been able to do
what Mr.. Balfour has promised to ac-
because Gladstone expressly pro-
yided that the endowment of religion and re-
ligious bodies of all sects should be beyond
its powers. Therefore the Tablet thanks
Balfour for the bold, generous and states.
manlike way in which he has faced the
problem which has baffled so many in the
past, and assures him of its support.
The Unionist Spectator approves the pro-
posal, but advises tina Government to con-
tent itself with carrying the university bill
and the land bill for Ireland If, says the
Spectator, the Salisbury Government at
tempts to carry this bill also it will over
weigh itself and may come TO grief.