The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-09-03
An Irish University,

The English Tories have thrown sop to
Cerberus, in other words have endeavored to
to conciliate the Parnellites, by promising the
establishment Of an Irish University. Mr..
Balfour. in the House of Commons, few
nights ago baited the Tory hook with this
morsel, and the avidity with which it has
been seized by the Irish members is surpris-
Ing, in view Of the fact that the obvious pur-
pose of the scheme is to introduce discord
into the allied opponents Of the government,
and thus postpone indefinitely all prospect of
securing home rule for Ireland. The Liberal
end of the alliance can not look with favor
on the scheme, for it is made up largely of
dissenters who hate the Catholic Church and
will never consent to become party to
proposition to endow Catholic university in
that island or any where else. The Protestant
wing of the Irish party must regard it even
with more aversion, for their hatred of Rome
Is of the most bitter kind. The effect, then,
of the acceptance of Balfours offer to Mr.
Parnell must inevitably be to ALLEVIATE the
English dissenters land the Irish Protest
ants from the Liberal-Parnell alliance which
would practically be its destruction, and with
it would go of course, all its effective support
of home rule and all effective opposition
to the Tories so far as their Irish policy is
concerned.
Mr.. Michael Davitt, who is one of the
ablest. and most far-seeing of Irish leaders,
has not been caught by the bait which so
many OF his brothers have greedily sw allowed
and in recently published letter he reproyes
Mr.. Parnell and the other leaders who have
looked with favor on Mr.. Balfour's PROPOSE
ten, in this language:
"The hand which has recently leen charged by
the Irish members with the murder of the Done
gal prisoners in Londonderry jail. that again nrns
the Key OF the prison cell upon William O'Brien
Is grasped with enthusiasm, amidst a hullabaloo
Catholic university to the church Whose pTiests
Balfour has wantonly insulted. / confess all this
Is somewhat amazing to me. 1t seems as if the
single plank Of home rule in 1886 is aban-
1Gnea, ana we are again bargaining with the two
most concessions for our votes.
This abandonment OF the single plank position
pottage is together with the vote on the royal
grants, sorry exhibition of Parliamentary oppor-
tunlsm, and little surprise Will be caused if the
convert the Liberal party to home rule principles.
should turn their whole attention now to pressing
social reforms affecting their own material wei
fare and leave US to carry on our peddng policy
with the Tories under the more potent auspices of
tne sacred iS college Of propaganda This policy
1885, when the Tory ignis fatuus enticed land
league votes into landlord ballot-boxes and it
will be matter for agreeable surprise II a repe-
utiOn Of the fatal mistake which gave power TO a
landlord government in 1886 will not destroy all
hope Of winning home rule at the next general
election"
This is by no means the first time that the
Tories have bought up the Irish members
with promises. Indeed the last general
election was carried by the Tories largely as
the result of promises made to the Irish of
liberal concession. When Parliament met
the liberal concession did not Gomez on the
contrary ireland found itself more tightly
pound than ever. This reputation of Tory
promises must be fresh in the memory of |
every Irish member, yet notwithstanding the |
most OF them seem to be still ready to accept |
more promises from the same source Bal |
-FOUR has ruled Ireland so savagely that he |
is known Throughout the island as the "Bloody |
Balfour." he has insulted and imprisoned |
Catholic priests, and heaped all sorts of in |
dignities upon the most illustrcus of the /
Irish patriots. But the moment he offers a /
sop in the shape of an Irish university all is /
forgotten and forgiven, and TO use Mr. Day- |
tits language his hand sis grasped with en- |
thusiasm amidst hullabaloo of congratula- |
tions."