The Portland daily press., 1890-09-22
BaIfour's BIunder,

1t almostialways happens that when the
American public are on the eve of forgetting
that there is struggle going on in Ireland
for better government the conservative min.
listers do something to refresh their recollec-
tion and revive their declining interest. For
months now there has been little interest in
the affairs of Ireland 10 this country. Quiet
apparently prevailed there. and 1t seems to
have been accepted on this side of the
water as evidence that the Irish
people were getting along tolerably
well. and that therefore there was no
occasion for the high pressure sympathy
which has frequently led the American pub.
Tic 70 contribute large sums of money TO help
along the Parnell agitation. Stories of i'm
pending famine had come to this country. but
they were generally believed to be exae-
gerated, and the public had refused To get
excited over them. Indeed, up to within
few days there had been a very
Ianguid interest In the United States
In the affairs Of the Emerald
ISLE Even natives of that Island and their
descendants, resident In the United States.
were not much stirred up over them.
hessrs. Dillon and O'Brien were coming
over here to solicit funds to paw the ex-
penses Of the parliamentary campaign which
is believed to be fast approaching, and the
outlook was that they would appeal to a
rather lukewarm public, and one therefore
not likely to make large contributions. They
are eloquent gentlemen, and perhaps would
have succeeded in stirring up the Irish
Americans. but lack of outrages at homo
Tor a long time kad rod,
cspitai 70 very small amount. Under the
circumstances Mr. Balfour's true course
"ouiu nave peen to let them come. BE
oughtto have known that to prevent them
frsm coming would not prevent the solicita.
tion and collection of funds in this count,
and he ought to have foreseen that To nrs'
vent them from coming by an arbitrary act
would do far more towards putting the irish
American people in this country in a con-
tributing mood than all the eloquence of
these two men probably could. But Tory
Irish secretary always developes in time a
phenomenal capacity for laundering, and
though Mr.. Balfour's career has probably
been freer from blunders than most of his
predecessors, 1t can hardly be doubted that he
made long stride towards catching up with
Sncm WuoH ne UIu6Ibu Tue lElbu pOIic6 10
swoop down upon Messrs. Dillon and
OBrien and cast them into prison. The pre-
text for their arrest was that they had ad-
vised the Irish tenants not to pay rent. But
as the Irish leaders had been giving that ad-
vice all summer with impunity, it is evident
enough that that was a mere pretext. and
mat the real motive was to prevent them
IRON coming to this country to solicit cam
pa'gn FUNDS At any rate that will be the
motive assigned by Irishmen "a this country
ana 1t will be impossible to disprovo - IT,
outcome can readily be seem Dillon anS
OBrien w1Ilperhaps not be able to annea1
IN person to their countrynen on this sido
Oh the water, but other Irishmen will and
though they may be less eloquent than these
TWO leaders, by the aid of the specific griev-
anIe which the government has mt int
lnelr hands they win undoubtediv rrnro
more effective than these two Son.I p.o'e
could nave been without 1t. Rs1ton.,"
rests viii, 1t is safe to say, put manv .s al
ands fof dollars into the Irish csm Snvus-
Treasury that would not shave got th psa
they had not been made. Its effect at he.i n
too will probably be rather favorable thaD
otherwise to the agitators.