Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-22
HOPE FOR IRELAND.
The British Tories Steal Liberal
Political Thunder.
BALFoURs OFFER OF HOME RULE.

He Proposes to Put Erin Equal
Footing with England and Scotland
Remarkable Rapprochement of Con-
servatives and Irishmen-ParDeu Now
Charged with Having Always Been
Stumbling Block.
LONDON, July 22.-In the house of COM
mons Monday, during the debate on the
Irish estimates, Secretary Balfour init
mated that local government bill, based
broadly upon the lines of the English and
Scotch government acts, would be intro
duced next session. Would such bill, he
asked, have he support of the Irish mem
bers? He doubted it. Timothy Healy
interrupted the speaker, and declared
that it certainly would 1t is understood
that such measure will undou btedly be
part of the government programme for
next session, and the subject is causing
much speculation and comment among
politicians.
The Condition of the Green lie.
The discussion of the estimates in par
lament had been made the occasion for
long reviews in the newspaper press upon
the improved condition of Ireland. The
fact: that agrarian crime has diminished;
that trade has increased; that evictions
have lessened in number: that boycotting
has almost ceased; that the plan of cam
paigl is almost extinct, and that emigra-
ton has decreased, are considerably
touched upon. During the past week five
OF the principal banking corporations of
Ireland have held their annual meetings,
and while carrying large balances to their
reserve funds, they have each declared a
dividend of III per cent.
'Bribed by American Dollars
The Standard, referring to the improve
ment in the condition of Ireland, asserts
that the discontinuance of the subsidies
received from the United States is largely
responsible for the improvement. Ten
ants. The Standard adds, "bribed by
American dollars will persist in their dis
honest and unlawful conspiracy, but left
to face unaided the consequence of their
criminal mistake, first in one place and
then in another they have found it neces-
sary % surrender, while the humiliating
collapse of the plan of campaign has
given warning as to the worth OF the sol
emn promises of agitators
Opponents ''Flopping Together"
In he meanwhile the most remarkable
feature is the curious rapprochement be
tween Balfour and the Irish members.
The Irish see that their arch opponent i,
after all, human, and that he has quail
ties OF sincerity and courage not inferior
to their own. The change has been on
both sides, and Balfour has, perhaps,
| learned the most. Nothing was more
striking than his manner of pioneering
the land bill through the house of com
mons
Ought to Satisfy Ireland.
1t Is generally conceded that If the pro
posed bill is broadly based on the lines Of
the English and Scotch acts, as the chief
secretary has intimated it will be, the
Irish mem bers cannot consistently refuse
| to support il, no matter who may be their
| leader 1t is contended by Conservative
| members and admitted by Irish common
ers that ireland cannot jnstly ask for a
| liberty of action greater than England
or Scotland are content with, and, indeed,
it has all along been asserted by the Irish
members that with the same privileges
and the same degree of local government
as En- gland and Scotland enjoy Ireland
| woulC be satisfied
| Psrnell "A Stumbling Block.
The amazing change of attitude of the
Irish members toward the government
! party and any Irish measure emanating
therefrom is generally ascribed to the fact
that Parnell is no longer the leader of the
Irish national party, or of any considera
| BILE portion of it. Were Parnell still in
| the possession of the confidence OF the en-.
tire Irish party, as he once was, there is
no doubt that he would throw cold water
upon SalfoUr's advances, and lead his fol-
lowers away from home rule, as he has
often done before. An Irish member de
clared in the lobby of the house last even
ing that the conviction was now dawning
upon him as well as upon many OF his col
! leagues that Parnell has actually stooo il
the way of home rule for several year:
past.
Always Opposed to the Tories.
In The councils of his party he haC
steadily opposed every suggestion of co
operation with the Tory party in securing
some slight advantage for Ireland from
time to time. Yet when he was repudi
ated By the Liberals and deserted by g
large majority of the National party, HI
sought to make terms with the Conserva
| tives, and would have done so had he beer
able to command a respectable following
There is to-day a widespread feeling
among Irishmen that by the downfall o
Parneli the most serious obstacle in the
way of home rule, which must come grad
| uaily. mas been removed.