The Irish standard., 1891-06-20
u BRUTAL J! |. COERCION ACT.
Its Many Days Of Usefulness
Belong to the Dark
Past.
BALFOUR'S GENEROSITY ~
ALI Counties In Ireland Except Glare,
Tipperary. Cork and Kerry are
Free Again.


Nothing could more clearly indicate
the total absorption Of the British mind
in baccarat during the week than the
fact that the ministerial announcement
that the coercion act is to be suspended
throughout ireland, with the exception
of Clare and few scattered parishes
outside; has attracted absolutely no
attention. The Irish themselves seem
to have given it only passing notice.
Of course, in another sense, it shows
how completely the nation regards the
present ministry as mere place holding
survivals, whose performances IN Ire
land don't matter one way or another,
since it Will be kicked out by huge
home rule majority atthe next election,
However, something more will be
heard Of the deliberate charge OF NAL
versarion of funds which Mr.. Healy has
made in the Dublin National Press
against Mr.. Parnell. The charges are
explicit and are put in most Insulting
terms. Briefly, they cover two sums
$4,000 given BY Cecil Rhodes and el,o0O
given BY MT. Morrogh, M. T. Parnell's
friends think he should proceed against
the paper, but Parnell himself is not
easily moved to legal proceedings. One
parne,ljte member said that when Par
nell was spoken to about taking action
he said that there was no good to be got
by hurryjng such affairs; and pointed
out that If he had jumped at the Still
moro atrocious libeEs of the Times the
moment they were published, when all
his friends were telling him he was
ruined man If he did not begin suit, he
would have been caught IN a trap care
fully prepared for him. AS it was, not
until months afterwards was he IN a
position to bring out the evidence
which destroyed the forgery conspiracy.
parnell absolutely refuses an answer to
the specific accusations Of malversatlon
made against him. Sunday, Mr. Ear
nell said he had prepared balance
sheet Of the funds he controlled, and
WOULD submit it to Mr.. OBrien when
he left prison, wlth permission to pub
lish It If he liked.
There is anything but harmony in the
McCarthyite camp. The present feel
ing of discord is due to the series OF
articles above referred to. They are
srom the pen of Mr.. Healy, and they
axe strongly disapD1oved Of bV the lead
ing members of the faction, including
Mr.. Mccarthy himself and MI. Sexton.
Tie unfortunate part OF the affair IS
that five members are not strong enough
to drum Mr.. Healy out Of the ranks.
as it is evident they would like 20.
Politics in ireland are fast degenerating
into personal squabDles Of the most is
noble character. and moderate men, un~
blinded by partisan passions, are yearn.
ing for the release of Mr.. Dillon and
MIR, O'Brien; who, 1t is hoped. will lltS
the national cause ont Of the rut into
which it has been allowed to fall.
MR.. BALFOUR'S PROPOSAL
to relax tina coercion act will not be ex-
plicitlv announced in the. House OF
Commons until next week, but enough
is now known as to what the govern
ment intend to propose to Justify the
Conservatives in feeling some little
pride oyer the results OF Mr.. Balfour's
policy. All the provisions Of the crimes
act directed against criminal conspiracy
will pe Withdrawn, while other provl-
sions, notably the secret inquiry sec.
tion, will be retained. Mr.. Baltonr's
first statement that while there are
SOl9 prisoners in Ireland who were SEN
fenced under the ordinary law, there
are only twenty one who were sentenced
under the crimes act, has been the occa-
sion in the Unionist press of telling
contrasts with the coercion policy under
MIR. Gladstone when the. prisons were
cbock full.
In the face of prison statistics, and in
the face also Of the fact of absolute |
peace in every district in ireland and |
The cessation in the press and Oh the !
platform OF expressions Of discomfort, |
the Gladstonians will find it difficult to !
respond to the Unionist peans. The
accepted Liberal explanation is that
the paci6cation of Ireland is due as
much to the Gladstone policy Of con-
Citation as to Mr.. Balfour's coercion.
and further that the Dublin executive
has long been playing with coercion,
and when the coercive screw is put IN
hand crime has run up, and when the
screw is loosened crime has run down.
Mr.. Gladstone's latest utterance ON
home rule is his writing to the Women's
Liberal Federation that the Irish crisis |
is as acute as ever, and that home rule
as a fixed plank of the Liberal pla tform !
is as certain as ever. but that Irish |
questions are asleep as far as electoral
interest goes with acquiescent Ireland.
The land bill is still likely to occupy the |
house for q week. Mr.. Balfour has !
,ont q moaoaoo Of nnaca and good will !