The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-09
The Attempt to Cripple MIR. Gladstone

We regret to see that Mr.. JOHN E. RED
MoND is playing. perhaps unconsciously
the game Of the Tories. In a speech which
he made the other day in the House of Com
mons he insisted that Mr.. GLADSTONE. In
the campaign which will follow the disso
luton OF Parliament. shall define explicitly
the nature Of the Homo Rule bill which he
will introduce. provided his party is sue.
cessful at the ballot box. This is the un.
reasonable demand bv which the Conserva,
tives are trying to cripple the Liberal
leader. It is not pressed by the Mccarthy.
ties. who hold rightly that there will be
time enough to discuss the details OF a
home rule measure after the House OF
Commons has received a mandate to accept
the principle OF local self-government. This
seems to US the only ground which Mt this
juncturo can be taken by any loyal and
intelligent friend OF Ireland. What, indeed,
could be more preposterous than. on the
pretext that Mr.. GLADSTONE does not while
out OF office explain precisely how much he
will give to Ireland when he returns to
power. to cooperate In assuring a further
lease OF authority to the Tories. who refuse
to give anythingi
All OF 1relands we'll wishers must see
that in Mr.. GLADsToNE's triumph lies their
sole hope OF obtaining any substantial con-
cessions. To secure that triumph he must
be permitted to manage his canvass in his
own way. Tho Liberals of England, Wales
and Scotland have interests of their own at
stake. and they cannot he expected to ig-
more them. because they are also determined
that justice shall be done to Irishmen. In
Wales the coming contest must be fought
mainly on the issue OF the dlsestablishment
OF the Anglican Church In the principality.
In Scotland the dominant question will
necessarily be the dsestablishment OF the
established Presbyterian Church. In Lon
don. which returns flfty-tive members of
Parliament. the matter In which tho voters
are most vitality concerned is the extension
OF tho present limited powers of the County
Council. To force Mr.. GLADSTONE to throw
into the background all these vital local In
forests and to make the next election turn,
not even on tho principle OF home rulc. but
on some minute feature Of highly elab-
crate scheme. would be an act OF stupen-
dous folly. or OF deliberate treachery. on the
part OF Irish Natonalists. Those men can
not sincerely want home rule as an end
who refuse to countenance the effective and
legitimate means thereto. All that any
1rlshman OF common sense will ask is. first,
that Mr.. GLADSTONE shall by all the en-
gines OF influence at his disposal obtain a
majority In the next House OF Commons,
and. secondly. that he shall offer Ireland
the most generous measure OF home rule
which that majority can be prevailed upon
to accept There Is no alternative. for the
Tories offer nothing.
1t requires but glance at the home rule
question to see that a solution Of It would,
under the most suspicious circumstances,
be difficult. and that 1t would be In the
highest degree rash and inexpedient for q
statesman out OF office to attempt to solve
30 intricate q problem. We will mention
for the moment only two aspects of the
question. which may well perplex the great
est experts in the theory and practice of the
British Constitution. Suppose that an act
Of the Dublin legislature. approved by the
Dublin Executive. is deemed In England to
encroach on the powers Of the
Imperial Parliament at Westminster. what