Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-03
A GLOOMY PICTURE OF CANADA.
A Canadian Tells What Home Rule Has
Done.

"A Canadian Tells What Home Rule Has
Done.
From the London Standard.
Mr.. Gladstone has been propping up home
rule for Ireland by holding up Canada as an ex-
ample for the working of the fad he has
adopted. As an old Canadian since 1874
think that 1 know something of what home
rule has done for Canada. In one word, il has
made that country, from being very economi-
cal to live in, more expensive than any part Of
England. Bread is dearer; clothing is so per
cent dearer. Sugar, for which we in London
are paying two-pencc halfpenny, has been for
the last twenty years five pence to six pence
per pound. House rents are higher than in
London.
The Indebtedness Of the country is somewhere
about f40.OO0.O00, all owing abroad; not like
the debt of Great Britain. largely held bv her
own people, the interest PAYABLE to themselves;
and the whole interest of $40 600 900 owing by
a small population is a continual source of i'm
poyerishment. Add to this debt that of the
railway interest. the Canadian Pacific and the
Grand Trunk, all PAYABLE abroad. The latter is
held for over ESQ. 900 900 of squandered money
by Canadian scheming politicians, being value
for about one-third. The Canadian scandals"
with which the newspapers of the country have
been RECALLING their readers, are an example of
what home rule leads up to.
But IT home rule for Canada were an unques-
lonable success, it would be no proof that home
rule for ireland and home rule for Scotland
should be adopted. Canada il from $500 to
1000 miles from England. This distance rem
dered English statesmen. in the nature of
things. ignorant of Canadian people and their
requirements; whereas Ireland is at our doors,
and Scotland-whatever brother Scots NAV saw
to the contrary-is England But Canada as q
whole is not in itself parallel to the question
of home rule for Ireland.
Canada Is. after the example Of her neighbor,
divided INTO separate states. each of which is
governed by Its own provincial legislature. in
addition to being governed by a central or call
1t an imperial, legislature. The contrivance
duplicates all the nuisance of political chican-
err. Any one of these states may be more
justly chosen as an example of what home rule
for Ireland might, under the same circum-
stances, become. Acd the only comparable
province is Quebec. where the Roman Catholic
element is admittedly equally predominant.
The French Canadian priests and their people
are gentle and amiable They hold their fellow
Roman Catholics, the Irish element, as much
aliens as they do the English There is, there
fore, not altogether united Roman Catholic
clement, yet such il the effect of tbs pre-
dominance that the province OF Quebec is being
denuded OF Its Protestant population. It is in
the nature Of Roman Catholicism and of the
Jesuit, to encroach and make itself felt as a
consplrlng power. The newspapers are full of
denuncia.ions Of the Roman element, and
Montreal, which was made part of the Quebec
province, has groaned under the yoke which at
taciies her to the home rule of Quebec. Home
rule in Ireland would exaggerate every evil
under which the province of Quebec is now
groaning and the financial stress which lies
upon Canada as q whole. From the condition
OF things in Canada, therefore. should de-
nounce home rule for Ireland as the worst thing
that could befall the Irish people