New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-05
OBSTRUCTION.
IRISH AND RADICAL VIEWS OF IT, WITH
NOTES ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN
THE FORMER AND PRESENT
PRACTICE.
London, March 81.

PRACTICE.
London, March 81.
Mr. Justn Mccarthy, the mild, the amanie' tho
oxcoIlent Mr. Justin Mccarthy, has been explaining
~ an audience of his fellow Nationaiists TUG "uo
inwardness Of Irish Obstruction In the I,'u'0 VI
Commons II appears that he ana MS ie"'" W"
structionsts have been accused OF surviving =" TO
duce the English Parliament to Impotence
yyrono,v accused. cries the mild MIR. MCCARTHY.
Thov had no such intention. What they wanted
was to find platform from which to appeal TO IN"
English Democracy, and the House OF commons
was the best PLATFORM A..
That is but q roundabout way OF saying ."as
.,ov mt the House of Commons under their fest
NJ. ;s ,here any real validity in the distinctions
Ar Mccarthy would draw unless II be regarded a.
d,s,irction between end and means. His end
,v.s 70 rousc attention and to compel England TO
,sten 70 the Irish demand. The means were 70
reduce the House of Commons to impotence, 10
make the transaction of business Impossible OF
extremely difficult, TO degrade the assembly OF
which the Irish were themselves part
Obstruction. systematic obstruction. was only
another way Of ringing the chapel oeh. ms
Mccarthy is we'll entitled to say that u mas sue
cecded at least az we'll as the Cerkenwe expioSlon
succoc,,ed and Mr.. Gladstone would presently nave
found an equally soft euphemism ior IL " 'n0
,,,o,non had not been seized by his opponents
Afr Iaboucbcre tainted the Unionsts the othes
dav with being but unapt pupils IN the'r school
Obstruction in their hands was nc said' 'haru'''o
To is an EXPERT in the matter, ana MS opihioh !"
entitled to respect, or would be If you couid ever
feel sure what it really is. Mr. Laoouchere i'"m0
upon opinions as so many moves III the game no
nIavs the card which seems most hkeiy 10 VIM
and expresses the opinion best adap'ed 10 pefp''A
the enemy at given momeg. M
There is. however, something pathetic IN the
suddon anxiety of the Irish members for the dig
ni,v Of thc House and for the smooth conduct OF
business Mr.. Mccarthy is not the only irish Ma
,ior,,ist who expresses it. Mr. IIealy expresses
!, Nothing is more affecting than to see MI
JJeaIv rise to a point OF order Ills sohci'uuo
for tho good name of the House knows no oonhdS'
ond bis an yiOus desire to aid the Speaker III en'
forcing the rules is admirable. lie explaiheo "
tho companv nj the IIolborn Restaurant, where o''
fatrick's Day was celebrated. ana w'@Ie 'l''
Mccarthy spoke the new position OF the Na'ion'
olist members in the House. They were there' no
.,id. "a centres, and their orders were not 70
talk. sneak. whistle or sing. An interesting POSI-
ton and an interesting contrast TO ffelr dutes LII
former days. Heretofore they had carried on y
struggle without any hore or expectation "hs"
ever They had fought it would SEEM LOT .na
sake of fighting: for the love OF II, with ."e
heath for orr barracks, revenge for our pay Mr.
Uealy's use Of the word revenge seems hardy con-
sistent with Mr.. McCarthy's theory OF oos'ruc''oh'
but il comes closer to the real fact
Another theory Of Parliamentary efficiency waS
s,.rted nv Mr.. Stewart Wallace, who sits Tor
the Iimehouse division Of the Tower Hamlets'
Not knowing so much as I ought about Mr.. SteTar
Wallace, looked him up in Dod,' and iound
him to be retired timber merchant VINO mas
visited the United States at least twefTy times
is interested in gold mines. Is an advanced lioerat
and has patented many inventions. HIS ia'css
invention. whether patented not, deserves no
ticc 1t is an invention for destroying the rights
of minorities with regard 10 the action OF oho
Speaker, observed Mr.. Stewart Wallace, he was
no doubt guided by precedent, but when there
was a question between justice and injustice tho
Liberal party did not mean to be fetered oy tradi-
ton Justice il fine word and hne thins.
Put think Mr. Stewart Waacc's meaning may
no made palmer il for Justice We substitute
"maiority,, and for injustice" the minority
The reconstructed sentence will then read :" When
there il question between the majority and tho
minority the Liberal party do not mean to be fet-
tered by tradition" The majority means to nave
its way Mr. Stewart Wallace is one of that band
If Radicals who advocated and supported The New
Coercion which Mr. Gladstone lately strove 10 mp.
ply 10 the House Of Commons In order ID force
through the second reading of the Home Rule bill
before Easter We know what came Of that at
TEMPT Coercion collapsed before the determined
resistance of the minority. The attempt had to DO
abandoned Mr.. Stewart Wallace may be strong
enough to bend the bow for which Mr. Glacstones
strength proved too weak but the Radical party
do not o. present build great hopes on that possi-
bility.
NJ. Uv.Il 10 op1xy
the true authorities on Obstruction, the Irish Na-
tionasts Mr. Dillcn is one OF the most interest
ing Of them. il not the most discreet. Discretion,
indeed, seems out Of place in such struggle az
that for Home Rule. 1t has never been pre-em'
nently an Irish quality, and Mr.. Dillon Is very
Irish The present Government, said Mr.. Dillon
at Glasgow on Sunday evening-Sunday is the IA
vorite day for Irish oratory-s pledged to give re-
lief to the evicted tenants, though IL might DO
delayed by the abominable system OF obstruction
in Parliament Now that Is really useful re-
mark Taken in connection with Mr.. McCarthys
il enables us 10 get an al-round view Of Obstruc-
ton, and TO give an impartial account OF 1t. OBJ
structlon when practised by Irish patriots Is but
means Of inviting the attention Of the English
democracy TO Irish grievances, and is admirable:
whereas, When practised by the Unionsts, it is
abomnable We have Mr.. Don's word for IL,
and he, like Mr. LabOuchere, is an expert In OBJ
structon, and must know.
Mr. William O'Brien's testimony is not less val
liable. lie addressed, also on Sunday, a large
meeting az St6ckton-on-Tecs. lie told this large.
and, no doubt intelligent. meeting, that tho Oppo-
siton had nothing TO say against rhe Home Rule
hll and were reduced 10 the eApediencyhe seems
to have meant cypcdicnt-of grossly obstructing
the business of the House. The dominant passion
in the breast Of Mr. William OI'rien at the present
moment is a desire, consuming desire, 10 sea
business In the House Of Commons transacted with
punctnality and dispatch. Anything which delays
II is not only obstruction. but gross" obstruction
Putting Mr.. Dillon and Mr.. O'lhien together, Wa
now know, on the best possible authority. that
obstruction, when practiscd by the Unionsts In