New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-22
THE TLTt RI or IRELAND.

Now that GladStOn'an Home Rule IS dead.
what hope is left for Ireland? Or In what
direction are the friends Of ireland TO work for
the good of that disircssful country A renewal
of the alliance with tie English Liberals and
Radicals Is out Of the question. The animosi-
ties aroused over the Education bill Will not
soon be- allaycd Even if they Were and the
alliance were restored. 1t would not be effective
for any actual achievement In Irclands behalf
until the expiration OF the present Parliament,
five years or more hence. IT may be taken
for granted then. that nothing Is 10 be looked
for from the party which n few years ago prom
iscd all things Whatever Is done for Ireland
must be done by the party which resisted and
bafllcd the Home Rule project, and which has
long been regarded 10y Ireland as an uncom-
promising foe
1t is by no means improbable. however. that
such estimate Of the COnscrvative-I nionist
party will prove 10 have been not altogether
just; or that that party Will so change It's spirit
ms to be worthy of other reckoning For in
the first place IL must be borne in mind that
the Conservatives used not To be one whit more
tyrannical in their dealings with Ireland than
the Liberals Mr.. Gladstone was responsible
for the harshcst Of all Coercion bills and II
was II Liberal chief Secretary who was called
''Buckshot Forster" II is perfectly well known
that in 1850 both parties negotiated with the
Irish for an alliance. on pretty much the same
ground. II Mr. Gladstone had not bid boldly
and got the prize promptly knocked down TO
him. the Conservatives would have made
DEAF with Mr.. Parnell on n basis scarcely less
revolutionary than that proposed by the Liberal
leader 1t IS quite true that TINT competition
was spurred on by the desire for power and
by the knowledge that the Irish vote was neccs-
snry for obtaining and holding it. No such
necessity exists today. Nevertheless, there
are other considerations, scarcely less potent,
which may not mprobably prevail with the
Conservative Unonist leaders
There Is. for example, the dcsirabIty of get.
ting rid, once for all. Of the vcxatious Irish
question" TO do that would rid the Imperial
Parliament and Government Of untold annoy
ance. which, in default thereof threatens to
be indefinitely prolonged. 1t would enable the
Government to proceed far more readily with
the ordinary work of general legislation for the
whole Kingdom. 1t would, moreover. be the
greatest possible feather In the Conservative
cnp ut the next general election Ovcrwhelm-
ingly strong rs the present Government Is in
Parliament. such considerations must have
much weight with IT, Its big majority In the
House or Commons rests upon very slender
majorties In many constituencies The change
or comparatively few popular votes mt the next
election would reverse the complexion of the
House. The Conservatives know this. and
even mt this early day are DESTROYS of doing
all they can to strengthen their hold upon the
country.
Moreover, the Conservatives and Inionsts
have shown themselves by no means reluctant
to grant liberal reforms to Ireland Mr. Cham
bcrlain was n dozen years ago, one OF the fore
most advocates Of the largest possible measure
of self-gOvernment compatible with the main
tenance Of the Union and Of imperial authority.