The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-02
BOGUS And Bill
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The ;Balfour land bill has been autllor-
itativeIy oao1nced q; dsapp ointnent
by John Dillon. One ywoaId have expect
ed good bill from the Balfours. But
any bill atsthis time might be an advant-
age to Irish farmers: The Balfours have
admitted at the outset that Their des.gn
is not a benevolent one. They do not
bring, forward thissmeasure to benefit the
irish farmers, hut with the shameful and
sinister purpose Of taking the wind oat
of The sails Of Nationalist agitation.
They havea theory that the lard ques-
ton is the.one that gives VITALITY, to home
rule. They hold that: by getting ailarge
number Of irish tenants indebted to the
government they viii have an interest in
upholdfng the English interest as oppos-.
ed to home rule. The folly, narrcwness
and crudity of these views is astonishing.
1t does not require a philosopher to dis
cover THE fallacieS of their argument
Any, practical politician can show IN ten
words its fundamental absurdity, says a
writer In the irish World.
However, il the Balfours want to pass a
land bill, we hope they will go ahead with
it. 1t would be an improvement on ex-
listing conditions If tenants should no
Ion ger pay rent on their: own improve
merits It would be an improvement on
the. present system of purchase if the
time for repayment be extended to 20
years. This would render the "fixity'
Of the tenant that much longer, and the
burden ca repayment would be rendered
easier, and-a great many things may
happen In 20 years. The proposal to- re-
duce rent 20 per cent, with att additional
reduction Of 10 her cent slbseq uently,
and even further reductions, is q ,proros-
al that c1nmends itself to a struggling
peasantry. These three improvements
of existing acts would be commentaries:
and it is to: be hoped that the government
will enact them into law, and throw the:
cthsr complicated clauses q the Dill
overheard. r. the bill be not simplif1ed
it will never pass. But there is well
grounded belief in:well informed circles
that the Balfeurs have no honest inten-
tzon Of: passing the bill, End that 1t is
merely a tub thrown to a whale, to amuse
and draw off the attention of the home
rulers from questions of more import
ance. j +
Whether they pass it or not, the gov
eminent may rest assured that this land
bill will not stand in the way of home
rule If it were passed, there would be
a stronger incentive than ever to demand
rational self-government.- The admins
tration of a law is of vastly more. moment
than the working Of the statute. 1t
would make: all. The difference in the
world to sIrishmen If the administrator.
of a good bill were in bad hands. They
have not and should not have, any conf
dence in the administration Of any Irish
act by aliens. # the government has
any real intention of passing land Dill,
the motive impelling it is the agitation
among Protestant farmers in Ulster In
favor of such a measure. The Torres are
in dread lest they may lose the support
of these voters in Ireland. They want to
have at least the credit of trying to pass
the law, but if they could manage TO gain
this credit and still have the bill fail
through the criticism it would bring on
through the criticism it would bring
on Itself through it's completely
and unfairness, the authors OF the bill
would be doubly pleased.
1t IS one Of the principles of the Tory
party to utilize the loyalty" OF the lr.sn
Orangemen for it's support, while. giving
them only subordinate offices in payment.
When the pests ofslord lieutenant and OF
chief secretary were vacant, no ., fish
ma,n-no Irish Tory-was judged worthy
Of either. There is not an Irish peer, we
find it proclaimed to the world, qualified
to represent her majesty in Dublin castle
Among the score OF representatives calling
themselves Tories n the house of commons
there is not one whom Salisbury and Bal
four could trust to draw the secretary's
salary. They have been snubbed and in
suited, and they have not <self.respect
enough left to remon strate.. Their Ma
tionalist colleagues must feel fol. them
nothing but contempt. In their. hearts
they must despise themselves. What
fostering mass Of venality and incompe-
tency the Tory members from Ireland
must beni - i. ! ss ~ -: III
The men copsyitutingythe present Tory
administration have proved by their past
actions that Electromagnetic Of politics is
trickery, falsehood and fraud. To this
is added a strong spice Of nepotisn1, for.
like. the Salvation Army, every good pos
ton under the crown goes to some mem
Der Of the family Of the head boss. SO far
as tlle%e are members to, take it. Ireland,
having no voice whatever as to her ,les-
tiniss, has to :RroYi id for an, 5iElpe cslni-
Gus young FELLOW, y rose; cn1y.-talantls re-
iationship to Hog salis bury. Ihe Ma
tionalist members have no cause to feel
ashamed because OF Balfour, but the loyal
Irish Tories. can regard his appointment
only as a slap in the face fer. themselves.
"A man Of. hts caliber and Of these connec-
tionsis not capable Of bringing forward a
really good land bill. and it is certain not
to introduce an honest one. He is only
playing politics And although there a.e
at least three accs ptable provisions in the
bill, they sesm tp be put there only 70 tan
tal;ze Tie LISA Tory voters, and about
July the wi role bill will be- dropped ac-
cordtng to prograLp y. ~ ~, ~,
1t isa pity hat t be Tory, party, ! shDuid
be So permeated with ysnality and e'iis-
honest 81 that it VII not pass a land: bill
for, 4 relaad.s ii IIaRng nothing to fear
from the soppasst! ION. of the house OF lords,
and with 4 great ajority in the csnl-