The Irish standard., 1902-11-15
On the Road TO Ruin.

II is necessary to go back to the
stormy period before GladStonc's con-
version TO Home Rule to find n paral.
lrl for the scene with which the pres
ont session of the House of Commons
opened. Mr.. Balfour hlandly inform
cd the house that the government
would take all of the time mt the dis.
posal of parliament Thcp the cy-
clone came. 1t was stated that Trc-
land "waS on the verge of Il revolt"
Mr.. 11cnly. masqucrAdng as a native
of Uganda. in Il speech that suggested
Il passage from Swift. congratulated
the premier on the attention he was
giving to South Africa while remain
| ing oblivious to the disturbances of
that distant ana diStrcssful country,
Ireland Tho speaker was dcfcd, and
one NJ. y. after hcing suspended, cross
cd the floor ana shook his fist in the
face of the prime minister, says the
New York Sun.
"Morr Irish row,lyism." the Tories
say. "NIorc Tory stupidity" would be
nearer the truth. For Irish Loyalists
and Irish Nationalists will agree that
their country calls for attention ut this
time. Yet Mr. Ralfour. with all the
lcvity OF an irresponsible cynic, in
formed the House Of Commons that
he proposed to take no notice of the
request of the Irish members to have
Irish affairs considered and then add
ed that If the matter had been brought
up by the Liberals he would have con-
sidcrcd it.
This was equivalent to n direct in
suit to over eighty members of the
house. It was an intimation that Ire
land was to be regarded as without
representation, without voice in her
own affairs. If the Irish members in
sisted on addressing the house they
would he muzzlcd by the closure. If
they refused to give way before the
crack Of the whip Of those in power
they would be suspended. If they
went home and attacked the govern
mcnt in the constituencies they would
he thrown into Jail. If they melted
their people to protest they would be
dealt with by magistrates who were
willing and eager to use the power
they had to impose sentences with
hard labor.
Either Mr.. RalfOur is mad or he is
deliberately riding for fall. He has
stakcd the life of his cabinet on the
Education bill, which is detested by
every dissenting Liberal unionist In
the land He has put such strain
on the government alliance as it cam
not possibly stand. Though depend
ing on tho votes of former liberals, he
is acting rs If he didn't care cent
about their prejudces. Tie is deliber-
ntcly undermining what was m appar-
emily safe majority and, as If not con-
tent with the difficulties which he had
created for himself in England, he Is
tanning the flames of discomfort ana
transportation on the other side OF the
Irish sea-
When the prime minister doesn't
care about keeping his friends it Is not
surprising to find him acting as If ne
considered it his duty to supply ms
enemies with a grievance, or an add'-
tiOnAl grievance.
The defeat of the government Ill the
house. the break up of the Liberal un-
ionist alliance. the return of the LID
erals to power and the substitution OF
Mr.. Chamberlain for Mr.. Balfour as
the leader of the Tories are all cleari!
indicated in the present state OF az
fairs. Perhaps Lord Salisbury got OUT
because he realized that it was a case
of "After me the deluge. S.sg