The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-24
pEsPoTIsM IN IRELAND

The condition of political turmoil
which has always marked the relations
between the Irish people and the Brit
ish empire operates to blind enlightened
mankind to the real state of things
which is now existing in Ireland. That
state of things cannot be paralleled in
any country in the world at the present
moment. No subject Of any govern
ment, however despotic, is at this mo-
ment more completely Invested Of his
political rights than the ordinary Irish
subject of Britain living in Ireland.
All the guarantees of political liberty
are suspended in Ireland. The leaders
of public sentiment are in Jail, or
threatened with criminal prosecution
if they dare to give voice, even in the
most peaceful and constitutional man
ner, to the protest Of the masses. The
right of public assemblage is denied,
and the usual guarantees Of the law
for personal rights are non existent.
Even these conditions when they are
made to prevail in Ireland have come
to be looked on by the outside world
as normal.
Had there been an attempt at armed
instruction on the part of the people
the heel Of government tyranny could
not be made to press more heavily on
the masses. But there has been moth
ing Of the kind. There is no charge of
reasonable conduct lying at the door
of anybody in Ireland. The people are
agrarian system, and they are demand
ing reform of it. There have been no
murders, no terrorism, unless it be that
which the Irish members of parliament
have called to the attention of the
government on the part of members Of
the semi military police force who are
charged with conspiring by perjury
and other means to convict obnoxious
| persons of criminal misconduct
While the whole island is thus in
| ferment, and the people deprived of the
most fundamental rights of British
subjects, the parliamentary represent
atives of the Irish people in the British
| commons ask that a day be set for the
consideration by parliament Of the
! grievances of their constituents and of
the disordered condition of the coun-
try. The response of Mr.. Balfour is
that the demand, coming from the Irish
members, cannot be entertained; but if
presented by the Liberal opposition will
be granted.
| Now, there may be nothing to say
| against the maintenance Of continued
suspension of the habeas corpus in Ire.
land as being illegal or unconstitu-
| tional under the circumstances attend
| ing it. But what must be said of the
| system Of o-called representative gov
eminent which bluntly refuses through
the authorized minister Of the crown to
/ grant the Irish people any hearing
| through their chosen represent
atives in parliament, even to the
extent of a single day, of their wrongs
or grievances. OF what earthly use
| can the British government regard
Irish representation in parliament to be
to the Irish people If their parlia-
nlentary representatives are thus to be
gagged and insulted by the govern
ment?
A single hour of the leadership of the
1 late Mr.. ParneH would in such situa-
| ton result in setting the enlightened
sentiment of two continents afire on so
shocking an outrage on the boosted
privileges of British subjects. But the
Irish are without a leader in parlia-
ment, and they might as well be with
out a single member in that parliament.
Indeed, it is difficult to see, looking at
1 the situation from the American stand