New-York tribune., 1903-02-02
IRISH REFORM s.
IT of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir In Thursdays Tribune there appeared let
ter on Irish reforms. written in a spirit of great
sympathy, but containing many misconceptions
that I feel fmpelled to correct them. The writer
thinks that the ireland have is a legacy of the
Act Of Union and Of free trade. I will only say
on that point
F1rst-That nine out Of ten people In Ireland
are convinced that the union was an essential
dtion and preliminary for the reforms necessary
to place the Catholic Celt equality with the
Protestant Saxon. They are convinced that they
have received far more Of justice and freedom
from the government of the United Kingdom than
ever they would have received from the Irish
Parliament; for the minority which owned that
Parliament would allow 1t to be reformed
to represent a majority differing from it, not
only in class but in and religion. and divided
from by the memory of conflicts and sufferings.
Second-I will not discuss whether free trade or
protection is the better policy for the United
Kingdom, but 1 free trade has been the
best for Ireland. Certainly, it adopted at the
petition cf the Irish people. 1t the Irish
famine and she appeal of the Irish people for
taxed food that finally converted Peel and enabled
the free trade party to abolish protection. Every
historian of free trade acknowledges that If pro-
lection be reestablished it must be protection for
all industries. Ireland has few manufactures to
gain by protection. Protection for agriculture up
to this date would only have raised the landlords
rent. How would Ireland benefit If the price OF
manufactured goods raised and the rise in
farmer but to the landlord, often absentee?
As Iay alton and expenditure, 1 heartily de-
sire to see taxation Iessened and expenditure in
creased: but it is only just to that the English
government is steadily moving in that direction.
During the last nine years it may be that taxation
has increased 81 500 600. but the grants to ireland
have increased IS 100000 AS for taxation. your
CORRESPONDENT has often himself pointed out that
the new import duties wheat and sugar are
not paid by the consumer but either by the foreign
producer or the carrier. The principal taxes In
ireland are the excise Whiskey ard the income
tax The whistey tax one need pay unless he
drinks whiskey: the income tax touches no one
with an of less than $SO0-no that is. OF
the labCTeTS or farmers
As for industries III Ireland no lrish bank VIII
lend capital for any Industry while the country is
cursed with set of agitators who deliberately
organize disturbances in order that they may be
able to pose the victims of oppression who SOW
strife between employer and iabOrer and who are,
most OF them unable to earn their living at any
thing professional pOltlcS. IheSe- gentlemen
come over here. in order 20 obtain money from
the unprncipied lunatics VINO are always meddHng
i'm the internal affairs of the British Empire and
debating TO the proudest in the world what
II should do they will make professions. absolutely
ins:ncere professions of being rebels and seces-
will be used in England by Unionist newspapers
as arguments against Home Rule, .,,-.- -
know American Irish Nationaltsts, some
of them old '4S rebels who have visited Ireland
lately. and they have all assured me that the agi-
tators are losing their hold the people, that the
ma icritv of the people contented and ought 10
be contented with the union with Great Britain,
pathetic government which Bafour initiated, and
a somewhat larger measure of decentralization and
In 1856 Mr. Chamberlain was prepared to give
iceland a complete settlement OF the land question,
powers as the provincial legislatures in Canada.
That would have satisfied Parne0, but Gladstone
and Morley were bsnt on Orea6ins up the the par par
while the Irish representatives sat at westminster
his followers would always sell their their country
Rochester Jan. "a. 1908. A HOME RULER