Arizona republican., 1904-07-20

jumping from one political party to another, but such a reply would not bother England's boss politician and atesman-consistenc is one of the least of his troubles.
 Mir Cha,nberlains resourcefulness was never exhibited to better advant- age than in obtruding the Irish ques- ton into British politics at this time. His campaign for a protective tariff was not making the headway that he had hoped. The dissensions caused in the unionist ranks by acrimonious discus sion of the merits of free trade or pro- lection were threatening seriously the stability of the party. For the first time in a dozen years the liberals be- gan to entertain hopes of a return to power. But the shifty Joseph was not at loss for a party cement, war ranted to do the work. The cement was to be found in one word: Ire land.
 To be sure, peace and contentment and hopes of the future were more pre- valent in Ireland than for many years. The operations of the land purchase act, while not all that had been expected. were yielding satis- factory results. The peasants, al though paying extortionate prices for the land in many cases, were never theless making good progress in es- tablishing themselves as landholders by availing themselves of government loans, and there never was time when England had less to fear from Ireland. And MT. Chamberlain knew that the injection of this new question of dis franchisement would throw Ireland in- to a turmoil
 But MT. Chamberlain cares nothing about that He is keenly appreciative of the fact that the greatest obstacle to the adoption of his fiscal policy is the Irish vote in parliament. MT. Red mond and his followers are not likely to vote for any scheme of preferential tariffs that will make higher prices for foodstuffs and the necessarles of life In Ireland. In any event, MT. Cham berlain has to contemplate the prob ability that when parliament is permit ted to vote on any phase of his scheme there will be solid vote of Irishmen against if unless they have been able to extort reforms for their country. The Irish vote, added to the vote of the liberals, with the votes of free-trade unionists in parliament would un- doubtedly administer a severe defeat to MT. Chamberlain, were his policy to be passed upon now. Nor is he able to foresee such rapid increase in the number of his supporters as to as- sure a protective system for the Bri- tish empire in the near future.
 Under these circumstances it was essential that new life be infused into his following. That he selected the right remedy cannot be questioned. He knew that he could make no mistake in appealing to the popular prejudice against Ireland. Englishmen may quarrel bitterly over domestic issues. but they wheel to the front, united, when they hear the battle-cry, Ire land!" By shrewdly playing on these prejudices for all they are worth, Mir Chamberlain is assured of a compact party and may reasonably expect the success of his fiscal plans as an~inci- dental feature of his noisy campaign against Irish domination"
 Every American and continental stu dent of British politics knows that the Irish, of all the people on earth, find the greatest difficulty in pulling to- gether. The Irish parliamentary party maintains a fair degree of CO., hesion solely because of the necessity of self preservation. Were home rule to be granted Ireland. the Irish party in the British parliament would break up at once and the Irish members would immediately lose their identity as Irishman. But the people who first of all should recognize these facts-the people of England-stubbornly shut their eyes to the truth.
 The Irish party will, of course, re- sist to the last-and successfully re- sist-any change in the electoral sys- tenn designed t0 lessen and make inn potent Ireland's representation in par liament and Of course MT. Chamber lain does not expect his new organiza- ton to accomplish the disfranchise- ment of she Irish people. He has merely adopted a cunning device for drawing together the warning factions In the unionist party.
 The Alleged Explosion at Port Arfhn,