The Irish standard., 1904-01-02
Enemies of Home Rule Have Been Deprived
Of Their Stock Argument About
Irish lncapacity.
Stubborn Facts Show That it is Impossible
for Ireland to be Prosperous Under
British Rule.

In the new campaign for home rule
Hor Ireland which, on the assurance of
the Irish leader and in accord with
the earnest wish and sentiment of the
whole Irish race, is now about to be
inaugurated and pushed forward with
all the energies and resources of the
Irish Parliamentary party and the Ma
tional organization, many Of the old
arguments and some new ones will,
of course be pressed into service
against the Irish side by the enemies
of the Irish demand, says the Free
mans Journal. Old weapons will be
refurbished and new ones manufac-
tured to put into the hands of the
champions of British rule in Ireland
The London Times and the class in
England and in Ireland of which it is
the mouthpiece will be as active and
-unserupulous and malignant as ever
in the work of misrepresentation and
falsehood by which hitherto the ma
.iority of the electorate of England has
been confirmed in it's opposition to the
concession of the just claims of the
Irish people. But the enemies Of Ire
land will this time find their task not
by any means so easy as it used to be.
Many of the cards which they played
so successfully in the past will be Of
little or no use to them in the coming
contest. For example, the assertion
that the Irish We're not fit to govern
themselves. This impudent and insol-
~ent argument the self-respect of Irish
men should and did forbid them to
regard otherwise than with scorn and
mostly silent contempt. If it should
ibe once more repeated, however, it
might if thought worthy of notice, be
readily and summarily disposed of by
pointing to the working Of the Local
Government act which has now been
in operation in Ireland for some years,
with the result that the popularity
elected councils-county, district and
urban-composed of Irish farmers and
traders, have shown themselves far
more competent to direct and transact
the local government affairs of the
country than the landlord, that is,
West British class, who, in the "Grand
Juries," had the control of such mat
ters before the passing of the act.
This business Of local government in
Ireland involves the assessment in
taxes and the expenditure of millions
of money annually. That the popular
councils have done it excellently-that
their administration has been much
more efficient, economical and salts
the displaced grand juries-is admit
ted even by the Dublin Castle party as
well as by the British press. The mot
fit for self-government" assertion, if
again resorted to will, therefore, be
secuted and repudiated by all people
of common sense, English as we'll as
Irish, as an idea not to be entertained
for a moment in face of the we'll
known successful and creditable rec
ord Of the Irish local councils. And if
further proof of Irish capacity for
Irish government were necessary it
would be found in the character and
record Of the Irish parliamentary par.
ty. John Redmond could lead, and he
and his colleagues could uphold Irish
interests in an Irish parliament as
well as in an English parliament
ifWhere in the English ranks" asks
Mr.. Thomas w. Russell in his book
ireland and the Empire "can Mr.
John Redmond be equalled? AS an ora.
tor there is no man in parliament at
the present time to come within meas.
urable distance of him. Then Mr.. Dill.
lon-what can be said of the member
from East Mayo? Where is there in
the house of commons, a better parlia.
mentarian, Il man more skilled in de.
bate, more relentless in argument?'
This is the testimony of Mr.. Russell,
who is not home ruler or an Irish
man, and he gives like testimony as
to William O'Brien, r. P. O'Connor
and the others, describing them as