The Irish standard., 1905-04-08
JOHN MORLEY A FRIEND.

JOHN MORLEY A FRIEND.
Stirring scenes are being enacted In
British politics. On last Wednesday
night when the news reached the
House of Commons that the constitu.
ency of Brighton had elected Liberal
to Parliament Premier Balfour was
greeted with shouts of Resign -
Brighton had not failed in the last
twenty years to elect a Conservative
by majority of two thousand and up.
ward. The election of the Liberal
shows which way the wind is blowing.
1t is certain that Balfour can not long
survive and it is almost equally GER
tain that at the general election which
will follow a Liberal majority will be
elected. At least there will be more
Liberals than Unionists leaving the
balance of power perhaps to the Irish
Nationalists.
At this critical juncture in the
affairs of Ireland the greatest import
ance will attach to the man who forms
the new liberal government. All Liber-
ais are not Home Rulers by any
means. The prospects of Home Rule
would be retarded more by the forma-
ton of a government under Lord Rose
berry than it would be aided. 1t wouio
also be unfortunate if Sir Edward Grey
should have an important place in
the new government. The best news
that the friends of Ireland could re:
ceive upon the election of a majority
of Liberals would be that John Morley
had been called upon by King Edward
to form a new ministry. Through all
the dark days of the Liberal Party,
through all its troubles and vicissi-
tudes this really great man has re-
NAMED true to the principles enunciat-
ed by his great friend and preceptor,
Gladstone. And, now that the skies
are Frightening for his party he comes
forward and urges his party to stanA
firm and bold for time-honored prin-
ciples. There is no shuttle or expedien-
cy about John Morley. He is an Eng
lishman to the core but he is staunch
friend of Irish demands. He is broad
and far-seeing enough to appreciate
the fact that the greatness of to
British Empire depends upon the
loyalty which it's dependencies have
rendered He sees what other states
men fail to recognize; that Ireland
free with Home Rule is far more
valuable to the British Empire than
a subject Ireland, hostile. In splendid
speech recently delivered before the
League of English Liberals in LondGAs
Mr. Morley took occasion to urge upon
his liberal friends the necessity Of
meeting the Irish question fairly an,s
honestly. He said that he had note
years ago in 1888 when the Home
Rule Bin was rejected that the Irish
Sphynx will come until she is paci-
fed" The question still remains un-
settled. The present Conservative
government has lent Ireland one hun
dred and twelve millions of money and
yet there was an Irish question. He
pointed out the fact that notwithstand-
ing the great number of changes in the
administration of Ireland's affairs that
the question still remained ;ippermost
in British politics. There are. he
said, six men still living who have
held the Office of Lord Lieutenant
and nine who have held the
Office of Chief Secretary and
four who have held the Office of Under
SECRETARY. None of these had been
able to settle the question and he was
sure that there was not more than
two out of all these men out WHO
would say that the present system OF
governing Ireland through Dublin
Castle was eNtravagant, costly, bad
and demoraliZing and that it was out
of touch with the people OF Ireland
He said it was idle to pretend tina;
this question was not one of the prob
lens which in it's own time and order
any British government, Liberal OF
Tory but especially Liberal, was bount
to overtake. In commenting upon this
speech the Daily News, the chief ex
ponent of the Liberal Party in Eng
land says:
The importance of Mr.. Morley.
fine speech at the Queens Hall uei
in the fact that 1t represents the con
victions of the rank and file of tn,
Liberal party. We have here the tru,
note of courage and conviction. instea,
of the false note of mere expediency
Amid all the storm and stress of tn
dark years through which the party ha
passed, Mr.. Morley has, in his owl
words, kept the faith. OF that faitl
Liberals decline to be ashamed, an
for 1t Liberals refuse to make apology
1t is the Liberal faith, and only tn
Liberal faith. which should be recoe
nized In the next Liberal government.
Mr.. Morley's speech brings the Liberia
Iparty to its senses on the creates
question with which it will have I
ideal when 1t comes into power.