The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-16


four's measures have fastened the yoke
of the liquor trade on the cities and
towns of England and Ireland more
closely than ever. The publicans,
equally with the parsons, have been
gratified by his course; and the
friends of temperance have found no
hearing in any of their protests against
an evil which is undermining the
strength of the common people.
Toryism means that the interests of
the Weather classes is Identical with
the interests of the kingdom. Disraeli
tried to get the party away from that
notion and to create Tory democracy
by outbidding the Liberals in legisla-
ton for the welfare of the working
people. But the genuine, rock-bed
Toryism was not really touched by his
effort, and from the beginning to the
end Of his premiership Mr.. Balfour has
not taken single step to Tighten the
burdens of the common people. They
went over to his support in 1900 with
the most extravagant enthusiasm for
the oppression of the Beers. They also
have their reward. The one ADVANTAGE
they might have got from the success
OF the war was an extension of en-
ployment in the mines of the Rand.
But the capitalists who work those
mines have had Mr.. Balfour's aid in
driving white labor out of the mines
and substituting that of. enslaved
Chinese coolies, who are penned up in
strong enclosures and worked under
the lash. AS a result of this indiffer-
ence to the welfare of the people, we
see the cities of England perplexed by
an army of unemployed laborers and
the Socialist getting the ear of the
workingman, as he did not for any time
in the second half of the nineteenth
century.
Tories in 1895 denounced the foreign
policy Of the Liberals as unmanly and
undigniied, and declared that they
would make the name of England re-
spected by the weight Of England's S
hand and would bring her army and
navy to that degree of efficiency that
would remove all fear of interference
with the empire, to say nothing of in
vasion of Great Britain from abroad
After ten years Of Tory rule England
is utterly distracted by apprehension
of what may happen to her from any
fresh complication of European politics.
and is carefully cultivating under
standings with France and America
and entering into treaties of alliance
with the people of an Asiatic country
! to save the British Empire. Her army
is discredited as an efficient military
force; her fleet is an uncertainty as to
everything but what it is costing the
British taxpayer, and it's only useful
function is to go round the world and
cultivate good understanding with the
people of big seaports and small.
What Toryism has come to be in the
hands of the English constituencies has
been shown by the monotony of the by
elections. At last The Spectator asks
Mr.. Balfour if he knows of any seat in
the next Parliament which is absolute
ly safe for the Tories, and the question
Is the more pungent as it comes from
| the organ of the Liberal -Jnionists, who
deserted Mr.. Gladstone on Home Rule
and as it supported Mr.. Balfour both
on the Boer War and the education act
Mr.. Balfour states publicly that the
| election is likely to be very close one
His own newspapers tell him that the
| party is sure to be beaten, and thai
when that occurs Mr.. Chamberlain ant
| not he will lead it.
He has shown some of his strategic
| cleverness by resigning the government
to the Liberals, instead of himself dis.
solving the House and ordering re.
election. Mr.. Campbell el-Bannerman ant
Mr.. Morley on the treasury benches O.
the House will be liable to that heck.
ling which Mr.. Balfour has found 81
irksome. Upon them, and not upor