The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-02-03

The "rat-tat of the Orange drum
will fall upon deaf ears in the new
House of Commons. although it is to
be feared it will have the old-time ef-
feet upon the House of Lords, which
has been aptly described as the grave
yard of measures framed for the bene-
fit of Ireland"
The new prime minister is not the
kind of man who will tamely submit
to rebuff from the hereditary law
makers.
The Government Of Ireland "Rotten to
the Core"
There is a consensus of opinion
among the leaders of public opinion in
the United Kingdom that the present
system of government in Ireland is in
the words of Lord Dufferin Gan anti
Home Ruler), rotten to the core"
Chamberlain said, Sweep away this
anachronism known as Dublin Castle"
Mr.. Haldane, NJ. p, the new secre-
tary for war, few days ago said, "At
present Ireland is administered in the
interests and under the dominion of
a small clique. Should the Liberals
come into power the first thing they
would have to do is to make the gov
ernment of Ireland a government for
the people, through the people and by
the people. We should see to it that
the voice of the majority prevailed in
the administration of affairs in Dub
lin Castle"
1t is remarkable fact that while
the Irish people have to a large ex-
tent local self-government in counties
and cities, they have never had a
chance afforded them to express by
their votes an opinion or Judgment
upon matters concerning affairs of the
whole country, or as to who should
manage them.
Although they can vote for menu
bers of Parliament, mayors, sheriffs,
etc., they have no such thing as a pie
biscite or national expression of opin-
ion. Ireland is governed by centralized
boards, or a bureaucratic system, the
officers of which are all appointed by
he crown authorities and they are gen.
orally Englfshmen or Scotchmen, who
have no sympathies with the aspira-
tions Of the great majority of the Irish
people. These alien officials form what
is called the English garrison Of Ire
land" ------------'--
This is the system that, no doubt,
Bannerman will, in the near future,
uproot from Irish soil and none of his
ministers will stay his hand. Speak,
ng as prime minister he has reiterated
his intention to give the Irish people
the management of such domestic af-
fairs as do not concern the people of
England. If he succeeds they will have
SAAS ooJ eAS " WIZ nave Iuc COu.
troll in the administrative system that
will supercede Dublin Castle rule.
Unlike the Tories or Unionists the
Liberals have much to gain and moth
ing to lose in attacking the so-called
English garrison" in Ireland.
OF the 103 members of Parliament
elected by Irish constituencies more
than 80 are Nationalists and the re-
mainder Unionists. Since Parnelrs
time the Liberals have been wiped
out. The late Balfour administration
was hampered and denounced and
threatened in every conceivable shape
and manner by the Unionist Irish mem
bers when attempts were made to rene.
dy well-known evils in the Irish sys-
tenn Of government
| 1t is probable that John Redmond
will lead at least IS Nationalists af-
ter the election, and the Government
will have no reason to palliate the
small minority of Is Unionist mem.
bers of Parliament who, in any event
are to be reckoned with as opponents
of every liberal Or reform movement
The great peril Of the ministry a
the coming election is their attitude
toward Home Rule. Balfour and Cham.
berlain, although at outs on the fisca
question, are like Siamese twins OF
that Home Rule. AS Bannerman sait
in his late speech at Stirling, they wan
to set up the old scare crow of Hon,
Rule as the paramount issue upol
which the contest is to be made.
All the leading Tory speakers kav,
taken the cue and raised the old or,
Of "dismember:nent of the EMPIRE
But the Liberal leaders are determined
not to play their opponents game, ant
free trade versus protection is the frs
plank in their platform.
Although not a great orator or de-
batter there is not a more astute pOli
tician in Great Britain than the pres
ent premier, who has hewed his wa!
through almost insuramountable OBJ
stacles to his great post of first min
lister. He will deal in his own goo,
time with Home Rule. and this will
depend upon the strength of his ma
jority at the polls.