Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-02-19
PUBLIC OPINION.
Irish Parliamentary Delegation at
New Brunswick.
Editor EVENING NEWS:

Editor EVENING NEWS:
Sir:-I notice In local paper a
call for what purports to be "a grand
demonstration, eminating from
some irresponsible source, in the in
terest OF the Irish parliamentary
party, who are now agitating In the
English parliament and out OF II a
mongrel sort of home rule known by
the anamole title of "devolution" and
which will be held in New Brunswick
on the evening OF Washington's
birthday. This meeting. ! believe, is
called by an organization calling
themselves the United Irish League,
which consists OF small number OF
discounted sessionlsts from organ
ICED authority and whose principal
object here Ii TO procure funds TO en-
able the parliamentary party to keep
up an agitation to accomplish some
thing which, II received, is not worth
having. II Is like searching all day
in a bushel of ehaff to find two grains
of wheat. and, when found, is not
worth the labor expended.
To anyone conversant with polite
al affairs in ireland as represented by
the parliamentary parry in oXpending
their energies for a bastard kind of
home rule which, II granted by the
| liberal majority In the House of Com
mons, but which. although insignifi-
cant, is sure of defeat in the House
of Lords, will not by any means be
accepted by organized lrishmen
either in Ireland or the United States
or anywhere else where Irish organ
! ization exists.
This policy on the part of the lib
eral majority In England is more far
reaching than would appear TO the
casual observer. This consession on
the part of the liberals Is made 10 the
Irish in the hope that the Irish In
America may be placated and their
hostility overcome to proposed
treaty of alliance between England
I and tho United States. which the
influence of organized lrishmen was
successful in defeating a year or two
| ago In the United States senate.
It IL In the hope of accomplishing
! this alliance that England Is now
sending to this government as her
! ambassador that old West British
( gentleman known in ireland as "Old
I Shifty''as a kind of sop to the super
| fetal observers who have not the
| time or perhaps the inclination to
study the trend of old world politics.
England Is extremely anxious that an
| American alliance with her may be-
come an established fact for the rea-
I son that she has not one friend
| amongst European or Asiatic govern
ments, with the doubtful exception of
| Japan, with whom she has an often
siva and defensive alliance
It Is therefore easy to see why
! England Is SO anxious to cultivate the
friendship of her Anglo-Saxon cous-
| ins In America, which Friendship"
by the way, is really only skin deep,
as we lately experienced In the King
ston episode, that she may use us TO
pull her chestnuts out of tho fire and
enable her to take a more aggressive
stand In her controversies with other
European powers.
The policy of "devolution" which
those visiting gentlemen advocate,
requires some explanation. The die
| tionaries give the meaning of the
word as: Rolling down." removal
from one person to another" etc. In
| the sense in which II Ia politically
applied in Ireland means that the u
/. l.. is willing to accept small
measure of home rule now with the
promise that the next generation re-
ceive a little additional. and another
generation. If they are good, might
get little more and son on ad in
finitem; or. in other words, they ar'
willing to dole out some of what Par
nell and Gladstone fought for or The
| installment plan with very long term!
between each installment.
This policy the organized Irish ii
America and elsewhere don't stand
! for. and therefore don't recognize
those Visiting statesmen" as in any
way representing the people, or the
sentiments of the people of Ireland
in their political aspirations.
p. n. K.