Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-05

sistance of the nurses of Europe. Should
the present rate of progress continue for
another five years, the country will be
fairly ripe for a constitution. These inn
pressive facts sound a cheerful note OF
human progress toward liberty in the most
backward nations of the world.
A union OF the green and the orange, fol
centuries past a dream of poets and pat
riots, Is approaching realization in Ireland.
Constant hammering on the decaying walls
OF religious prejudice are steadily break
ing down the barriers reared by self-in-
terest against home rule. Heretofore loyal
orangemen and loyal Catholics agreed on
one proposition only and that was a fight
or a riot twice a year. Now there is mani
fest a strong tendency to clasp hands over
the bloody chasm of Boyne memory and
stand shoulder to shoulder for ireland. 1t
is a recognition of the inevitable Irish ma
tional sentiment through pure cussedness.
The program of these antagonistic elements
toward Union may be judged by the senti-
ments recently expressed by Lindsay
Crawford. head Of the Independent Order
Of ~Orangemen, in support Of imperial home
rule. Ireland" he said, has entered on
the last and most interesting phase OF her
CeHluTyrOh SlEuBBle LOT SelI-ROVernmenI,
and forces hitherto antagonistic are con-
verging on the national highway that leads
to home rule within the empire. The main
causes of internecine strife and division
the church, the landlords and education
have one by one been removed from the
sphere of controversy, and many of those
who fought on opposite sides OF the church
and land wars are now to be found on the
same side preparing for the final assault
on the remnant of the ~ascendancy that is
intrenched in Dublin castle" These are
mighty hopeful sentiments for Ireland,
considering the source. They foreshadow
the approaching end of racial and religious
hates and a united ireland. Political
equality, home rule and material pros
perity are bound to follow.
sss
BY cutting out a few of the roots of
tyrannical custom a keen-witted French
statesman has exposed a prime cause OF
the decreasing population of the nation.
The marriage laws OF the country are
bound up with so much red tape that
unions among the poorer classes is exces-
sively expensive and annoying. In the
cities as many as nineteen documents are
required before a marriage ceremony may
legally be performed. Consent of the par.
tiAH hdu " NC OpNoilltu Ill WIlNlU6g OlIII
certificates and certificates of residence
have to be produced, and in the case oil
foreigners each document must be tran.
slated. Every document and every move
meant expense, sometimes so great that
many neglected the formal A
law recently enacted removed some OF the
red tape. II both parties ave reached
the age of 30 years, consent of parents II
not required. Other minor formalitiei
have been dispensed with. The effect o.
these changes, inaugurated a few months
ago. were instrumental in turning the It'd,
Of marriage upward, increasing by 500
the number of marriages In six months
compared with the same months of las
year. The result Is likely to lead to still
greater reform and simplificatlon of thu
marriage laws.
An impressive note of hearty good will
was felt beneath the tumultuous welcoml
Of the American fleet and sailors at Aus
traiian ports. The people of these farawa!
islands have many interests in commoi
with the people Of the United States. BE
sides the kinship OF common origin, Their
is the sentimental kiEship of common des
tiny. Australians, like the people OF tn,
Pacific coast states, possess a common fea
OF an oriental invasion by immigration
and are determined to resist II at any cost
Australian laws are more drastic thar
" - "A G4-A-- -N.aa-