The San Francisco call., 1909-09-21

explain in large measure the present
problems of the country and the per-
sistent demand of the people for
radical change In the form of govern
ment. R remains now to describe that
government as 1t Is, and to examine
the claims put forth by the advocates
of reform.
From every standpoint, the develop
ment~ OF ireland during the. 700 years
since the first invasion has been alb
normal Geographically shut OF from
contact with Europe. the country mas
ever been at the mercy OF England IL
was within the power of Great Britain
to- mold Ireland's destiny. to make her
an integral part of the empire But
this she has utterly failed 10 DO. She
never, until the present generation.
sought to deal with the Irish as equals; |;
she has always regarded and treated
them as an inferior race. and her wnoIe
purpose has been to extinguish aoso-
lutely the institutions and even the
race of the owners of the country. and
substitute the institutions and the race
of the so called Anglo-Saxon.
FAIL TO SUPPRESS RACE
1t has been suggested that Ireland
should have submitted gracefully; that,
having IalltQ TO QIlNc OQt LnC Ai1' dtcA -
she should have accepted the inevitable
and shared in the prosperity of the
"conoueror." The fact is that Ireland
never had chance for honorable terms.
From century to century rebellion and
civil war were forced upon her. The
conquest was never complete, yet Eng
land arrogated to herself the rights
of conqueror, and whenever those
rights were challenged she provoked
revolt by plantations, prosecutions and
massacres.
During every period of tranquility
the vigor of the Irish race was proved
by the rapidity with which she assin-
Hated the invaders. The Norman,
Elizabethan and Cromwellian plant
than the Irish themselves" This Is an
historical fact. But the country was
never permitted to work out its own
destiny. Fresh invasions, new planta-
tions, new forms of oppression by land
lords and the garrison" invariably op-
Grated to split, the races and provoke
uprisings which could only be put down
by massacre and wholesale deporta-
tfon and confscation.
The policy was not to organize and
develop the country for the benefit Of
all it's inhabitants, but to exploit II
for the benefit of few. Even when
the violent methods of invasion and
penal enactments had been abandoned.
England continued the same policy by
different means. 1t would seem as II
she had been animated by the hope
that eventually. through the effects of
emigration and sheer national weari-
ness, the Irish people would be so
weakened that the problem would dis
appear.
The record of the 700 years has been
summed up in few terse and terrible
words by a member OF parliament, ),
M. Robertson. AS he is Scotch liberal
he will not be suspected Of undue lean
ings toward Catholic nationalism. Re
viewing the history, he says:
Seven centuries of rapine and vio-
lencei Carelessness alternating with
ferocityi Not a CLEAN or humanity
nor of political wisdom. Not even the
wisdom of the peasant. who takes care
of his beast lest it perish.
BASIC EVIL REMAINS
AS we have seen, the nineteenth CEN
tury witnessed change In methods.
the sweeping away of many ancient
abuses. the Inauguration of great re-
forms But still the basic, evil remains.
The government of Ireland In these
opening days OF the twentieth century
is an anachronism. a perversion of lib
erty, government of taxation without
real representation. cumbersome,
costly ana lHeliiCicut SyStcLu VI ihih =
ority rule.
Such statements as this are de-
nounced by English unionists as the
falsest and most dangerous political
heresy. Ireland, they say. Is as free
as England. She has 103 out of the SO
members of the imperial parliament,
which governs both countries equit-
ably: she has trial by Jury. the habeas
corpus, and now even . system of popu-
lar and elective government in local
affairs (since 1880. What more can
she demand?
To answer this question and to de-
termine which of the two views of tie
Irish government Is correct, we must
examine the system as Il was estab-
lished and as 1T is.
The act of union of 1899. as has al
ready been made clear. did not effect
a real union between the two govern
ments. 1t effected rather union be-
tween the government OF England and
the minority in Ireland. The Irish par
liament-which with all it's faults had
been at least a free agent-was de-
stroyed. and the imperial parliament.
with the Irish representation noted
above made supreme. But this did
not alter the fact that ireland remained
under the domination Of the garrison
as much as in the days of Cromwell.
The minority was all but absolute.
Their wishes were paramount with par
lament. 1t took 30 years to win Catho-
lie emancipation, solemnly promised in
1900. 1t was not until 1863 that the
burden of the established church was
lifted. It was not until 1870 that the