The San Francisco call., 1909-10-05

- HESE letters have traced at con-
siderable length the historical de-
veIopment of the Irish question:
have described the remarkable eco
nomic changes for the better wrought
by the remedial legislation of the last
40 years, and have set forth some of
the more obvious evils and defects of
the present system OF government.
This system the Irish people haze
been fighting for more than 100 years
to overturn. The union of 1909. as has
been shown, was forced upon the coun-
try against the popular will, through
the debauchery of the landlord owned
Irish parliament It's terms have never.
been accepted by Ireland. The statute
of limitations has never been per-
mitted to run against the demand that
real home rule shall be restored to the
nation.
Settlement of the land problem, that
condition which more than anything
else has. retarded the development OF
ireland, is proceeding slowly but surely
to a successful elimination The oper-
alton of the land purchase acts and
the magnificent work OF the congested
districts board, both of which agencies
will be made more effective by the land
bill now pending, are transforming the
agricultural population from tenants to
than open to the farming CLASSIFY far
the largest class in Ireland-opportuni
ties for prosperity and better living;
it roots the people in the soil. tends
to check the deadly drain OF emigration
and brings nearer the day when self
government can no longer be denied.
1t is proposed now to discuss the
grounds upon which rests the Irish
demand for home rule. Setting aside
the theoretical right of a people to
manage their own affairs, we shall ex-
anime it strictly from a practical
standpoint.
First and foremost, English govern
ment OF ireland has proved a failure.
For more than 700 years England has
dominated her sister country; she has
imposed upon her English rulers, Eng
lish laws. English institutions; she even
cleared a large part of the country OF
it's original owners and planted Eng
ish and Scotch settlers in their room.
Finally she destroyed the Irish parlia-
ment, removed the seat Of government
from Dublin to Westminster, and for
the last century has tried the expert
ment of ruling Ireland by a bureau
cracy made up of representatives of
the minority, men foreign in race and
sympathy to the great mass OF the
people.
And the end is failure. In inereas-
ing numbers have English statesmen
of brains come to realize that the vir-
tually unanimous testimony Of students
and historians is correct; the system is
an irremediahIe failure. and there will
be neither peace nor prosperity in the
island until self government is substi-
tuted for the complicated and costly
machinery OF alien rule.
1t should not be difieult to determine
the i'll success OF the present system,
which, in truth, has comparatively few
defenders outside the ranks of the
most rabid landlords and their follow
religious grounds. Governments, like
individuals. must be judged by results
What conditions have produced in Ire
land by subjecting it to the rule
fashioned in the act of union? good
government. successful government.
is one which preserves order and pro-
notes the welfare and contentment of
the whole people. Does the govern
ment of Ireland meet these tests? Let
US see what has been the course of
events during the last 100 years
In that period the population Of
England. of Scotland and probably of
every other country in the world has
steadily increased; the population of
Ireland, which grew rapidly up TO
1910, has as steadily declined. Eng
lands population has been multiplied
by four, Scotland's by three. while
Irelands has declined a fourth-a half
in the last so years. Here are the