The San Francisco call., 1909-10-10
IRELAND SUFFERS BY
IRRESPONSIBLE RULE
BY HUGH SUTHERLAND
(Thlrtleth Letter

minor judiciary is made up almost ex
or sympathizers, men who, for the
most part are antagonistic to the peo-
pie and in any event are quite out OF
reach of popular opinion.
BY every test that can be applied
the present system of governing Ire
land is a failure. 1t is complicated,
costly, irresponsible, incrusted with
prejudice and injustice, a detriment to
the advancement of the country and
its people, because it is wholly re-
moved from, and antag gonistic to, the
public opinion of the nation.
No less is it a disadvantage to Great
Britain. The Irish parliamentary
party, as has been pointed out, is in
parliament, but not of it, The menu
bers frankly appear in that body as
foreigners. Their sole purpose is to
serve ireland, to win for her every ad-
vanta ge they can, and frequently they
accomplish their ends by harassing and
obstructing the business of the empire.
They will continue to do this as long
as they are there to represent Ireland's
protest.
Gladstones home rule bills of 1886
and 1893 were defeated because they
aroused the fears of English imperial
lists for the unity and security of the
empire Statesmen of today are realiz-
ing that continuance of the system
which breeds Irish hostility must be a
far greater peril than the granting Of
autonomy would be. 1t is difficult to
understand the theory that governing
a people against their will makes them
a source of strength, while giving them
the form of government they desire
would arouse enmity.
After ALL" says L. Paul -Dugois, a
sane and impartial observer, 'ls not
home rule (can it by what name we
wilD the best of unionism? Is it not
the most solid basis and the surest
guarantee of Anglo-Irish union? Eng
land. moreover, can not always deny to
ireland her rights, nor reserve all her
severities for the sister isle and all her
favors for the colonies. She can not
always allow the Irish question 10 re-
main an open sore. factor of
trouble between herself and that
Greater Ireland the United States,
whose friendship she has so long de-
sired to win"
But says the upionists, ireland is
disloyal. She attacks the imperial
policies of England She presents to
the world a constant spectacle of tur-
moil and dissension. If she were loyal
her demands might receive more kindly
attention"
Surely this is a strange attitude,
when the history of the British empire
shows. as might be expected, that 10y
atty is the result and not the Iore-
runner, of government. Australia,
South Africa, Canada-all went through
the same experience, as Ireland. ex-
cept that. being farther from the
seat of the imperial government, they
were able to enforce their demands
more rapidly. They had their "trea
son" plots and rebellions, they suf-
fered coercion, imprisonments, execu-
tions. They had, too, their local III
sters,' groups of ultra-loyalists who
called heaven to witness that they
alone represented public opinion, and
bitterly opposed concessions to the ma
jority on the ground that such a
course meant the disintegration of the
empire.
Yet In each case autonomy was
granted. and with what result? That
rebellion and opposition died down,
loyalty became universal and the great
British federation of today was built
upon a foundation of self government,
justice and mutual esteem.
Let those who condemn Ireland for
demanding home rule while oppos-
Ing imperial policies consider the case
of Canada, as remarkable parallel
a may be found in history.
There. as in Ireland. were two races
and two religions. and they were sepa-