Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06
HOPE OF HONE RULE
Ia Americans Impressions Of Condi.
tons in Ireland.
POLITICAL BALANCE OF POWER
~ItruERIe for seIf-Government Par
alelIed I'm CanRda-COntrasts
Wrought In south
Africa.

The political situation In Great Britain
developed by the election Just closed prac-
tically places the balance Of power in the
hands Of the Irish nationalist. Unionlsts
and liberals have elected an equal number
Of the members OF the House of Commons,
leaving the laborites with forty and the
0ationalists with eighty members, control
ing factors~in the legislation of the com
mons. Both minor parties are natural as
well as active allies Of the liberals, and
may be relied upon to support the ministry
rs long as It adheres TO liberal party prlnci-
piles and presses for fulfillment OF party
pledges.
With the nationalists self-government for
ireland is the dominant issue, the sole
reason for It's existence. the aspiration and
Inspiration of a determined struggle against
power, prejudice and wealth heroically
n Glntained for a century. The present
situation affords greater nope of realiza-
ton than any party alignment since Glad
stone and Parnell united forces to end the
crime Of a century. Home rule will there
fore be a live news subject during the life
Of the new parliament, and a thorough
understanding Of 1t by American readers is
most desirable. For that purpose the
Philadelphia North American has published
IN book form the series Of letters written
by its associate editor, Hugh Sunderland
during his two visits to Irelapd-192 and
lsp.
SJWhoever imagines that the subject OF
Ireland's grievances has been worr
threadbare by repetition will be pleasantly
disappointed on reading ireland. Yester
7 day and Today" Mr. Sunderland invests
the subject with the American spirit Of
fair play, and infuses into 1t American
love OF liberty and good government. 'Th'
purpose OF the book" says the author
in a foreword, lis to present an American
view Of both economic and politicaf-con
ditlons In Ireland seven years ago and
today, partly for the interest such pre-
sentation may have for those Of Irisi
blood and sympathy, but chiefly for tn,
information of the American public and Am
erican newspapers" From material gath
cred at first hand, from official docu
ments and from personal observation an'
investigation, the author discusses tn,
land problem as it was in 1902, and tn
wonderful change wrought in the succeed
ing seven years, covering the TRANSITION
from landlordism to a system of tenan
Rfoprietorship. The concluding chapter
discuss ''The Demand for Home Rule
as It now stands on the firing line O
British politics. AS a further demonstra
tlon Of the unselfish purpose of the autho
and the publishers Of the North American
the book is to be sold for the nomins
price of one dollar and seventeen cent
postage, and all the profits go to tn
treasury OF the Irish Nationalist.
Present system a Failure.
Like every other American correspoT
dent who has gone to Ireland to invest
gate conditions there, Mr.. Sunderlan
condemns English rule in Ireland as OF
presslve, unwieldy, excessively costly. an
wholly out OF sympathy with the peopl
Two extracts from the book epitomizC
the authors conclusions. He says: :
BY every test that can be applied II
present system of governing Ireland is
failure. 1t is complicated, costly, irr
Psponsible, incrusted with prejudices and 4
justices, a detriment to the advanceme
of the country and its people, because
is wholly removed from and antagonist
to the public opinion Of the nation. !
less IL II a disadvantage to Great Brutal
The Irish parliamentary party, as has be
pointed out, is in Parliament, but not of
The members frankly appear in that bo