The Detroit times., 1910-12-10


and brides. Ever since the passage
oil the Act OF Union" the Irish have
been struggling by every means at
hand 10 get back their freedom. at
least as far as their internal affairs
were concerned. In the past half-cen.
fury the nature OF their demands has
been expressed by their slogan Home
Rule for Ireland
Mr.. Gladstone. the great Liberal
leader gradually progressing toward
complete democracy, suddenly decid-
ed 10 give the Irish what they wanted.
Under his leadership the Commons
passed a bill giving Ireland its long.
prayed-for Home Rule The bin was
rejected in the Lords and all appeal
was had to the country. What re.
NAMED OF the old Wing arisiocracy
In the Liberal party deserted the
Gladstone banner and. calling them
selves Liberal-Unionists. joined with
the Tories The Liberals were de
ieated and for years were unable TO
regain power except AT the price OF
suppressing Home Rule. The issue
was SO great in interest and import.
ance that the name "Unionist" after
a time superseded the name Con.
major faction OF the Tory party The
liberals. mindful of their disaster
! under Gladstone and being. after all.
nothing more nor less than English.
| men, were chary OF opening the Irish
question.
In the parliament elected last Jan
uary the Irish party held the balance
OF power and John Redmond. the
Gic Inp 81 -
/ England Ii was very fine for Eng.
land TO rule Ireland. but many Eng
! lishmen soon found that IL was posi-
bic under the terms OF the union for
! Ireland 10 rule England very differ
/ ent matter. So there arose in the
| Unionist party strong sentiment i'm
favor OF going back on their record OF
! seven centuries, and on their very
name. that they might win irish favor
/ by conserving TO a federal home rule
! plan which would place ireland in
! the same relation TO the Kingdom
! that Ohio bears TO the American
/ Union or that Ontario bears 10 the
! Dominion OF Canada.
Acute as is the Irish question the
apparent willingness of the Unionists
! To consider compromise indicated
! that If the Conference of Eight had
been called upon TO decide tae yeXed
I question OF Home Rule an agreement
( would have been reached. But the
time had come when Home Rule was
only one of the many things thatn the
democratic element demanded as its
: right. The controversy between the
/ Lords and the Commons could not be
( quoted by deal with an Irish poll
/ tician
Neither the Irish nor the Liberals
We're willing to accept this sop. The
/ Liberals wanted TO have the right TO
control the government when in pow
! er on an equal basis with Conserva-
: tives when in power and to do this
they must remove the veto power OF
the Lords. The irish were convinced
that they never would get more than
half loaf until the Lords were hurled
from power The coalition stood in
spite OF all the efforts made TO break
it, and in spite Of the olive branches
held out by the now thoroughly
frightened Tories
No one knows what was said i'm the
Conference. but it is generally be
lieVed that other political questions
We're discussed and that there was
as we'll as on the muchmooted Irish
question. But the Conservatives
would not yield in their adherence to
the principle that the upper chamber
ought 10 represent certain interests
removed from the people and thar
! these interests might OF right negative
/ the peoples will as expressed ny their
chosen representatives On the othr
! hand. the Liberals would not yield one
! jot or tittle from their declared prin-
/ cipje that the Commons ought to hayN
! the right to enact into law any meas
ure thrice agreed upon within the
| lifetime of a single parliament
! When the Conference broke up there
was nothing to tell Both sides came
out as they went in. Each was deter
mined to place its propositions before
the people The electors were given
! the same arguments that were made
| in Conference ir essence, and now
they are speaking their will
! The Liberals said the campaign was
| that OF the People against the Peers.
| The Conservatives said the campaign
was that OF the Constitution against
! the Demagogues Everybody had an
! opportunity TO indge for himself and
to vote as he saw lit-that is provid-
| ing h had q vote. Some free Eng
| ishmen have no vote at all. and 9TH
fers have many votes, but that is
mere detail
Tomorrow-The Tory Reform
Schemes