The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-28
THE IRISH AND THE LORDS.

The latest reports from London
point to the possibility, at least, of
settlement of the controversy over
the House of Lords, and the granting
of local self government to Ireland,
without bitter struggle, long drawn
out This seems a result so improb-
able, judged from commonly accepted
standards, that it will be accepted
with several grains of salt, but it
comes in a letter from T. P. O'Con-
nor, the well known Irish journalist
The new King is given credit for
the changed situation. 1t has been
known that at his request the leaders
of the two great parties have been
holding conferences in an effort to
find, if possible, some method of
agreement in the House of Lords
controversy. There has been little ex-
pectation that such an agreement
regarding Home Rule were consid-
cred possible, and the Liberals are
dependent upon their Irish and Lobar
allies for majority. The coronation
of King George has been set for next
June and it is desired that that his
toric event shall not take place in the
midst of bitter partisan strife. More
over, the new monarch is showing a
disposition to act the part of states
man. When he came to the throne it
was believed that he was good deal
of Tory, and less liberal in his
views than his late father. Now he is
| on the best of terms with Lloyd
! George, the most radical of the Liber-
al ministers, and he is said to favor
local self government for the Scotch
the Irish and the Welsh.
Mr.. O'Connoc says:
People seem to feel it in their
bones that we are reaching the end
of this long struggle. 1t is certain that
there is no use whatever in trying to
brighten the English masses any
longer with the bugbears that have
defeated the Home Rule cause during
the last quarter of century.
| The buying out of the Irisn land
lords, the appeasement of religious
/ feeling, the growth of democracy in
England are favorable to the Home
Rule cause because all of these things
have had their effect.
Il might sum the present position
of Home Rule accurately. / believe, by
saying that it has lost some of the
enthusiasm, but a great deal more o
the hostility which it once provoked
in England Another factor in produc
ing that gradual change OF feeling /:
the enormous and immediate success
of the South African experiment; the
rapidly with which the passions o
the Transvaal war have died out; thu
union Of the Boer and the Briton or
the morrow of that terrible struggle
the hearty acceptance by Tie Beers o
the British fiag-all this has great!
increased the instructive faith OF th'
British democracy in the beneficen
results of free institutions"
Another phase of the situation o
particular interest to Americans, il
the report that EX-President Roose
cit in private discussed the jrisl
question freely with Mr.. Balfour, tn
Conservative leader, and possibl.
with the King, pointing out the grea
improvement that would result ii
Anglo-American relations as resul
of fair so'utlon or the Irish prob
lem.
While a hot political contest owe
these great matters is the thing TO b.
expected If is true, nevertheless, tina
there has been marked cnange il
public sentiment of late, and tina
; stranger things have happened than
satisfactory settlement of the l'ous
, of I ordc aDd the Irish DrObl ems.