The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-03-26
The Latter Insists That the
Veto Must Come Before
the Budget.
The Irish Nationalist on the
Point of Breaking With
Ministry.
Present Financial Conditions
the Cause For Much
Worriment.


The following copyrighted article
from the pen of T. P. O'Connor, M. p,
specially cabled to the Chicago Tri-
bune under a London date of March
10, we take from the columns Of that
paper. 1t will be found very interest
ing at this time. Mr.. O'Connor says:
Once more the situation is critical,
and for the minute a rupture between
the ministry and the Irish party seems
inevitable. The controversy RACES
around the old question of whether
the budget should be passed before
the veto is dealt with.
Redmond still adheres to the policy
summed up in the words, "No veto,
no budget" The ministry, on the 9TH
er hand, declares it is impossible to
face the British constituencies with
out plain attempt to carry the bud
get
l. Hc Ill1IllSliy Has Uccll COiSiucl dUly
divided for some time, largely because
of the composite composition both as
to opinions and age Some of the best
men in the cabinet are now old, timid,
and unequal to the semi revolutions
conditions now existing. Others, like
Sir Edward Grey, are stubborn reac-
tionaries in certain things and are so
afraid of one chamber and so anxious
to preserve the two chambers as to
look askance at the veto proposals,
which limit the house of lords so much
as to make it practically impotent as
second chamber. -
For months the struggle went on be-
| tween the advocates in the cabinet of a
simple veto resolution and the advo-
Gates of reformed house of lords.
This struggle still was going on when
the house of commons met, which is
the real reason for the indecision and
unpreparedness at the opening of the
parliamentary session.
! Sir Edward Grey and the reform Sec
ton finally were routed by the revolt
of the Radicals, but Grey returned to
the fight and insisted on pushing for
ward the budget irrespective of the
hostility Of the Irish Grey ultimately
won, bringing the cabinet almost SOL
idly over to his view.
In the meantime Redmond has a
large backing among many of the Rad
ical speakers and newspapers for the
policy of no veto, no budget, but this
backing probably will disappear when
the Liberals are brought face to face
with the decision of their leaders with
threat to break up the ministry and
the prospect of an immediate general
election.
The rupture means, of course, the
breakup of the Liberal forces to a
disastrous extent in Great Britain. 1t
also means the loss of both the budget
and the veto and also the postpone
mcnt Of many reforms, including home
rule, for some years.
The Irish are more ready for gen.
eral election than any other party and
will face rupture bravely If it is
forced on them, but such a rupture
would be so serious in its conse-
quences that all reasonable men of all
parties are exhausting their efforts
to find compromise.
These efforts still go on day and
night. At one hour they seem destined
to find success and the next hour they
seem doomed to failure.
The situation is complicated and
even made almost impossible by the
intrigue just revealed between O'Brien
and Healy with the ministry.
i After denouncing the budget for
months in every term, as an unclean
thing, inficting $10,00O,000 annual in
crease on the Irish taxation and other
} grotesque and gigantic falsehoods, the
factionists now are ready to accept
the budget on terms quite as modest
, as those demanded by Redmond and
those practically promised to Redmond
weeks ago.
In the meantime the house of lords
by discussing its own reform for near