The San Francisco call., 1910-12-25

another conference, but I do not think
Asquith could yield The last confer
ence put such a heavy strain on the
loyalty OF his own supporters, and ii
was only the feeling that the emotion
Of the country over the death of King
Edward would resent any attempt at
the renewal of the bitter party fight
which got even toleration for these
prolonged negotiations.
HOME RULE AFTER VETO BILL
Compromise is not impossible, of
course. The old plan Of a joint sitting
between the two houses may be re-
newed, but even that compromise will
not be assented to unless it is made
clear that in such joint sittings the
house Of lords will be represented by
only such a small proportion of their
members as will give a liberal ministry
and a liberal house of commons fair
play.
Tt is now pretty certain that home
rule Will be the first measure proposed
by the ministry after the veto of the
lords has been destroyed. Opinion is
much more advanced on this question
than is apparent. It was one of the
many evil results of the breakdown of
the conference that the tory leaders
were once more driven back to the ex-
treme Orange position. They raised the
cry. of American dollars and other cries,
y
ment against them, and tie their hands
where home rule is concerned. But,
OF course, even in that respect the posi-
tion would be entirely altered when the
lords veto is destroyed. The dullest
tory will then recognize that home rule
is inevitable, and the fight will be over
details rather than principles.
TORIES READY TO TURN
Even in the heat and agony of this
election many of the tories in England
have been careful to leave themselves
a loophole of escape. They denounced
Parnelite home rule or separation, and
left themselves open to accept what
they called federal home rule.
Some Of them either don't know or
profess not to know that Parnelite
home rule was always federal home
rule; that Is to say, that no Irishman
has ever objected-rather, every Irish
man has cordially approved the idea of
extending home rule TO the other coun-
tries of the British isles, always on the
well understood and never omitted con-
dition that Ireland should come first
and that home rule for Wales or Scot
land or England should follow when
opinion was ripe for it.
Federal home rule fits in with a good
deal of that vague longing for some
form of imperial assembly in which the
colonies would be represented which
now haunts the tory ina gination.
1 do not think that the colonies are
by any means as yet, perhaps they
never will be, in favor Of representation
in the imperial parliament, but all the
same, the tory mind is obsessed by the
idea, and they recognize that this idea
can never materialize until the imperial
parliament is relieved from the duty of
attending TO local affairs.
rnrn rary0n FRET Avn
on home rule compromise is very
difficult for the tory party, not because
of English opinion among tories, but
because Of the Orange section in Ire
land. and certain Orange section in
parts of England, especially in the
region of Liverpool and the surrounding
parts OF Lancashire. Here Orangeism is
rampant.
But after all, 1t doesn't matter. The
liberal party is more of a home rule
party today than at any moment since
the death of Gladstone. Liberal opinion
in this country is much ripper than in
the early days of Gladstone's home rule
campaign.
Every reference have made to II on
English platforms during. the last fort
night of our whirlwind campaign has
been received with enthusiasm by Eng
lish audiences. And, in short, 1t is my
opinion that nothing barring some dis
astrous accident, can now prevent the
advent of home rule in a comparatively
ehorf time.