The San Francisco call., 1910-07-10
Liberals and Tories Admit That
Irish Question Is Nearing
a Solution
Compromise on Lords Veto Is
Likely to Hasten Triumph
of Home Rulers
By T. P. o'coNNoR
Special Gable 10 The Call

greatly changed in the house of COM
mons and the whole political world.
John Redmond's success in getting the
ministers to have November sittings
and to postpone the final stages of the
buget until then has produced equal
delight and appeasement in the liberal
Irish circles.
The liberals are pleased because the
postponement Of the budget leaves the
fate of the government entirely in the
hands of the house of commons and
thus prevents any chance Of any such
compromise by the liberal negotiators
as would imperial liberal principles.
Hence that dangerous spirit of mis-
giving and revolt which threatened
open rupture between the ministers
and their supporters has been over
come and the whole political temper
again is tranquil and even cheerful so
far as the liberal and Irish ranks are
concerned.
The tories are equally pleased. their
opinion being that this cessation from
conflict helps them by soothing the
popular passion against the house of
lords
CONFEREES KEEP SECRET
These facts account for the consid-
cradle change during the week in the
attitude Of All parties toward the con-
AE-GslNt ne pGcSlAIlSln which looked
Tor an early rupture or a final dis
agreement owing TO the gulf between
the two parties has given place to a
spirit Of optimism and the general i'm
preston that the conference will lead
10 an agreement between the two par
ties. But, though this transformatio
of temper may mean something it can
not be taken too seriously.
Never has a political secret been bet
ter kept than the proceedings of the
conference. Even TO their colleag CUES
the negotiators are dumb. Balfour's
illness also. created new element of
uncertainty and delay
Another sure sign of the times is the
feeling among the more rational con-
seTFatiYes that the conference. if it
means compromise on the constitu-
uoDai question of the lords veto. also
means q compromise on the irish ques-
ton
Evidently everybody feels that the
solution of the Irish question can not
be much longer delayed. This feeling
IS aided greatly by the spectacle Of the
lIish party controlling English poll
lies at this moment.
II was the Irish party which forced
Premier Asquith and the cabinet into
TIE announcement of the demand of
guarantees from the late king. 1t was
the irish party that passed the budget
ana forced il down the throats of the
house Of lords. and il was the Irish
party which forced the November sit
ting.
HOME RULE SENTIMENT
The tories are thus driven TO con
slider the desirability of the removal
from the imperial parliament of so dis
tUrbing an element.
Another factor is the well known
opinion Of the present king that local
questions should no longer occupy so
much of the time and attention of the
imperial parliament and that system
of home rule all around should leave
the imperial parliament to deal solely
with imperial affairs.
Ulster and the orangemen are the
only obstacles left to hinder settle
ment between the two parties on the
home rule question. In the meantime
rhh uncertainty and surprises of British
politics are revealed by the history of
the accession bill.
1t seemed impossible that any person
could object to the removal of the
words OF insult contained in the royal
oath to millions of Catholic subjects
but the no popery" feeling was being
carefully machined by the ultra Pro-
testant associations. Walter Long.
formerly chief secretary for Ireland
and most Of the old fashioned tories
were not allowed to speak.
Owing to the support of the acces-
sion bill the parliamentary vacancy in
Liverpool is likely TO lead to a fierce
fight where the accession oath will
rush TO the front as the main Issue
pone the bill until November now have
decided to bring it to a final decision
at the present sittings.
LOAN FOR IRISH LAB0RERs
Redmond scored another big victory
this week. Though he is hard pressed |
for money and though he failed to get
G3O0O.0OO from the city of London a
s~Sper cent. Lloyd George has agreed TO |
lend another million TO Ireland for
Ia borers' cottages at "a per cent This |
new victory has provoked the tory
mem bers Of the rural constituency in 1
En- gland to complain that the Irish par l
Iy is the most powerful factor in getting i
anything done in the present parlia-
ment They complain that members
could not get for the agricultural la
borers in England what the Irish party |
has won for the agricultural laborers
in ireland.
The peace makers are experiencing
the usual rewards of their beneficent
activity They are equally suspected
by their followers on both sides. Each
set, and indeed, each member Of the
conference. has his own group of
watchful friends that might easily be
turned into enemies.
BALFOUR CALLED TRAITOR
Balfour holds the leadership of the
tory party by sheer force of intellec-
tual eminence and fear. more than by
love or respect. The fighting, active,
Jealous section Of the tory party for the
last six years has been the projections
lists, or, as they are called here, the
tariff reformers.
Balfour notoriously cares little for
tariff reform, has scantiest faith in it,
and If he could would drop it alto
gether from the conservative platform.
The result is that tariff reformers are
always intriguing against him.
Some Of them speak of him in pri-
vate in fashion that startles even
those like myself. who have been ar
dent opponents for 80 years Of all Bal
fOur's policies.
Words like traitor" and sneak
are among the many phrases applied to
him ruthlessly.
Ever since the conference began
shsre have been fierce notes OF warn