The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-01-28
Former Deputy Speaker of House of
Commons Believes Home Rule
Near at Hand.
All Parties in Favor of PROPOSAL
That Home Rule Bill be Made
First Business
Within Couple of Weeks Details of
New Measure Will be Under
Discussion.

The meeting of the first cabinet
council yesterday marked the real
beginning of active business in the
great political battle which will come
to a crisis in the next Parliament.
This entrance of realities into politios
has done much to end the era of wild
speculation and flapdoodle threats by
the Tory party, says T. p. O'Connor
in his cablcd message to the Chicago
Tribune of January %.
Already the situation is much mod
flied. For instance, the Ulster buster
about armed resistance to Home Rule
got a deadly blow through the special
corporate of the Daily Mail revealing
that all of the stories about the pur-
chase of arms on the continent we're
fubrications.
The signs indeed multiply all around
that Homc Rule is inevitable, and
that the chief business of the Tories
will be to arrange such terms as will
secure equality and Justice to the
Protestant minority.
No Guarantees Needed.
No such guarantees are necessary,
as matter of fact, but the Irish lead
ers are ready to accept any proposal
IN their desire to reconcile all of the
lrishmen and to begin Home Rule
with n united national effort to re-
build the Irish nation.
The most remarkable incident of
this week was the letter of Lord Court
rey, former deputy speaker Of the
House of Commons and "one of the
most important Of the Liberals who
split with Gladstone on Home Rule.
Courtney now accepts Home Rule
AZ near at hand and only stipulates
that proportional representation, his
favorite doctrine for many years,
should be given an experiment in Ire
land
Redmond speaking at great ban
quet in Dublin to celebrate the sue
cess of his mission in America, gave
a cordial reception of this suggestion.
1t is remarkable also that, without
special pressure by the Irish party,
or any large change Of views, the Lib
eral and Irish leaders having had only
a few communications for week, ev-
erybody accepts the proposal that the
Home Rule bill be made the first
next year.
The Tories attempted to make di-
version and trouble by suggesting
that such n priority of Home Rule
over the Welsh church disestablish-
ment measure might produce revolt
of the Weishmen. but the We1shmen
repudiate these reports.
Discuss Home Rule Bill.
In couple OF weeks from now,
Redmond and the Liberal leaders will
certainly be in consultation in refer
ence to the details of the new Home
Rule bill The negotiations are not
without difficulties, especially in ref
erence to the new financial arrange
ments between the two countries, but
with good will and good sense on
both sides and the immense bond Of
the common campaign against the
House of Lords there is little doubt
that the two sides will find satis-
factory compromise.
The feud among the Tories has
reached somnolent stage. Appar-
emily Balfour is insisting on the imme-
aiate acceptance of the policy of ref
erendum and the protectionists are
agreeing, but on the condition of re.
garding the whole question as aca-
denlic and open till the Tories get
into power again, when it can be
quietly dropped out. ]
Evidently the Tories are disorgan.
lied and divided and do not show any
sign Of putting up any big fight on !
the lords veto.
The government will find the pre-
amble of the bill promising a reform
of the House of Lords a difficulty with
it's own party and weapon in the !
bands of the opposition, but here