The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-12-30
Great-Great Grandson of Lord Ersk-
inc Writes Important Book on
Home Rule Question.
knowledge of Anglo-lrish History
Necessary to Plan Framework
of Such a Bill.
Extreme Unionists Recognize Com
potency of Irish Electorate
for Self-Government.

ono of the most incisive and i'm
portant works bearing on the queE-
ton of Irish Home Rule published for
many years has just been produced
in England by Mr.. Erskine Childers.
Il great great grandson OF the famous
Lord Thomas Erskine. and q nephew
OF the late Rt. Hon. Hugh C.. e. Chill
dcrs. Chancellor of the Exchequer in
Gladstonc's Cabinet from 1882 to 1885,
writes John O'Callaghan in the Bos-
ton Globe of December "a.
Sir Hugh Childers later served AS
chairman of the Financial Relations
Commission, which inquired into the
financial relations between Great Brit
ain and Ireland, but died before the
commission had made It's final report
The earlier report, however, signed by
him as chairman. was IL complete Will
dication of lrelands claim to tinan-
clal redress. and clearly foreshadowed
tho declaration made in the final re-
port after his death, that Ireland WAS
ovcr-taXcd to the extent of ut least
$12,50O,000 Il year.
Mr.. Erslline Childcrs, his nephew,
whose book. just published, entitled
"The Framework of Home Rule" is
/ one of Tho most severe arraiGrLlueptsa
of English rule in Ireland written for
many n day, has had wide experience
in political affairs, not alone in Eng
land, and several of the British col.
onics, but in other European coun.
tries.
Married a Boston Girl.
Added interest in his work will be
felt here. because eight years ago he
married Miss Mary A. Osgood, Of 3os-
ton. They have two sons, and live at
13 Embankment Gardens, London.
Mr.. Chlders In the introduction to
his book makes some striking declar-
atons and analogies which are GER
tain to arouse interest. He says: 1T
is impossible even to attempt to plan
the framework Of Il Home Rule bill
without Il tolcrably close knowledge
not alone Of Anglo Irish relations but
OF the imperial history Of which they
form Il part. The act will succeed ex-
actly insofar as 1t gives effect to the
lessons of experience. 1t will fail at
every l,oint where those lessons are
neglected. Constitutions which do not
faithfully reflect the experience Of the
sovereign power which accords them,
ana OF the peoples which have to live
under them, are at the best Derlous
experiments liable to defeat the end
oI their trainers.
In one degree or another every
one OF tho vcXed questions which make
up the Irish problem has arisen again
and again within the circle of the
English speaking races. AS g. nation
we have body Of experience, applic-
able to the case Of Ireland, incompar.
ably greater than that possessed by
any other race in the world. If, from
timdity, prejudice, or sheer neglect,
we fail to use it we shall earn the
heavy censurc reserved for those who
sin against the light"
lrelands Abnormaity.
Mr.. Childers continues: 1.-The mod
crn case for the union rests mainly on
the abnOrmality of Ireland, and that
is precisely why it is such forinid-
able case to meet. But Ireland in
many ways is painfully abnormal The
most cursory study of her institutions
and social. economic and political life
demonstrate that fact. The unionist,
fixing his eyes on some of the Sec
ondary IRREGULARITIES and ignoring
their fundamental cause, demonstrates
it with ease, and by habit of mind
, which yields only with infinite slow
ness to the growth of political en-
lightcnment passes instinctively to
the deduction that Irish abnormalities
render ireland unfit for self-govern-
ment.
"In other words, he prescribes for
the disease persistent application of
. the very treatment which has engen-
dered it. Whatever the result there
is a plausible answer. If Ireland 10