The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-22
REpMoND,s EXPLANATION.

/
REDMoND'S EXPLANATION.
J Addressing a big public meeting tho
other day. John Redmond, the brill
liant. adroit and acknowledged leader
/ Of the majority faction of the Irish
party, both In and out of Parliament,
and virtual holder OF the balance of
power in tho Commons, cleared away
! n widespread Misrepresentation regard-
! ing the home rule Issue. He laid down
| n clear. clean-cut platform on that
| issue that at once appeals to English
common sense and sense Of justice,
| ly and impotently on the defensive the
/ antihomc-rulers, whose stock In trade
/ is chiefly that home rule is intended
[ to mean and would mean, "independ-
ence" for Ireland that would amount
! practically to the complete severance
| Of her bond OF union with the other
| dominions Of the United Kingdom. and
| thus weaken further Irish loyalty to
! the crown ond the empire Mr.. Red
mund effectually and ruthlessly dis
posed of that DOGGY.
Ho explained, with a directness and
explicitness incapable of being nils
understood or of misleading, that 1t
was not intended that tho Parliament
at Dublin should BIO a revival of the
! Grattan Parliament. but body subor-
dinatc to tho imperial Parliament at
Westminster. having authority to do
only what the latter delegated to It..
He emphatically repudiated the suE-
Gestion that by the home rule Con
cesslon" the integrity OF the empire
would be endangered, or the suprem-
acy of the imperial Parliament would
be impaired.
On tho contrary. touching this last
point. 1t was purposed, ne declared,
that the Dublin body should be abso-
lutely subject to the supreme power
of Westminster to overrule any abuse
of the formers powers or privileges.
AS regards the community of legisla-
tive interests, 1t was designed that
the Irish would remain In the British
House OF Commons along with
English. Scotch and Welsh represen-
tatives. in such numbers as the Brit
/ ish people might desire and provide.
Imperial interest and army and navy
affairs were to remain indisputably
vested in Westminster prerogative.
Mr. Redmond. It Is true, referred to
these demands" as his own concep-
ton. but obviously and logically they
also represent the conception of tho
majority of the Irish party, OF which
he is the unchallenged leader, as we
have indicated-of which. indeed, he is
the dictator. More than that. obvi-
ously and logically again, the con-
cluston is both unavoidable and justi-
fable that they cmbody the provisions
OF the new home rule bill that Mr..
Asauith has pledged himself to Red
nond he would introduce in compensa
ton for the Irish leaders standing by
the Premier on the Lords veto bill.
It has been well said that. accepting
Mr.. Rcdmond's conception Ms an outline
OF the proposed measure, compared
with the radical propaganda of the
Parncll times, 1t is revolutionary. In
truth. II Is radically reactionary. and.
as such, speaks volumes for the states
manshp and far sightedness of Red
inond and his devotion to the best
interests Of ireland. and tor conserv-
atism on the part OF the Irish people
that makes incontrovert'bly for the
dissipation Of the Idea that they
could not be trusted with nome rule
England could not afford separation
from Ireland, and ireland could not
stand alone. The Redmond program
is :. wise and patriotic compromise,
70 write opposition TO which Is. it
would appear, to write sclf-stultiiica
/ tion It disarms even the approhcn-
[ Slvr Ulster Unionists, turning, rs 1t
4 does their own weapons against them,
and. assuming the passage OF the
measure. Il fun Of promise not only
nor Ireland but for the enhancement,
| ~ prestige and The increase OF the
po~er and the influence of the empire