The Irish standard., 1911-04-08


Catholic population 6s5,sOs. And so
on through these states, but in none
OF them has the religious difficulty,
which Is supposed to stand in the way
of Home Rule for Ireland, caused the
smallest trouble
In Prussia, side by side with the
imperial parliament, or reichstag,
there stands in Berlin the Prussian
parliament, which has two houses,
with a constitution in many respects
exactly modelled on the British par
legislature, deals with all internal af-
fairs of Prussia. 1t cannot interfere,
however, with the internal affairs of
Bavaria or Of WurtemDurg, or any 9th
or state, nor can it interfere in i'm
perial affairs, which are under the
sole control of the imperial parlia-
ment, in which all the states are rep
resented. The Prussian executive is
responsible to this parliament. In
Bavaria similar constitution exists,
based upon what is practically man
hood suffrage. The same is true of
Wurtemburg, and of the 20 other
states which &c to make up the pres
ent German Empire. These local leg
islatures all through the empire have
full control of CD education, (2) re-
ligion, go police, (4 land tenure, (5)
local government and (6) direct tax
alton. And, in the case of the larger
states, the management OF railways.
which are state enterprises almost
without exception all through the en-
pire.
When Bismarck was framing his
constitution he declared: Il am anx
ious that these people should go away
heartily satisfied. What are treaties
worth when people are forced to
sign?" Bismarck was no believer in
paper unions. A union, to be effective
for good, must be based upon mutual
interest. This great Home Rule con-
stitution has lasted now since 1871,
and has led to freedom, contentment
and prosperity. The problem of COM
bining national freedom with imperial
unity and strength has been complete
ly solved by the magic of Home Rule.
And now, after 40 years OF subsection
as conquered provinces, Alsace-Lor-
raine is about to be presented with a
representative constitution.
One would imagine that any fair
minded man would admit that the diff
fioulties and dangers surrounding the
concession of Home Rule to Alsace-
Lorraine were quite as great as, IL
not indeed far greater than those
which surround the Home Rule prob
lem in Ireland, while the necessity for
the granting of Home Rule to Alsace-
Lorraine might easily be held not to
be as urgent as in the case of Ireland,
by reason Of the fact that Alsace-Lor-
raine has shared in the general pros
perity of the German Empire, where
as Ireland for the last 100 years, I'M
der the operation of the Union, has
lost half her population and has fallen
back in every walk of industrial en-
deavor.
Germany Values Homo Rule.
The constitution offered to Alsace.
Lorraine is no doubt grossly defec-
tive. That, however, is really not the
point. The discussions on the Alsace-
Lorraine constitution are still going
on, and if the spirit OF Bismarck pre-
walls, these provinces will probably
get such constitution in the end as
will satisfy their needs. But, even in
the bill as it now appears, Alsace-Lor-
raine has been offered free parlia-
ment of two houses, the lower one
to be elected on manhood suffrage,
and with AL executive to transact it's
local affairs. The point that l wish to
make is that Germany, recognizing
the value Of Home Rule in her own
constitution, proposes to extend it to
only way to preserve union is by the
concession of autonomy.
The London Times correspondent
in Berlin has informed us that the
Conservatives profess TO be skeptical
and untrustful. No doubt, when Sir
Henry ampbell-Bannerman proposed
to give autonomy to the Transvaal
and the Orange Free state, the Con-
servatives were ''skeptical and mis-
trustful," and, we're it not that by a
happy chance it was possible to estab-
fish Home Rule in these countries by
letters patent, which were outside the
power Of interference by the House
of Lords, these "skeptical and mis-
trustful" gentlemen would never have
allowed the healing of racial feeling in