Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-12-10
Announces Purpose of the Gov
ernment I'm House of
Commons.
Absurdity of the Charges OF
intolerance Brought by
Unionists.
OPPOSITION OF PEERS is VAIN

Premier Asquith announced in the
House of Commons "Wednesday after
noon that the Government would uso
all the constitutional means at its
disposal to pass a home rule bill for
Ireland during the lifetime of the
present Parliament. He declared
this in reply to a question from
William O'Bryan, member for Cork
City, who expressed concern at a
recent report that Mr.. Asquith was
trying to get the House of Lords to
throw out the home rule bill when 1t
reaches the upper house. The
Premier by his announcement
Wednesday means that he under
takes to force the home rule bill
through three consecutive sessions
II necessary, thus making it become
effective in spite of the opposition
o. the Peers.
AS part of the anti-home rule cam
paign the Unionists are moving
heaven and earth to produce evidence
of Roman Catholic intolerance to
Protestants. So far, beyond one or
two cases of excessive zeal on the
part of priests concerning the me
| temere" decree, affecting mixed mar
riages, they are very short indeed of
\material. When 1t comes to intoler-
&nce in local administration, the
argument is all on the side Of the
Roman Catholic home rulers, for
they admit an average of about 20
per cent.-very often much higher
3Protestants to offices controlled by
HCatholic majorities, whereas In
Ulster the appointment of Catholic
70 job of any Importance has been
rare indeed. Yet William Moore,
the we'll known lawyer, M. P. for
North Armagh, has hotly denounced
the Dublin Corporation for appoint
Ing a Catholic Lord Mayor. Where
upon Patrick ]. Brady, the National
kst member for st. Stephens Green,
= bills upon him like this:
For many years the Nationalist
majority of the corporation con-
ferred the position of Lord Mayor in
alternate years on member of the
Tcry minority. This arrangement
was terminated owing to the action
OF Sir George Meyers, a Tory Lord
Mayor, who gave his casting vote
against the freedom of the city being
given to the late Mr.. Parnell. The
Nationalists then thought that the
time had arrived when the true po-
ii.cal feeling of Dublin, irrespective
of religion, should be properly repre-
sented both In the corporation as a
whole and in the Mayoral chair dur
ing period of strenuous political
struggle. That religion does not
enter into the matter is proved by
Mr.. Moore himself when he points
out that two Protestant home rulers
have been Lord Mayors of Dublin in
recent years, viz, Mr.. Shanks and
Sir Thomas Pile. Can Mr.. Moore
point to single instance in which
Catholic, whether Tory, Liberal or
Nationalist, has ever occupied the
Mayoral chair of Belfast?"
The plain fact is that there never
has been a Catholic Lord Mayor of
Belfast, and only one Catholic
Sheriff of that city, and even in that
odd case the selection was made be-
cause the man selected was more
Tory than the Protestants them
selves.
The home rule committee OF the
Cabinet is working steadily ON the
home rule bill, and in spite of the
persistent rumors Of differences be-
tween tzb members and Redmond's
friendsA here is no foundation what
ever q such rumors. There may be
&era c discussion later on some OF
hils, but final agreement be-
bhe parties is certain.