Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-04-20
Even william O'Brien Forced
to Accept Terms OF the
Measure.
Verdict OF the Irish Convention
Now FOregOne Con-
elusiOn.
ORANGE ORGANS STILL RAVE

From London Hon T. y. O'Con-
nor. NJ. p, leader of the Irish
Nationalist party in England, cables
the Chicago Tribune that second i'm
pressions of the home rule bill con-
firm the splendid impressions made
on it's first appearance. The Orange
organs still rave, but the English
J progressives, both Liberals and La
| Dor members, hail the scheme as
wise and practical, and there is an
utter absence of the spirit of
carping criticism which met Glad
stones bills and an equal absence
of any revolt. One Liberal only,
Sir Clifford Cary, has pronounced
against the bill, but his hostility
was anticipated for months and he
represents the unpopular capitalistic
class, which was most strongly op-
posed to all the claims of the
miners in the recent strike, and
was also one of the few so-called
Liberals who strongly opposed
Lloyd-George's budget. He is, in
fact, reactionary, who ought to be
on the Tory side instead of the
Liberal side and already has been
repudiated by his constituency.
The exultation among the Minis
teriallsts and the Irish members of
Parliament runs high. Premier
Asquith and John Redmond, the
Irish leader, look years younger,
and even cool observers place AS
quith's speech on a higher plane
than any of Gladstone's introducing
similar measures, while the Liberals
declare Redmond's speech was the
greatest of his life. Ireland is en-
thusiastic in its approval of the
measure, and even William O'Brien,
the factionist leader, was compelled
to bless the bill, which is larger
than he expected. Though willing
to wound, yet he is afraid to strike
In the face of the splendid advance
of this over the previous bills.
The verdict of the Irish oonven-
tion is foregone conclusion. The
Irish Independent. a factionist or
gan, while grumbling that the bill
does not meet every demand, is
compelled also to acknowledge that
the acceptance of the bill by Ireland
is inevitable Some slight criticism
continues of the constitution of the
second Irish Senate by nominating,
but this is an academic point and
most of the Radicals, even those
who expected to make trouble on
this point, are convinced that the
domination offers a better guaran-
tee for democratic progress than a
Senate of rich men on narrow
franchise. Finally, home rule plays
today the same part in revivifying
the spirit of hope for a unity of the
Liberal party. which. when its for
tunes were low, was played by
Lloyd-George's budget in 1908.
As I forecast. the present home
rule bill figures quite differently
from all the previous measures.
Home rule for years. though ac-
cepted by Liberals, was regarded as
Derilous enterprise involving cer-
tain and insurmountable danger to
the fortunes of the Liberal party,
but today the home rule measure
not merely enthuses Ireland but re-
stores the prestige of the Ministry
after the disastrous coal strike and
the loss of some by-electlons.
Redmond. Dillon and myself met
Asouith. Birrell and Samuel for the
last time on Fridav to discuss some
OF the final small details OF the
measure. and both parties were full
of equally hearty congratulations TO
each other for the splendid triumph
of their common cause and common
| fortune