The Irish standard., 1912-03-02
T. P. O'Connor Says Only Disastrous
Strike Could Disrupt Present
Party Alignment.
Opinion in Ireland More United
Than Ever--O'Brien Lining up
For Home Rule.
Rumor That Asquith is to Retire is
False--Is Enthusiastic Over
Irish Measure.

In his London cable of Feb. "a to
the Chicago Tribune, II. =. O'Connor
| shows some apprehension for the out
come of the threatened strike which
he considers the only danger that
stands in the way of tho Home Rule
bill. He says:
| | return to find England in an ex-
traordinary, complicated and alarming
situation. Every other topic, even of
the many which now are 1ierccly di-
viding the public opinions, pales into
insigniticance before the position of
| The labor world. |
| The gradual displacement of the old
| and wiser trades union leaders by the
young hotheaded revolutionary spirits
helped by equally wild men on the
side of the employers finds it's cul-
mination in the threatened universal
| strike of miners.
Such strike would stop merely not
all the mines, but manufacturers and
which threatens a gigantic loss i'll
| trade and terrible suffering has pro-
| duced feeling of horror and dismay
| throughout the country but the panic
+; it even greater among the politicians.
! If such a strike takes place, all the
ordinary political conditions and CAL
culatons will be blown slsy-high for IL
universal strike must mean disorder
and disorder must mean boodsf,cd and
drastic action on the part of the au-
bring such estrangement between the
working classes and the government
as to force the withdrawal of all sup
port by the laboritcs to the liberal
ministry, either in the elections or in
parliament.
Ministerial Defeat Possible.
AS the by-elections have not gone
we'll for the liberals recently and as
the ministry is dependent on a close
union Of the labortes, liberals and
Irish, the strike might also mean a
formation OF the whole political situa-
tion.
Although these apprehensi are
real and we'll founded. everybody still
hopes that the strike will be averted.
This strike peril is the only black
cloud on the horizon. Everything
since the opening Of the session has
gone in favor of the government. Pre-.
mier Asquith, fresh from his long va
cation in Sicily, made a succession Of
splendid and crushing speeches and
Bonar Law made several bad mis-
takes.
The attack on the Home Rule policy
proved the mcrcst fizzle. The tories
made an impossible attempt in the
face Of their own speeches to prove
that Home Rule was not the issue be-
fore the electors in the last election
and called on the ministry to drop
Home Rule and proceed with the work
of reforming the House of Lords.
Asquth Defeated Tories.
Asquith laughed all these sugges-
tions out OF court and defeated the
tories by the substantial majority of
90. The confidence ALREADY great, that
. Home Rule would be an accomplished
fact, Is enormously strengthened by
this abject failure of the first tory en-
gagement against it.
q The news from Ireland is equally
I satisfactory, opinion there being more
united than at any time for years. The
ranged even William O'Brien to a
q friendly attitude toward the govern
v ment, and it is evident that he also
i will be forced to support the Home
II Rule bill.
r Such forecasts as have appeared OF
r the Home Rule bill convince the Irish
v men it will be a large, generous meas
q ure and the irreconcilables and wreck
: ers who were trying during the par
e liamentary recess to destroy the Irish
e party by impossible demands were re-
d duced to silence for the moment.
( Redmond Still Ill.
I'll John Redmond still feels the result
/. Of his serious attack, during the re-