Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-12-21
Longest and Largest Milestone
in the Long Struggle For
Freedom.
Its Passage Through Committee
Stage Hailed as Greatest
Victory.
MINISTRY WILL CERTAINLY LAST

The outstanding event in politics
this week, cabled Hon. T. P. O'Con-
nor, NJ. p, last Saturday from Lon
don, was the passage of the home
rule bill through the committee stage
in the House of Commons. This was
the longest and largest milestone yet
marked in Ireland's long struggle
for freedom. Gladstone carried his
bill in 1898 through the committee,
but with a majority at the highest OF
only forty, while on Thursday night
the last division showed a majority
of 1873. The closing division took
place amid a scene which was in
marked contrast with any previous
scene in the history of this or any
other home rule bill.
James Campbell, who with Sir
Edward Carson leads the Irish
Orangemen and who represents Trim
ity College, insisted some weeks ago
on carrying an amendment which
would cut off Trinity College from
all association with the Irish Parlia-
ment. This produced a remarkable
revolt among the younger generation
of Trinity College men and Campbell
was repudiated. On Thursday night
he had to confess his defeat and
withdraw his amendment. This acs.
tion is remarkable proof of the fad
t1at all creeds and classes in Irelal
are beginning already to prepare
cordial cooperation with each otJ
and also that home rule is cons
cred now to be inevitable even byS
most ferocious opponents. This
tory was hailed with enthusiast
theNLiberals and Irish.
The situation was further
cent9ated by a series of frieN
speeches all around, Arthur BID
Secretary fssN I-aiE.s,io a e bk1RA ~ I
John Redmond, the home rule
leader, all agreeing for once. When
Immediately after this remarkable
and unprecedented beginning Of the
burying of the hatchet by all Irish
men was followed by the tremendous
majority of 1873 the enthusiasm could
no longer be restrained and Premier
Asquith left the House of Commons
with all the Liberals and Irish stand
ing and waving their hats and hand
kerchiefs.
The conviction is growing daily
that the battle for home rule is
will certainly last for the next two
years and perhaps even come back
after the next general election with
a big majority. But on the very next
day after this triumphant scene the
Ministry came full tilt against its
only remaining difficulty. One sec
ton Of the Liberals has worked for
several weeks past for the defeat OF
the disendowment portion of the
Welsh church disestabhshment bill
and on Friday the members of this
section proposed an amendment
which would seriously modify that
part of the bill.
The Government became anxious
during the sittings, while the dimen-
sions of this dissatisfied section grew
larger, and the division on the ques-
ton was awaited with the gravest
anxiety. Some OF the Liberals ex-
peeted defeat, while others, more
sanguine, expected a disastrously
small majority. Neither of these
things happened, for the Ministerial
majority, although IL was only fifty
less than half Of the majority re-
corded for the home rule bill, was
still sufficient. Il is clear that the
Government will have to modify the
disendowment clause, as several OF
the Liberals who abstained in the
last vote now threaten to vote
against the Government the next
time, and negotiations will be had
next week to find some compromise.