The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-03
HOME RULE IN
 A NUTSHELL

l The average American understands Home Rule for Ireland'' to be a sort 1 of chronic dyspepsia which recurs at frequent intervals in John Bulls con- stitutional development. He regards 1t as an institutional weakness, like the English weather, which is more to Home Rule question in the British Empire is as intricate as our own tar 1H question or our own capital and la Dor question.
 minds concerning the Home Rule prob le marises from the fact that Ireland herself is divided on the issue. The American gets his symIoathies nicely worked up over the oppression of Ireland without Home Rule, when he reads of the oppression that will The line of cleavage in regard to this matter is Fundamentally the spir- 1tual fence between Protestant and Catholic. Ulster is Unionist and Pro testant. The Nationalists, who favor Home Rule. are largely Catholics. Here lies difference which has it's ancient prejudices that obtained at the InQuisitioD
 The Orangeman is still stirred by the old hatreds. the old rebellious spirit that marked the sailing of the Arma- da- He threatens the Nationalist with a political boycott if the Home Rule measure is passed He says that he will refuse to be represented in, an Irish Parliament; that he will pay no taxes. He has even gone so far as to threaten the establishment of ri- val government of his own.
 The representation in the home Par liament would at first, naturally, be composed largely of the Catholic and agricultural element: Ulster has been called an industrial democracy and the Ulster Unionist sees only return of medieval oppression in the rule of Catholic and agricnltural Ireland He driven out of business or Dersecuted for religious reasons by the Nation alists, and he is bitter about it as eevr the South was over the negro question.
 The arguments for the establishment of Home Rule on the other hand, are those of political and ac 0nornic neces- sity: Ireland is losing proposition to the British people. She pays some thing like $14,000.O00 a year more than result. is a loss. and continually growing loss. According to the Ma tionalist statesmen, Ireland as she ex- ists to-day is the one great failure of linked to England, she is absolutely foreign in spirit, and in spite of that fact, England has attempted to do with Ireland what she has never done with her other colonies, namely, 60 un- ionize her government. With regard to her other worldly holdings. England has advocated and adopted the univer- sal system of self-government. Cana da, South Africa, India are all ex amples of that policy, and prosper ous. examples, too. Ireland has re- mained under the strict domination of the British Parliament, and as re- suit has been crushed into depen- dence instead of being raised to the dignity of an ally.
 The present Home Rule bill calling as it does for continued representa- ton in the English Parliament, and the planning of certain traiff restric tions upon the proposed Irish Parlia- ment, has been criticised on the ground that it does not wholly re- move Ireland from British politics or waken the Irish people to a full meas ure of responsibility. It regarded, on the other hand, as distinct step to- ward the establishment of Home Rule What the chances are for its becoming law can scarcely be calculated at this date. It has been indorsed by the House of Commons and rejected by the House of Lords. It will con tinue to be vetoed by the upper house. But if, within not less than two years, the House of Commons adopts the measure in three consecutive sessions, it, will override the veto of the upper house and be written upon the stat ute books of the empfre.-New York Evening Sun.