The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-29
POLITICAL STORM
CENTRE IS ULSTER
Up to It's Eyes in Fight
Against Home
Rule.
MAY REVOLT IF
BILL P ASSES
Rioting Almost Certain When
Winston Churchill Makes Adj
dress at Nationalist Demon
acknowledgement Are
Drilling and Preparing for
Provisional Government.

London. January cS.-Ulster is now
tho political storm centre of the United
Kingdom Home rule has been dis
cussed In England and Scotland ny
Nationalists and Unionis.s, but no
great ENTHUSIASM has been aroused eth
or for or against. In Ireland. outside OF
Ulster, the people arc ARMY convinced
they are TO have home rule. Obstetrics,
however. are up to their eyes in fight.
Several big demonstrations have
been held in various parts of Ulster 10
protest against any change IN tho form
of government of the country. One of
the demonstrations in Belfast was Of
the industrial workers; another I'm
Omagh was largely made up of farm
crs. email holders and farm laborers.
| who showed just as strong opposition
TO home rule as did their city broth
ers. In the latter place again the
Ulsterites pledged themselves TO form
n provisional government II the bill is
passed.
Not All Unionist<.
Every voter in Ulster, however. Is
not Il Unionist There Is, In fact. IL
fairly large spr!nklinG Of Nationalist.
In many cases the rnionist members
were only returned In the last cleo
tions by narrow majorities. the Mar
quts Of Hamilton, for instance. winnina;
by only 100 votes in Londonderry. One
division OF Belfast itself is represent
ed by Joseph Devlin, one OF the Ma
| tionalist leaders.
Into this district, the battle-ground
OF home rule for tho present at least.
the government aud Natiopalists arc
TO carry their banner and hold a meet
Ing on February S. Winston Spencer
Churchill. First Lord of the Admiralty,
o.. =
| inent for homo rule, and he is To DC
accompanied by John Redmond. the
Nationalist leader. and other Irish p oil
ttc!ans. Unionists and Nationalist OF
Belfast are predicting R lively night
no matter where the meeting Is held
| Elaborate police precautions Will be
| taken for the protection OF Mr.
| Churchill. Should he be Joined by Mr..
Redmond In the drive from the resi-
dence OF Lord Pirric. where he is 10
he guest. to the place OF meeting
with Mr.. Rcdmonds usual escort OF
Nationalist, there is almost certain TO
be rioting.
Unionlsts are organizing q counter
demonstration, but the First Lord ct
the Admiralty. In advocating "A policy
which his father with equal vehcmencc
denounced. will be the centre OF at
traction. 1t will be an interesting mo-
ment in the interesting life of Mr..
Churchill.
Andrew Bonar Law, the Urionist
leader. will go to Belfast Easter Tues
day. April 2. to reply to Mr.. Churchill
and there is TO be another demonstra-
ton, go that Belfast has a lively tima
ahead.
Preparing for Fight.
The announced determination Ia
fight rather than to accept home rule
lie "a hn far IF ~, n,
Ulster. One reads In the t!nionst pa :
pers OF the appointment of drill mas
tcrs to instruct the members of the
400 Orange lodges in the use of arms
and William Moore. member Of Parlia
ment. has taken the lead in offering
the use of land for drilling purposes
, and announcing that, as justice OF
the peace, he would give Trustworthy
persons the necessary permission IL
drill Under the bill OF rights. he de-
clared, Professionals could not be pre-
vented from carrying arms. and drill
ing could be carried on under licenses
from justices. The Irish Unionists
have taken the old City Hall, Belfast
for their headquarters, and they say
this will be the home of the provisional
| government should homo rule become
an accomplished fact. The next Union.
list demonstration will be held In Bel.
| fast, February /. 1t Is being organized
| by the PreShyterians of Ireland. ant
it promises to be even more largely
| attended than its predecessors. Invi.
| tations have been accepted by leading
| Presbyterians from all parts OF IN,
country for a convention on that day
| and hero the formal protest against
| the bill Will be made.
| The objections of Ulster have beer
! set forth by the Right Rev. Thoma.
! Sinclair, one of the leading merchant:
| OF Belfast, a former Liberc, who LEFT
that party on the introduction of Mr.
, (iladstone's first home rule bill in 1885
and since has been leader of the anti
, homo rulers There are many objec
J tons to the measure. he said. but
among the chief of them is that /
would lessen the status OF the citt
zenship of Ulster men. Under the
Union they had the same civic statu.
as n resident of England. the same
| control of local affairs, the same rep
| rescntation in Parliament and enjoyed
j the benefits of its legislation. To de.
| prive them of this would be an un.
warrantable degradation Of their clti
zenship. especially as their forcfather:
were sent to Ulster 800 years ago by
| the state for the purpose of assisting
TO hold, by their habits of industry anc
! their loyalty. ireland for the British
! nation.
/; Disorder Would Follow.
| There was no doubt too, he added
! that civil strife and disorder, which
| would follow the establishment Of
! home rule, would plunge manufacture
/ ers and commerce into serious disas
ter. The same result would be pro
nounced by the insolvency of hons
rule government, for the resources o.
Ireland would fall several million he
low the sum necessary to ran the gov
eminent, and II was scarcely conceiv
! able that England would make UP thu
| deficiency. ~
L------ iCQntinuad Oh. Aecond nape.l -