The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-11-09
Ireland's Expense to the British
Treasury Stronger Argument
Than Fervid Oratory.
During Last Fiscal Year the Irish
Budget Presented a Deficit of
Five Millions.
Instead of Ruling Ireland Being a
Gain to Great Britain it is a
Financial Loss.

Two monosyllables in the English
tongue have caused more political con-
troversy, domestic dissension and new
er-ending debate than any other COM
binations of the alphabet. Their ut
terance has evoked jeers and cheers,
fired hearts to passionate protest or
to fanatical frenzy. Home Rule! What
do these familiar words not suggest
in their mere mention! Four success
sive generations Of parlamentarians
have tried to convince the world that
pursue in the government Of Ireland.
In 1874 the first tentative proposal
to make Ireland self-governing was
timidly offered in the House Of Com
mons. Gladstone in 1856 was the fore
most figure III the midst Of striking
scenes, now classic reminiscence.
and the chief spokesman in success
sion Of invincible arguments that
nearly disrupted the Liberal party.
The Conflict Of 1893.
The year 1893 saw bitter conflict
enacted between the Commons and the
Lords. We owe to the phenomenal
outburst of interest and impassioned
oratory inspired by this event, Glad
stones immortal and inimitable expo
sition of the historic enmity between
Ireland and England.
We are witness of a contemporaries
Gus crusade against the old chimera
Modern methods of warfare have not
been wanting in the vigorous skir-
nishes. 1t remains for us to see what
a new generation trained in the pract-
ical principles of the Gaelic revival,
with heads well-balanced and hearts
afiame, will bring about for Irish in
dependence. Irish ideals have the vi
tality of perpetual youth. Even the
bitterest foes are fain to boast that
an Irishman acknowledging defeat is
an anomaly. Wiseacres Wag their sa-
gacious heads and predict failure for
the ambitious aspirations of the young
blood Of present day Ireland. But
with the smoke of battle from the Bal
kan peninsula in our nostrils, and the
figure Of a PROSTATE Turkey on every
newspapers featured page, with ef1rte
China a hale and hearty republic, as
current events during the passing
months of a year not dead, is the idea
Of free Ireland quite the legendary
fantasy that it might have been even
to Gladstones contemporaries? Can
you find more radical or more daring
group of politicians today than the in
| tensely democratic and motley gather
Ing in the present House of Com
mons?
The Decrepid Lords.
The traditional sway of the House
of Lords is now obsolete. Religious
and radical antipathies are fast losing
their primitive fierceness. England has
seen her colossal colonial possessions
including conservative India, break the
last links Of servile dependency and
scorn the name of colony to assume
arrogantly the title of "Sister Ma
tions!"
| Irish emigration to America or to
| Australia has depopulated entire sec
tions Of Ireland. England has watched
the flower of Irish womanhood, the
p1th and marrow of Irish manhood
leave broken hearted parents and
younger relatives behind when the
swift voyage over seas bore them ava,
! forever. This fourth generation O,
fighters have hopes and certainties OF
victory undreamed of by their mill.
tant predecessors. To them the mar.
! ratives of past obstacles and insur.
mountable impediments sound the
! English treasury. The new argument.
for Home Rule adroitly offered by AS.
quith have none of the majestic gran.
deur of Gladstones irrefutable elo.
quence and his impassioned oratory,
An English audience of today would
yawn without semblance at stiflinf
it at the length of the Grand Ole
Mans Ciceronian periods. We can al.
most fancy some insolent wag in the
vulgar vaudeville, slang insist on CIV
ing William the Conqueror the hook.
~ giIl f \ sl II .5S ass n 4. As'