Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-06-07
BOnar Law Finds His PARTY
Rushed by It's Ulster
'..Tail.'
Finding Means of Retreat From
Untenable Situations Is
Difficult.
HOME RULERS ARE TRANQUIL

Reviewing the political situation
touching Ireland the Dundalk Demo-
crat, always conservative and re-
liable, said on the eve of the
oepning of Parliament and the Sec
ond reading of the home rule bill:
The opponents of home rule are
particularly busy Just now. Sir Ed
ward Carson has been over to
Belfast to encourage his followers
to sustain the campaign of sedition
there. Bonar Law has been in Duh
lin on "a private visit" which IA
generally believed to have a political
object. William O'Brien has been
denouncing the home rule bill and
the refusal OF the Irish party to
"conciliate" Carson's Orangemen.
The only political parties that have
not spent the Whitsuntide recess
ravlng about the home rule bill are
the Liberals and the Irish Nation
alists.
Bonar Laws Irish visit may. as
suggested, have had a political OBJ
ject. The leader of the Unionist
party, who prides himself on being
"a business man." must have suffi-
cient common sense to see the diff
ticulty of his position. He is the
head of the party of law and order.
the people who boast of their respect
Tor constitutional authority and
their loyalty to the crown. He finds
himself and his party rushed by its
Ulster 'tail'' into a position quite
at variance with Tory principles.
The Ulstermen say they will refuse
to accept home rule when passed by
the Imperial Parliament, that they
will take up arms to resist it, and
that they will If necessary invoke
foreign aid in their revolt against
the Imperial decree. This is a posi-
tion which the English Tories can
rot find comfortable or dignified,
and a position which English public
opinion will not approve. Bonar
Laws difficulty must be to find
means Of retreat from an untenable
situation. -
The. favorite argument of the
English Unionist against the home
rule bill is that it has not been sub
mitted to the electors. They ignore
the fact that the two elections of
1910 were fought on this issue and
resulted in a Liberal majority Of
over 100. They have no precedent
for demanding that a measure ap-
proved in principle at two general
elections should be again submitted
In detail to the judgment of the
electorate. Their claim is a matter
of political expediency. The Lib
eral majority was less after the
1910 election than before; and the
Tories believe that the pendulum
has swung still further and that a
new election might result in a
Unionist majority At worst such a
course would delay home rule, and
no one knows what political compli-
cations might arise meantime. This
Tory demand for a reference to the
electors finds its answer in the at
titude of the Ulster Orangemen led
by Sir Edward Carson. While Eng
lish Tories profess their willingness
to abide the result of a general
election, the Orangemen solemnly
declare that under no circumstances
will they submit to a home rule
government; that even though Eng
land endorses the measure they will
still oppose II by armed force. Bonar
Law may rely on securing support
for his referendum proposals from
Influential Unionists outside of
Ulster. But Englishmen know we'll
enough that any strength Unionism
has in Ireland is confined to the
northeastern corner; and so long as
Sir Edward pins his faith on the
covenant and the rifle clubs, the
demand for the submission of the
home rule bill to the judgment OF
the electors will fail to convince the
average Englishman.
The home rule bill is the product
of conciliatory spirit. II contains
more Safeguards" for a minority
that is we'll able to protect itself
than any other measure that was
ever drafted Nationalist Ireland
has declared It good enough, and all
that Liberals and Nationalists have
TO do is TO push 1t through its re-
naming stages and give Irishmen
an opportunity of showing how we'll
they will work together when put on
the right lines and placed in a posi-
tion of responsibility and trust.