The Irish standard., 1913-11-01
THE HOME RULE d
SITUATION
CONTINUED from page IL,

~6AS0 W lie 1LllOI 70 dIS uOW US1AS
made by the opponents of the bill toll
have 1t submitted to referendum.
The answer of the government is that
the ministers conceive that they al
ready have mandate from the coun-
try to pass the bill. When informa-
ton that the bill had been rejected by
the Lords was conveyed to the Com
mons, the answer of the Premier was
an announcement that bill would
shortly be introduced into Parliament
abolishing the House of Lords alto
'gether, as a hereditary chamber It'll
is very plain to be seen, therefore,
what the temper of the government Isl
on the question of Home Rule, and
that nothing but some unforeseen dis
aster to the present powers that be
can prevent its passage.
An appeal has been made to the
King to exercise his veto on the bill.
In theory the Kings signature to an
act Of Parliament Is still required in
England, but the veto. as vital fac
tor In legislation, has long fallen into
''innocuous desuetude." The veto has
not been exercised by any English
sovereign since 1907; and while the
form of presenting bills to the king
for his signature is still maintained. 1t
is a mere form without substance or
vitality. AS a matter of course, the
king signs all bills presented to him
by his ministers, and to do otherwise
would be to invite disaster on his own
head. They who are seeking to re-
establish the veto, are very poor
friends of the king. Kings have fallen
upon evil days. A veto at the pres
ent would not only raise the question
as to whether there should be veto
at all, but also the question as to
! whether there should be king at ALL
Both the king and the veto would be
likely to go the way the House Of
Lords has gone and is going. The
king, therefore, is not likely to put up
such a question to the democracy of
England, for nothing would please the
Socialists and the Radicals better than
to have such an issue before the coun-
try. No situation or condition at pres
ent existing, therefore, can prevent the
4tniumphant realisation Of the govern
mcnt's Home Rule program at the next
session Of Parliament.
Why. 1t may be asked, is there any
opposition In Ireland to the Home
Rule bill? Home Rule 2is simply the
establishing Of a legislature in Ire
land, representative Of the people, for
the purpose Of dealing with exclusive
by Irish affairs. One would imagine
at first glance. that such scheme OF
government would meet with general
acceptance. And so 1t would In any
other country but Ireland, where the
grasp of a parasitic ascendency, care
fully nurtured by years of special pro-
lection and cultivation, still desperate
ly clings to the trunk of the legislative
union, by which alone 1t has been en-
abled to exist. Slowly, but inevitably
Ireland has been shaking off this bur-
den of the centuries. First was fought
and won, Catholic Emancipation
bringing with it civic life; next. the
Home Rule. bringing political life
education bills, bringing intellectual
life; then the abolition Of landlordism
T. bringing economic life, and now comes
Home Rule bringing political life
Each step of the way had to be OBJ.
stinately fought. The same forces
which are now opposing Home Rul.
have opposed each and every one
of the remedial measures mentioned
and they opposed them for the same
reasons that they are now opposing
Home Rule. namely, for selfish ant
7 anti-Irish reasons. They feel that will
native Parliament ireland can n,
longer be exploited for their benefit
that they will no longer be the specia
proteges Of the government; that the!
will have to take their place upon al
equal footing with the rank and file o
the people; and this Is gall and worm
wood to them. For by training an
D tradition. they are accustomed to re
I gard Ireland as their foot-stool, tn
!: government as their partisan, and tn
!. rank and file Of the Irish people a
| their vassals.
i Liberty, equality, and fraternity,
the watchwords Of democracy the worl
over. have no place in their politica
tenets. Liberty is to them license 70
u themselves; equality is odious; frater
I nifty is foreign to their nature.
4 needs no prophet to foresee that sue