The Irish standard., 1913-11-01

100000 men cannot be maintained in
the field, nor can their families be
maintained at home, without a war
chest of considerable size Where is
it? And where are the guns and the
ammunition, and the stores and the
other paraphernalia of war? And
where. oh where are the airships?
Surely modern army cannot get
along without airships. But perhaps
this will not be modern army.
Again, it may be asked, how is this
army of 100000 men to be organized.
drilled and equipped without the gov
eminent knowing all about it? And
is the government going to permit it?
The English government has already
had one experience of an army of 1OO.-
Ireland, and it was only by skillful
tincssing that it got the arms away
from the army and prevented a revo-
luton. And this was an army ack-
| nowledging the governments author
ity. Is it possible that the government
will permit an army of 100000 men,
not acknowledging. but defying, Its
authority, to come into existence? 1t
is safe to say that the government will
not and no government would any
more permit this than would a man
| permit powder magazine in his
| home.
Let us suppose for a moment that
these Unionists have really revolted.
How long would the revolution last.
"over-matched, entangled and OUT
munication with the outside world, as
the rebels would be, without ships,
without railway, without a post
Office, or telegraph or telephone
outside the narrow confines of the re-
volted territory? How would the lin
en- manufac turers and the tobacco
manufacturers and the whiskey dis
tillers of Belfast reach those world
} markets which formerly were theirs?
How would the merchants collect their
debts, and the bankers collect their
} bills, and how would the 100000 in
, habitants of Belfast be fed? Have
those would he rebels given any seri-
, Gus thought to these things? They
! have not, for they have never serious
, ~ thought Of a rebellion. They have
) simply been raising up imaginary arm
les and revolutions for the purpose OF
; frightening the English into abandon
ing Home Rule But the English peo-
pie are more or less accustomedt to
Ulster gasconnading and do not
take It at its face value When the
Catholic Emancipation bill was about
to be passed the Orangemen went into
similar spnsms, and told George Nv.
that they would kick his crown into
the Boyne If he signed the bill. George
w, notwithstanding. signed the bill,
and the Orangemen didn't kick the
crown into the Boyne or anywhere
else. All this talk about an Ulster
army and an Ulster revolution ie
nothing but humbug and hysteria.
Now while those Unionists are
threatening a rebellion on the one
hand with the other they are humbly
beseeching his Majesty not to abandon
them, his loyal subjects. to the tender
mercies of Home Rule government
Rebels when they threaten, loyal sub
jects when they implore; all things to
all men, in their frenzied and despair
ing efforts to defeat Home Rule. The
Home Rule bill. however. has reached
stage where the rawlings of a few
no influence upon its fortunes.
The Home Rule issue is nothing
new. 1t Is not thing of yesterday
The present bill is the outcome of for
ty years of political agitation. All o.
the pros and cons Of 1t have been de.
bated and discussed at every English
y and Irish election, and at every SEES.
sion Of Parliament during all these
years. AS far back as 1886, a Home
Rule bill was introduced in Parlia.
ment, by Mr.. Gladstone. This occa.
d stoned a schism in the Liberal party
a small section Of its members not be.
I ing in accord with Mr.. Gladstone or
the ACCESSIBILITY OF enacting such 8
BILL The time evidently was not ther
: ripe for its passage. A second Home
: Rule bill was introduced by Mr.. Glad.
q stone and passed the Commons ir
n 1898, after an election at which Home
Rule or no Home Rule was the prin.
i cipal issue. The Liberal party wal
elected on this issue with substan'
,. tial majority, but the bill was rejected
by the House Of Lords. The present