Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-01-18
Home Rule Bill Being Rapidly
Pushed to Third
Reading.
Nationalists Have High Hopes of
Carrying Derry City
Election.
LEADERS DESERT BONAR LAW

T. P. O'Connor, NJ. p, cables the
press that for several days last week
1t looked as If the Tory party were
breaking all to pieces. Few of them
even entered the House of Commons.
and even the home rule bill was left
to be discussed by William Moore.
one of the Ulster Orangemen who.
seated alone and still snorting fire
and flame, though with manifest de-
preston of spirits, seemed like the
last OF the Tory Mohicans. The
melancholy and long hatchet face of
Bonar Law, opposition leader, grew
daily longer and more melancholy,
and he also seldom visited the House
of Commons. He was allowed to
sit for hours alone without the
cheering presence of a single one of
his fellow leaders of the Tory party
when he did attend.
In the meantime the grim and
melancholy silence in the House of
Commons was in great contrast with
the deafening and horrid din of the
rival newspapers. The Morning Post
and Daily Express foamed at the
mouth over the proposal to drop food
taxes, while Lord Northcliffe in the
Daily Mail and Times went on his
way with his characteristic serenity,
not replying to the insults but stick
ing obstinately to the cry that the
food taxes must be dropped.
Lancashire added to the confusion
of the situation by sending a deputa-
ton to Bonar Law, headed by such a
nauyarfY11 InadAr a-I 4
demanding also the dropping of the
Nood taxes If Lancashire was to be
saved from the Liberals and free
traders. 1t became evident to even
the\most fiery food takers that th'
could not go on and that a compro-
mise and truce or open fightipssgo |
destruction repained as.sslel
tives or the Tory Ts5ders. It also
was evident that in spite OF the
fulminations from Austen Chamber
lain and the whole Birmingham
school, the free fooders formed the
overwhelming majority of the party
and that they must get some con-
cession.
All this led up to a compromise
which is deliberately ambiguous, al
lowing both sections to claim the
victory. The immediate prospect is
that the truce will be maintained for
the next two years, for all of the
Tories are made desperate by the
prospect OF seven years more ex-
clusion from office and the loss OF
the next and fourth general election
in succession II they do not close up
their ranks. Their one watchword
for the moment is to get the Liberals
out of office and win the next cleo
tion. The seeds of future disruption
remain, however, for protection is
so dscredited by the gigantic boom
of English trade and by the three bad
general elections that many of the
Tories still pray that protection may
ultimately be abandoned. Bonar Law
may at any moment, by some other
muddle headed announcement, once
more put the fat in the fire.
The Liberals and the Irish and
home rule have naturally grown
stronger and more self-confident
during this Tory disruption and the
final stages of the home rule bill are
passig without the smallest trace of
interest and usually in a deserted
House of Commons. The third read
ing will be passed on Thursday next
and probably by at least 100 major
ity. final and crushing proof Of the
solidarity of the Liberal party and
British opinion in favor of the meas
ure. In the midst of this final crisis
comes the momentous by-election in
Derry City. The whole battle is
considerably influenced by the re-
suit. If the Nationalists win, they
VIII hold seventeen to sixteen in the
representation OF Ulster. and the
winning Of even this small majority
will help obliterate the claim of the
orangemen that they represent an
overwhelming majority of the opin-
ion IN Ulster. The Nationalists have
wisely chosen a Protestant and
Liberal instead of a Catholic and
Nationalist TO make their fight, and
this candidate also Is a large and
kindly employer OF labor and is per-
sonally popular. The Orangemen
have a small majority on the regis
ter. but the Nationalists hope 70