Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-25
FAILURE OF LIFE WORK
ADMITTED BY BALF0UR
His Recent Speech on Home Rule
Both Pathetic and
Eloquent.
Outlines His Dreams for Welfare Of
Ireland-Labor Party's Hopes
for Future.

LONDON. May 15.-The speech of Ar
thur Balfour in the recent debates in
the house of commons on home rule,
wherein the former leader of the union
list party admitted the failure of his
long life efforts toward maintenance
of the union. was one of the most
eloquent in the recent history of par
lament. 1t had its parallel over 100
years ago when Grattan. in his maiden
speech in the imperial house OF com
mons. on May 13. 1918. referred to the
Irish parliament whose legislative in
dependence had been achieved by MS
exertions, and whose destruction he
deplored.
.Of that assembly Grattan declared.
81 have a parental recollection: sat
by her cradle: I followed her hearse
Mr. Balfour is much in the same po-
sition He is one of the last to admit
that home rule, in some form or an
other is now inevitable. He has stead
lily fought against Dublin parila-
ment hoping that time would bring
about a reconciliation between the
people of the two islands. ana tnat
is still bitterly opposed to home rule
and yet is willing to make great sac
rifices to avoid civil war.
Mr.. Balfour's Speech.
After a severe attack on what the
unionists term The Plot Against VI
ster" and particularly against WINSTON
Churchill the first lord of the admiral
". whom he referred to as an agent
provocateur.'' Mr.. Balfour said:
There was a time. not so very long
ago. as my life is measured, When 1
cherished the dream that II Ia"
in, he
of ireland. if every grievance was re-
moved if every inequality was
smoothed away. if every encourage
ment was given to the legitimate IN.
than equality were given TO our iris,
fellow subjects. ancient memories
would gradually soften. men ~oui1
look forward as we'll as backward ana
there would grow up what the er odsn.
TO be between these two 1siands-a
common hope a common loyalty. con-
fidence in a common herltase.al'u
that all this might be accomplished
under one parliament
For that | have striven' LOT tna'
have argued in this house and out or II,
for that / have worked weary hours al
legislative projects and strlVen 10 accom-,
modate legislative details to the neeos
and necessities of the moment. Ano' SiI,
if the result of all Is that in order tnat
civil war may be avoided. with all ITS m
calculable horrors, there is yet 10 De es
tablished in Dublin a separate pariainehs
10 the injury. as l personally thlnk. OF
the Irish peopIe-and not less perhaps TO
the. British people-then, sir. ] may De
an object of pity to the right honoraoie
gentlemen but he need not think Shai
regard such consunmatlon as
umph over my political enemies
..On the contrary. it is the marx OF
the failure of life's work. it is the ad-
mission that the causes Tor Whlch l
have most striven and most earnestly
iSh
down. and that the long labors spent In
this house and out of it have not borne
the fruit that | once hoped they might
Earl and Countess Boycotted.
The lord lieutenant of Ireland. the Earl
of Aberdeen and his wife. the Countess
of Aberdeen. are the latest victims OF
the social boycott resulting from the
home rule controversy
/. CORRESPONDENT who saw the April
race meeting at Punchestown which the
lord lieutenant and Lady Aberdeen at
tended in state write that hats were
barely raised. and there was not sus-
picion of cheer when his exceiiency ar
rived The writer, says II IS perieet
Election of the Irish landlord class on
the government. for the lord lieutenant is
the representative of the king, wnon
they affect to honor. 1t is the chleI sec
ca binet
The result has been the abandonment
of most of the social entertaining IN
Dublin but this is hardly punishment
on Lord and Lady Aberdeen. for they
were never fond of society
Labor May Hold Balance of Power.
Keir Hardie one of the labor leaders
in the house of commons. predicts that
when home rule is out of the way the
labor party will hold the balance OF
power between the two great parties,
liberal and unionist as the Irish ma
tiouaIists do now. MIR Hardie IN his
speech said that the liberals and union
lists would 20 back to parliament after
tn. general election numerically nucn
as trey We're. but the circumstances OF
The next parliament were going to be
different from what they had been i ne
Irish representation a result OF the
home rule bill. would be reduced from
1n; to ~ SO that if the labor party
could add twenty-five or even twenty
seats to the thirty-three already held
by them they would be in position to
dictate to whatever party took over the