The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-06-06
Bill Will be Placed on Statute Books
Shortly. Tory Action Shows
Failure of Conspiracy.
Fight in House of Lords Expected.
Saner Element Among OPPOSE
ton Demand Peaceful
Settlement.
Spread of Irish Volunteer Move
ment Gives Serious Outlook
to Opposition from Lords
Says 7. P. O'Connor.

The action Of the Tories in allow
ing the third reading for the third
time Of the home rule bill without
any attempt at further debate shows
they now recognize the game is up
and that the great conspiracy against
the ministry. the parliament act and
home rule has finally failed.
Everybody now realizes that in a
few weeks the home rule bill becomes
the law of the land. This produces
an entirely new situation. the diff
hculties Of which are much greater
to the tories than to the liberals.
The tories have now to choose be-
tween two equally difficult alterna-
tives. Either they will reject the
amending bill and allow home rule
to pass to the statute book without
any concession, or they will table for
the first time their own proposals Of
amendment.
Thus the previous position be-
tween the ministry and the tories
will be reversed, for while up to the
present the liberals have had to do
all the bidding, the tories must try
their hands at it.
This brings them face to face with
many amh1rrassments and compels
them to make final surrender to the
principal of home rule by vote for
the second reading Of the amending
bill. The opposition leaders still
press the tory leaders to fight on
without considering any concession.
hoping that when the ministry is
brought face to face with threats of
civil war in Ulster they will find the
army mutinous and refusing to do its
duty. &
If these tactics be adopted, then
the course of the government is quite
simple. First, the Irish bill will be
put on the statute book. Then. in
case of disorder, some regiments will
be ordered to go to Ulster uncondi-
tionally and if these regiments refuse
then other regiments will be ordered
and if they again refuse, then the
ministry will accept the challenge
and go to the country on the question
of whether the army or parliament
shall govern England.
Every liberal believes that on that
issue the government will return
with a crushing majority and will
have mandate to proceed immedi'
ately to the destruction of the pres
ent tory army and the substitution
of an army on democratic lines.
But few people believe it will come
to this. The tories will not face sucf
capital issue which might end IL
the speedy destruction of many o
their remaining privileges and rous'
such a tempest of popular passions
as might enable the liberals to carr!
out during the next four years poll
cies even more revolutionary thar
Lloyd George has already passed.
The movement begun SO spontan
eously and running over 1relant
like a prairie fire, is about to b.
placed in more regular form and tn
attitude of several Irish leaders viii
change from passive to active ap
prevail. This addition to forces al
ready working for the movement will
give such an enormous impetus tina
a few weeks may see body Of ma
tional volunteers twice the size o
that in Ulster.
All these new forces tend to hol'
over everything serious until tn
fierce haggling begins over tn
amending bill. When it leaves tn
house of lords it will contain Car
sonite amendments which the min
istry and the Irish nationalists mus
reject. They will substitute sucl
amendments as may save the face o
the Orangemen and at the same tim
inflict no prejudice on the essentia
unity of Ireland. Then the hous
of lords may try to better its han
and new haggling will commenc
until some formula finally evolves.
The serious and only peril to thi
orderly and peaceful development Q
the situation on normal lines Is tn
premature and sporadic outbreak
in Ulster. Up to the present. sue
outhraaks have not occurred, an