The Washington herald., 1914-03-29
Ulster Used as Shield In Fight
For Dissolution of Parliament
It-Is Battle Of Radical Eng.
land Against Further Com
troll of Class Distinction.

tion Is now whether the people shall
rule through Parliament or whether the
officers mess shall have veto power.
Though Tories or Unionists are keep
ing the Ulster question TO the front.
they cannot do so much longer. Every
body knows that the royal irish con-
stabulary can take care OF ulster un-
less a minority Of the party In Parha-
ment forces civil strife upon reluctant
people.
The issues thus raised in Great Britain
and Ireland are perhaps as momentous
as any since the times Of the Stuarts.
The menace OF a military autocracy VIII
not he tolerated. The maintenance OF the
peoples' rights to govern through Parha-
nent oyershadows all other questions and
makes Ulster a little blot upon the back
ground Of the great political battle al
rCady forming. The King, Who lost ms
crown and his head, and the other VINO
escaped with the loss Of his crown are
now more discussed than SIR bu"Ara y
I,arson's volunteers. The broad anger OF
the Radicals causes them to say that the
ISSUES of today are similar to those IN
the time of the Stuarts- 1t Is not nome
rule or plural voting now, but the Parma
ment versus the army. ana, OF course
the Kings name comes In. There II no
e.arreration in the statement that not
Tithstanding the denials OF Asquith ana
Col seely. the Liberals and Laoorites
believed King George intervened anu
hobbIed Parliamentary leaders
This belief puts the cause OF hePuoho
anism forward in England by years ana
raises further the issue In respect 10 .l.
aristocracy which is sure to become Ni'ai
in the electoral clash now near.
! To the British voter the coalition gov
ernment has its own deep troubles. 1t Is
this which raises the doubt as to when an
annear shall be made to the country.
The Irish voters in England more than
the Nationalists in ireland ere I'M
patient at what they call the weakness
! of the ministry. and there are many mid
die class Liberals who don't care a ng Tor
| or against home rule,
The recent old-age pension system.
| which taxes their energy and frugslity
for the support Of class. all OF whose
| members are not deserving Of the insur-
it by Lloyd George.
Ulster Used as shield.
But the chief of the governments trou-
| bIes is the deadlock between the Liberals
| and labor leaders on parliamentary rep
| resentation. These internal weaknesses
explain why Unionists have used Ulster
| as a shield behind which to fight for the
! dissolution of Parliament.
1t is conceded that labor men should
| have more representation, but there is
bitter division as to what they shall get.
| They threaten, come veal or woe, to run
| independent candidates in every indus
| trial center unless their demands are
met. Such a split would mean a Union
| Ist victory and the return OF old authority
TO the Lords by Liberal defeat. This
crisis has TO be met and soon. and 1t is OF
most serious import to the present coali-
tion party.
1t must not be assumed that the un-
usual quietness of the Nstionalists
throughout Ireland means that they ap-
prove the course of their leader, Red
mond. In making concession after conces-
sion and In putting into the hands of
| Asquith, Churchill, and George the power
Of attorney to do with it as they will.
| 1 have spoken with Nationalists in
Dublin. Derry. Kilkenny. Waterford.
| Cork. and Belfast. Their view is that
Redmond must be supported. right or
wrong. They hold his judgment must be
accepted in this crisis no matter what
their individual opinions may be. They
are with him to a man in the hope that
home rule can be achieved. and that IL
will do for the Irish Industries what the
land act has done. and wonderfully well
done for the farmers. They candidly ex-
press their doubts as to the wisdom of
some things done by the Nationalist
leaders. but are in no mood to invite
! discussion or suggest anything which
will block the way to final success.
| Respecting the armed volunteers IN
Northeast Ulster. the Nationalists, as a
rule, are indifferent They can't be made
to believe there is serious business ahead.
How can the volunteers fight when
there is nobody to fight them?" is the
way one man put il. The Indifference
even in Belfast, Antrim. and Derry is
almost startling. but there are Irishmen in
Dublin, Balymena. Dundalk, and Drog-
heda, well-balanced men. who tell me
they fear Unionists have played the vol
unteer game too far. and that a bit of
ruffianism might bring on the clash which
Tory leaders pray for in their hope that
it will kindle the protests Of the kingdom
TO a sectarian war.