The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-04-04
THE ULSTER TROUBLE

Here are a few of the reasons for
the threatened war against home
rule in England.
The Orangemen of North Ireland
ever since the days of William of Or
ange have placed allegiance to the
British crown above Irish independ-
ence.
The rest or the Irish have waged
a century-old fight for home rule,
which now is nearing successful cul-
mination.
Home rule would give control of
the Irish government to those who
have always been bitter enemies OF
the Orange faction.
This has created a situation which
is a political paradox-Ulster's Or
angemen. who have always support
ed the home government in refusing
Irish home rule, now are in arms
against the home government be-
cause it has changed its policy and
favors home rule.
Ireland has striven for home rule
without a moments cessation ever
since the Irish parliament was abol-
ished and the legislative union of
Great Britain and Ireland was pro-
claimed on January L, 1901.
In the 113 years that have passed
since that date the agitation has gone
on under various forms, pacific and
violent, led by such patriots as Dan
iel O'Connell, William Smith O'Brien,
Charles Stewart Parnell, O'Donovan
Rosa and Michael Davitt, to men,
ton only a few of the moro prom
inent. These were succeeded by the
Redmonds and the Healys, who are
the forefront of the movement to-
day.
The patriotic movement was sup
pressed time after time by coercion
acts passed by the British parlia-
ment, only to take another form.
The first effort of the British gov
eminent to meet the demand for
Irish home rule was made by the late
William Ewart Gladstone, when
premier, in 1886. The bill was re-
jected after its Introduction had
brought about a great split in the
Liberal party, which caused the Sc
cession Of Joseph Chamberlain and
other Liberal leaders, who since, on
Irish questions. have acted with the
Conservative party.
Since then several Irish home rule
bills have been introduced by Liber-
al governments, and the last one
passed the House of Commons, but
was rejected by the House of Lords.
This led to the passage. three years
ago, of the Parliament Act, under
the provisions of which any bill, not
an appropriation bill. rejected by
the House of Lords becomes auto
matically a law on passing the House
of Commons in three successive ses-
sions.
The present agitation has been
mainly brought about by the prac-
teal certainty of Premier Asquith's
Irish home rule bill becoming law
without the consent of the House of
Lords. Sir Edward Carson is at
the head of the agitation against
home rule among the Unionists of
Ulster. He and several other lead
ing men took the initiative in organ
izing an army of Ulster volunteers
to resist the introduction of home
rule for Ireland in it's entirety.
They insisted that Ulster should be
left out of its operation.
The chief point at issue in Ireland
is the religious one. Out of a total
population of about $500, 900, ap-
proximately 500, 900 are Protestants
of various denominations. Most of
these are found in the four Ulster
counties of Londonderry. Antrim,
Armagh and Down. The other five
counties of Ulster are predominantly
Catholic. As a matter Of fact, Ul-
ster returns II Nationalist and only
16 Unionists to Parliament.