Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-01


land is concerned. lies in that fact 1t I
Is religious question. and has al the
bitterness that religion can bring into
political question.
The Irishmen of the south do no; deny
their loyalty to the mother church. but
they say that the
Saw Ulster Fears fears of tho Ulster
Are Ridiculous. ahsura ana r,6,"u9
existing between Catholics and Pro-
testants in the three southern provinces
For 1t must be kept clearly in mind
that Ulster is not all Protestant. and
that the three other provinces are not
all Catholic. There are unonists IN TIE
south who are bitterly opposed 20 home
rule. but they are in such p. minorits
that they control no parliamentary dis
tricts. In Ulster the nationalists. or
home rule party. is so considerable IN
the thirty-three parliamentary seats 10
which the province is entitled. or a MA
jority of one. AS the population is not
evenly distributed. this is somewhat mis-
leading for the unionistS are in a ma
jority in the province. However the
minority Is considerable and largely see
tional. The four northeast counties OF
Ulster are largely unionst. and in two
others they also have majority
Ireland has 1oS members OF the parlia-
ment at Westminster. Eighteen OF these
are unionists. sixteen from Ulster and
Two from the University OF Duniin.
elected not by residents and citizens, but
by graduates and members of the uni
yersity One Of these is Sir Edward Car
son. the London lawyer, who is the leader
of the Irish unionist forces. both in par
lament and upon the drill grounds where
the Protestant youths are in training for
civil war. The other eighty-fvs irish
members are all nationalists. although
eight Of them follow Mr.. OBrien in ths
independent nationalist party and are
not cooperating with the Asquith gov
eminent in its attempt to put through
the home rule bill at this session OF
parliament.
Before plunging into the crater Of this
volcano of Irish controversy 1t may be
worth while to set down in black and
white what the row is all about.
The home rule bill is a measure to set
up In Ireland a parliament and an execu-
tive government re-
Purpose Of the sponsible to that par
Present Bill. h hament lss shaa rs ~. TO
ecutive and judicial control over all Ire
land, subject to certain restrictions and
reservations contained in the act. 1t will
leave the Dublin parliament in the same
relation to the imperial parliament at
Westminster that the Albany legislature
and the other state legislatures bear to
the Congress at Washington: or. more
properly, in the same relation that the
provincial parliaments Of Ontario, Que
bee and Manitoba bear to the Canadian
parliament at Ottawa, since the powers
OF Dublin are delegated by Westminster.
and those OF Washington delegated from
Albany and Harrisburg and Richmond
and the rest.
This is the third home rule bill. and it
differs in many ways from the Gladstone
bills of 1885 and 1893. The first one was
defeated in the house Of commons, caus-
ing a great split in the liberal party. The
second passed the commons, only 70 be
defeated In the house Of lords At that
time the verdict Of the house of lords was
final.
"-...'.,t
Then came the great quarrel over the
budget of 1909, in which the lords violated
some centuries
Quarrel Over Budget of traditions
Causes Two Defeats. the money, bin
That caused two elections resulting in
two defeats Of the lords. and the passing
OF bill permitting any measure passed
three times by the commons in three sue
cessive sessions to become law even II it
were rejected by the house Of lords The
house Of lords passed this buf because
it had toIf it bad refused Mr..
Asquith would have had the king appoint
some six or seven hundred new dukes
and viscounts, and the diluted lords would
have voted the bill through. The lords
preferred the parliament act. to such a
wholesale dilution. So they passed the
bill
The home rule bill is the first measure
attempted to be put through under that
act. 1t was introduced in the house of
commons early in 1872. was passed on its
second reading May 8. and finally for
that session January l6. 1913, by a ma
jority of lilo. 1t went 10 the house OF
lords. where it was rejected January 80
by the tritiinS majority of 2Jf. -
Announcing its purpose Of passing the
bill despite the lords. the government
again brought the bill into the house at
the next session of parliament and finally
passed it July Z, 1913. by lu9. The lords
very promptly rejected it, July Is, by a
majority OF 236. Again in the session OF
1914 it was introduced. and at this writ
ing has already passed the second read
ing and is ready to be passed the third
and last time whenever the government
deems it expedient to take the vote.
All this detail is necessary to an under
standing of the political situation as Ia
now exists IF this
Situation Under bill can be defeat
ed said the union
0A1S1AA6 ASSueS' lists after 1T had
passed the first time, then We not only
will defeat home rule and save the union.
but We also will defeat the working of
the parliament act and save the house Of
lords" This secondary fact operated not
only to bring the English unionists more
strongly to the support of the Ulster
unionists. but it also destroyed whatever
indifference there may have been among
English liberals toward the cause OF home
rule.
In other words. while the issue Of home
rule for Ireland would have been vital
under any circumstances as between the