Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-24
dublin SEES HOME
RULERS MEET AGAIN
Influence of U. S. Seen in De-
cision to Make Ses-
sions Secret
SINN FEINERS ABSENT T

DUBLIN, July "a.
The most diverse elements in all ireland
assembled today for the first meeting 10
morrow Of the conference from wn,cn Ehs
land hopes to settle the 700-year-old issue
Of irish home rule The only Irish parties
who will not be represented In the meetins
will be the Sim Feiners, Independent Ma
tionalists Labor Unionists and near-Soclai-
lists.
The members, however, present some
strange diversities. They range all the way
from John Redmond. sometimes called PAR
nell's successor, and Joe Devlin merry young
spelIbinding leader of the CONSTITUTIONS
Democrats, TO such feudal lords as the Mar
ouis of Londonderry. the young descendant
NJ Lord Castlereagh. In the church there
are the Catholic Archbishop OF Cashel anu
the Bishops of Rapho. Ross. Down anu
Connor on the one hand, and the Protestahs
Primate of all Ireland the Archbishop OF
Dublin, with the moderator OF the fresoS-
terian Church, on the other.
The influence of the United states, ao-
noittedly largely responsible for the ses-
sions shows itself in the advance decision
to make all sessions secret. Those IN
charge pointed out that the Philadelphla
convention of 1887, which drafted the Con
stitution of the United States, was In secret
and a success-whereas previous at
tempts to hold open constitutional conven-
tipns had almost always failed.
None of the delegates expects the meet
ing will arrive at any decision for weeks
The present day agitation for Irish home
rule dates back to 1871. In that year a
league Of Catholics and Protestants was
established to regain for Ireland the right
of self-government, of which she had been
deprived by an act Of the Irish Parliament
In 1900. At the head of this league was
Isaac Butte. then the leader of the Irish
bar. and. without doubt, the most popular
man in the country.
The growth of the league was rapid. and
in the parliamentary election following Its
establshment-that is to say In 1874
| hfty-one home rulers were sent by the lrisr
constituencies to represent and enforce the
national demand and aspirations in West
minister. Little progress was made by Mr.
Butte. and shortly after his death, in 1879
| Charles Stewart Parnell, who had mean
while become a power in irish politics, sue
ceeded to the leadership.
LAND LEAGUE AGITATION
For some years after this event the Lant
| League agitation in Ireland occupied public
attention and the attention of the British
| Parliament so much that the greater ant
| broader question of home rule ceased fol
| the moment to become the vital and para
| mount issue. In 1886, however, the Tor.
| administration of Lord Salisbury was sue
| ceeded by the Liberals, and Mr.. Gladstone
| who had become Premier for the third time
| decided to yield to the demand of the Irsl
| Nationalists-who then he'd the balance o
| power in Pariament--and introduce
| measure of home rule for ireland. This IN
| did in April, 1886, but owing to the de
| fection Of a large number of Liberals. VIII
| Joined the Tories in opposition to the bill
! the measure was defeated.
Mr.. Gladstone. however, would not accep
hn xnta of thn 90 f,a,
lie had adopted the policy of home rule an
determined to stand Loyalty and firmly by II
| Although Parliament was less than a yea
old, he promptly dissolved it and appeale
to the electors on the issue of home rul
alone This was in July, 1885, and in tn
general election thus held ne was deserte
| by the Liberals who had voted agains
home rule with the result that he and hi
party were defeated. The Tories won 81
seats: the anti-Gladstone Liberals, 49, tn
| Gladstone Liberals, 100, and the Irish Ma
tionalists. 85
The result of this was that no one of thes
parties could command an absolute ma jor
| ity in the House of Commons. which is com
posed of $40 members. But the Tories com
bined with their allies the anti-Gladston
Liberals, had majority of 120 over thei
home rule opponents. and seeing the futilit
OF attempting to carry any home rul
scheme. Mr. Gladstone resigned as Premie
| anu iofu SdHSDuTy again came into Otlic
| The Tories remained in power until 1879
when Mr. Gladstone again became Premi,
and introduced the following year his SCI
onu bill for Irish self-government. TIL
passed the House of Commons, but was r,
jected by the House of Lords. and as a co,
sequence Mr. Gladstone resigned the pr
miership and was succeeded by Lord Ros
, berry Then followed another administr,
tion Of Lord Salisbury and on his retir
, ment into private life his nephew, Arthur
! Balfour took the rens of office
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman Libers
, succeeded Mr.. 'Balfour as Premier in 1870
| and home rule bill was introduced by n
! Irish Chief Secretary Mr.. Birrell This W;
, universally condemned In Ireland as mad
!. | quate, and was withdrawn. On the deat
of Campbell -Bannerman, Mr.. Asouith b
came Premier and. in accordance with h
election pledges introduced in 1912 II
third home rule bill. This after a long ar
/, bitter fight In the House of Commons, w,
finally passed and, under the terms of II
Parliament act Of 1914, became a law wit