The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-07-09
TI:f. IRISH QUESTION.

Parnc.I who led tbe Irish par.ia- 34aatary forces for 90 icus period was a0Lt every nov and then to re- peat that fl ever the Irish question was settled bg an outsider. and he generally meant England, it would never be settled at all.
 It is however very doubtful point 5f it can be settled any more satis- 9aetorily by the Irish themselves, for where was formerly one faction there are now many, and where was formerly the simple alternatives Of parliamentary or physical force, there are today all kinds of other alternatives, all claiming a share of support and all creating divided allegiance to the solution of the question in any particular phase.
 Briefly and unaffected by the in- truding questions of religious senti- ments or nationalistic feelings, the Irish question attains it's main de- gree of bitterness by reason of the fact that it is primarily an eco homie one.
 There is great poverty in Ireland, and it is very important to remem- Der that it is among the poorer classes that the demand for the set clement of the question is most acute. The well to do, who com s)lacently call themselves the better classes. have very little regar't for sAe political problems al all except =fs it affects their business and their prosperity.
 In the main. the Irish people ac. count for their poverty stricken con dition by the fact that they are at tached politically to Great Britain, and it is instinctively held that "e- paration from Great Britain, either totally and nationally or politicall', and with separate parliaments under khe same imperial flag, is absolutely essential to the recovery of the pros peritv that is more or less ma tionalst myth with the majority oi the people.
 At no time was there not extreme poverty and Restitution which was the national order of things since the Anglo Saxon at least arrived with his civilizing influence, and taking over a nation that had been generously presented to E!@ by the Pope of that day. And not even under the Irish parliaments was there anything else but sordid poy- erty of the extremist type among tho peasantry.
 The real fact then is that the workers in Ireland and the greater portion of the peasontry have had poverty with them from the cradle to the grave. and it is only natural that they should regard the govern anent which presides over the social conditions, and gives them enduring 1sermanence, with responsibility for rhis state of things.
 aIoIeover. the Irish are Catholic people, most of them deeply rell- gl0us and adhering to the older re- 1igion with a tenacity of purpose which became the more tenacious because the seyerest kind of perse' cntion was visited upon them foI their devotion to it. And as tho English government officials, iol the greater part gave positions oI power and profit almost exclusively 10 those who were protestants, they endowed professionalism with a share of responsibility for the somewhat forlorn condition of the masses.
 0f later years, the conservative governments after trying without success various forms of democratic coercion acts, duly passed by par giament, began another era and in sstituted what one of the Irish mem 0ers, for always among them were masters of phrases, called policy ,sf killing with kindness. Agra rian reforms. fiscal measures ant SC forth calculated to improve tho condition of the farmers and tC promote the interests of manufac tHrers were begun.
 IL was carried out by the British officials in Ireland with signal sue. cess and there was almost apparent