The Alaska daily empire., 1919-02-03

III the Dlllu Ol IuC pOOplS.
 By speech, by pamphlet, and skill full and insistent propaganda the very laborers of Ireland have got it into their heads that the English Parliament robs them, that the Ma tionalist part was powerless to pre- vent the robbery, and that by ab- stention from parliament they can free themselves from that taxation But how? The answer is by a strike against taxes. Taxes levied by an Irish parliament say the Sim Feiners, they will pay; taxes levied by the parliament in London, which the elected representatives will not attend, will not be paid.
 Their Notion of Rebellion
 That is the policy, and it ought to be known in England, for this is the sort of rebellion for which Sim Fein is preparing. One method of carrying out such strike is humor ous, but may not be less effective on that account.
 Sim Fein has it's ethical side. It was, and still is, temperance and a purity movement and it would be a mistake to think there are not fine and earnest men in it because it has gathered to itself of late much of the political blackguadism of Ire land, physical force men, so-called Bolshevists, and people fit only for criminal fanatic prisons.
 They have taken pledges never to take whiskey, for every glass of whiskey an Irishman takes means taxation that the Government col lects. It has become comprehen slv and many-sided movement, anG abstention from whiskey which pays duty-might seriously affect revenue
 The Sim Fein calcualtions is that the British revenue benefits three half-pence from every tot of whiskey drunk, and that by reducing con sumption by one-half the British revenue could be cut down by two and half millions yearly. Be worth these figures what they may, this l. one of the Sim Fein ideas by which strike against taxation may be made operative.
 The reader will now see the con nection between refusal to attend Westminster and be parties to the taxation of Ireland and refusal in Ireland to pay taxation levied by any other parliament than one in Dublin
 What will the Sim Fein members of parliament do if they do not gc to Parliament? They may do just nothing. Those who are in prison already may be kept there. Those who are free may earn Imprisonment That is one way in which events may shape. It is not an agreeable oi satisfactory was of governing a coun try; and it could not last.
 A British Parliament which could not find a better way than that could not last. The electorate outside would lose faith in its wisdom and political capability. The Ireland which claims to be national en tity could not be governed with its elected persons permanently in pris on. Either the electoral system would have to be scrapped or use made of it.
 Whether in prison or out of prison the Sim Feiners intend to make use of it on a plan of their own. If their declarations are worth anything and now that the movement may be taken seriously-what they in tend to do is to form a de facto gov ernment or parliament in Dublin This is to consist of the elected persons who will not sit at West minister and the members of the Genseral Council of the County Coun cils of Ireland, with representatives of urban councils, rural councils Poor Law boards and Harbor boards
 These persons are to form Ma tional Assembly. It's aims are to be setting up of protective system fol Irish industries, with an Irish consu lar service abroad, the establishment of a national bank, an Irish mercan tile marine, reform of education or the basis of compulsory teaching ol Irish, control of transport facilities non n-elistment in the British army and the rejection of British author ity in Ireland, legislative or execu tive.
 With the practicability of this pro gram this correspondence Is not con cerned. There it is as a factor in Irish, and therefore in British poll tics. All that I am now concerned with is setting forth the facts foi public information with view oi the forseeable results of the General Elections. And the chief fact is that parliamentarianism- repre- sentatives working, in and through the British Partliament-has broken down in Ireland; to be strictly accu rate, in all that part of Ireland which returns Sim Feiners. That is the hard fact which has to be grasped and it my be doubted whether the English people, with their many and greater preoccupations. have yet ap