The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-26

ono Of tho oldest. most CONSISTENT "''N
mos, aristocratic Tory families IN EHS-
! llsh history. has openly aN""ed no
| conversion from Uninnist rrInclpl"S'
| adding that his constituents h"u
pressed entire agreement IN his con-
version. Even Lord Hugh cecil mas
abandoned his non-posSumus atntuue
by SUGGESTING separate provincial "ouh-
oils should hc set un in ireland. II"
| spccCh Of Mr. MACPHERSON. the Hc"'C'
chief secretary for Ireland irtt OH ihe
! the impression Of his hrst SNr'"'h SUM-
! weeks ago that he had gone over com
! rls,cly To tho Tory. Orange and Mill
! tarist party in Ireland. and that 'hcI'
! is no hope from him "f any real az
tcmpt 70 solve the question. ne eaHe
; evidence besides Of such hlHhiH uI'-
ncrvcd and excited contention as ~
make il clear that the perils and d'nl-
| rutics Of his situation already threaten
; him with that physical as we'll as po-
! litical undoing which has been the 1atc
! Of most chief secretaries.
/ In ,hc meantime the daring. ruthlcss
war on British officials in ireland pro-
; code with no apparcnt chance Of Duh
lin castle either preventing or hunting
| II down Ono bright spot amid the
! darkness of repression on one slde ana
/ fierce retaliation on the other is inc I'M
! mensc advance in the acceptance OF
! larger measure OF Irish autonomy IMAM
| any hitherto admitted even by the ar
dent liberal home rulers. All now agree
that dominion home rule is the least
! Ireland can be offered with any chance
! of accordance. Whether even that
would be accepted now il is difficult 10
say.
Commons O. "shepherdless Flock"
One Of the reasons parliamentary life
! remains so languid in addition 10 those
, already given. Is the distribution not
! only Of interest but Of personalities ne
tween London and Paris. This is one
! man government to an extent almost
| unnrccedcntcd in modern parliamcnts.
! and tho one man is in Paris with all
| his thoughts concentrated IN Iarls ana
the problems Of Paris. His SUBSTITUTE
| Ronar Law. also is compelled frequent
| " to absent himself in Paris. and even
when Mr.. Law is present Il" is paralFZ-
| cd by personal timidity and the con-
| slant uncertainty as TO whether he in
! terprcts rightly tho mind and purpose
/ of his wayward. cniGmatIr chief. with
! whom he has so little community OF
| opinion, tradition and temperament.
and whose stcadfastncSs either "f con-
| viction or comradcship can be SO little
] relied on.
| Applying this extraordinary Condi-
| ton Of leadership TO such a hous" OF
/ commons as the present YOU arrive At
an explanation of tho sclfshncss and
I its loss Of all sclf-Confid"nC". Never
did parliament consisting Of such a
! large number Of utterly inexperienced
! politicians stand so much in need Of
! leadership. and tho leadership is absent.
The result is YOU have a shepherdlcss
flock of peculiarly docilc, tame and I'M
certain sheep.
We have also. owing TO tho practical
! adoption recently of tho American sys-
! tenn Of parliamentary committees 10
! examine bills. transferred interest from
! the floor Of the house OF commons to
! committee rooms in other parts Of the
! building with consequent absence
! from the commons Of members tired
out by long hours in tho earlier part Of
/ he day in. numerous communities. Thus
: there is going on under our eyes a
curious transformation of parliament
airy life and institutions. n process
! which few observe and tho final out
come Of which no prophet can forcScc.