HOME RULE QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1602, 20 November 1912, Page 8

HOME RULE QUESTION.

■— o— • :A STRIKING LETTER. A very striking letter on the Bule situation is printed in tho "Manchester Guardian" from tlio pen of Mr. 11.I 1 . Hugh O'Donnell, the : veteran Home Ruler, who fought with Isaac Butt and Parnell. .- It reveals some new phases cf the Irish question. He writes:— .. Ths serious tone adopted by Mr. Scott oii a recent occasion iu reference, to the Government meaeuro of Home llulo has boen widely remarked upon, and by none more earnestly, than by tho old school of Irish Home Rulers who have been practically excluded from Irish politics sine® tho death of. Mr. Butt. ,Soni6 months ago I .wrote in* the "Daily News" that, a-i regards Ulster, the apprehensions which were honestly felt in a portion of 5 that Irish province made it in the liijch-' est degree advisable to amend tho Government Bill to tho extent of the following- minimum: "That, while tho simple administration of existing laws of the. .Imperial Parliament might bs cjnfided to the new Assembly iu Dublin, iu tlio caso of all new legislation,. before being - applied in the following counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Tyrone, and Deiry, there should be permission for a i'opulav vote, in each of the-said counties to the reception of such legislation; aiid that in case of an adverse vote no such, new legislation should operate within tlio said counties so opposing until ratified by the Imperial Parliament.". This provision would absolutely, guarantee the most apprehensive Protestants against now oppressivo legislation—a irest improbable contingency;;.!!! 1 itself—while allowing tho free I 'operation 6f'the Government measure of Home Rule ds regards the existing body of the established law.!' In this .manner the normal working of self-government would be .-endenid possible and easy, while there would be absolute safety against the very possibility of'unjust innovations. I still flunk. that some such amendment is absolutely indispensable, and for it I respectfully invite your best consideration. While I admit that the surexcitation of a portion, of the Irish Protestant population renders advisable or necessary such an amendment as the foregoing,.-it does not at all follow that, as at present drafted, the Government measure of Home Rule protects the interests of liberty, education, and property among tho Catholics of the nation. You are per- [ fectly free to remark that I do not represent the power tfhich' now controls Ireland, nor the overwhelming bulk of tho' supporters of -that power. Though vicepresident of the Home Rule Confederation under Mr. Butt, though thrice elected by Irish constituencies, though an unswerving .supporter of "Grattan's Parliament and something more"—namely, a due, share for Ireland ,in the common Empire, : I, like, the whole body of what may be called the upper, and middle classes under Mr. Butt, am totally without weight or influence with the mabes of United Irish Leaguers and Ancient Hibernians who. dominate Ireland since the introduction of the American'control and the Amerfcan money. You may keep your eye fastened and fixed on the Protestant minority under a hostile majority. Personally, I believe that a special prudence will be exhibited towards Protestants. But Eng: lishmen quite forget the 500,000 primary electors poured into the Irish constituencies by the .Franchise Acts of 1831 and 1885, _ and completely swamping and sweepmg away tho opinions of the quarter million of higher-qualified voters which previously represented Ireland. That fivo hundred thousand, organised by American money, enabled by American "money to control ths entire, electoral machine, may 1)© ft democratic ideal; but it is sovereign over tho higher minority, Catholic m well as Protestant. _ I havo heard ■a- leader of tho Irish Nationalist party, a representative of the Bid Faniau masses, speak of the vast Leagu©-a.nd-Molli«" as the Organised Iporanoe of Ireland. At all events-thafc Organised Ignorance, led by a handful of men. who do not regard the opinions of •minorities, is granted by the Governmont measure complete and unfettered control of tho liberty, education, and property of tho minority, Catholic far moro than. Protestant. The "oppressed Orangemen" will always win sympathetic tears in England and sv,ift protection, if need were. • For the classes who used to stand around Isaac Bntt, William Shaw, Colonel Colthurst, Col. onel Kinr-Hannan, Lord Francis Conyngham, O'Connor Don, etc.,'there will be no sobbing sympathisers in England, and no representation nor protection under tho Government measure. . A Fort , of House of Commons will represent the men and tho methods which havo monopolised the Irish constituencies for thirty years. of Second Chamber will be nominated by tho Prime Minister of the sort of House of Commons. Though excluded from all Imperial dignity, that will control tho domestic existence of Ireland! God help us! Of course, oven if England were the wis-est of rulers I should maintain Irish self-government. But certainly the Hank incompetence of both English, parties even to understand >an Irish situation confirms the convictions of men l : ke me. What' English statesman or politician even suspects that tho English-?nacted Franchise Acts of 188-1-5 form fhe Teal gravity and danger of every Hom« Rule Bill that can bs introduced from anywhere? Quarter of a century ago 'you added 500,000 fairly incompetent and wholly intolerant primary, electors to'the Irish constituencies, which oiily number 250,000 of a. more independent class pre-, viously. You Continued to place the. electoral expenses on the candidates. You continued to permit all the < iecioral expanses of an organisation's to be paid by a fund mainly raised abroad. 'As a rolo, ho independent can'didate could meet out of his. personal Tesources the joint fund of a quasi-iosmo-politan organisation. Electoral contests ceased automatically throughout Ireland. The "Organised Ignorance" and fhe Organising Dollar hold universal sway. They slill hold sway under the Government measure. There is no provision to check them. They, can place what .burthens they please on what; victims t!,ey chosi?, on Protestants probably !ca.4 cfi-.11. Wood/ Great jPeppermlnt.Curo,' Is, Gd, Foe Chronic Cheat Coiacklstb*