HOME RULE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 47, 24 February 1906, Page 14

HOME RULE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— Having seen a letter by n correspondent " M.J.R.." ro the Homo Rule meeting held horo last wcok, nnd also that of "CIV in reply thereto, wherein he explains the object of that mooting, etc, I oniinot help thinking, in tho first place, that your correspondent "M.J.R." inclines to throw cold water on the movement .bocnufe of nny expectation towards the granting of Belf-ffovorninont to Ireland from tho present Liboral Party in power. According to him, that boon is not likoly to be gained until the «dvent of the Labour party to oftico nnd power 1 , while " C.F. pins his faith to determined orgniiisntion niffl agitation, both for the Homo Uulors and tho Labour parly. I ,• i. „..,. i ThcVo may i bo something in either of thoso contentions) but I might point out thnt Home Rule differs from oven the prent Labour nnd ptlier social problems in this i thnt it is a request or demand of a whole people or nation, independent of tho cnllhifit or social status of nny particular section, to be nllowod the tight to mnko thoir own laws as relating to nnd bearing on nil the internal affairs of the people, whilo subject nnd amenable to othor world-wide questions affecting the Imperial Government. That is "Homo Rulo " OB demanded by tho Irish people, nnd is practically what wo enjoy here in Now Zealand, , i Wo hern in this colony woud not onuc in hnvo our laws maimfuotured for us In Westminster, nnd its operation directed for our benefit, or perhaps otherwise, from Downiiiß-strppt, I venture to Bny wo would soon "ktck up a rumpus" 1 ) nve, and show signs of supposed disloyalty, too. Well, that is exactly the poiiilion Ireland is placed in, nnd, indeed, In nn aggravated form, Nearly mil tho Government oflloinls in Dublin Cnstlo. nnd throughout tho country, nro men wno as a nib Bi-o nol of tho people, and therefore , entirely out of touch with their b,osl interest* and thnt of tlio country ovor which tho Imperial Parliaments sets them to govern, Who »icod wonder, then, that tho Irish demand a change T Many intolligcnt, «nd otherwise lib-eral-minded men look upon the question of Home Rule as n something not to bo tnken t seriously, simply because they havo not atttdied the rnuws thnt demand it. Tlipy only consider tho agitation for it n kind of rhronio disenso with tho Irish, for which thero is no npnnvenl euro sate n bit of political liumounng nt ils f jicrtotHcal nnd acute singe, Others, ngnin, tnke it more sciiously, ns tending to interfere with the integrity of tlio Empire, etc., while it would in truth havo jirtt. fno opposite effect. No people can bo expected to lio truly loynl nnd cofitontod who admittedly hnve n just griovnnee. I think it wn« Honjnmln Fi-nnklin, the grent 1 Amerienti Blntestnim nnd t philosopher, who mid: "A mtili who denies others cqunllty of rights is himself hardly tvoilhy of Freedom," and never wero truer words or nobler sentiments expressed. And Dr. Nnnsoii, speakitiK of tho union of Sweden nnd Norway, said that "nny union in which tho olio peoplu is restricted by the other in oxercising its freedom of action, is nnd will remnin ii sourco of dniiger." " Rut a strong nnd strenuous union bolween two countries can only ho built upon (he two peoples' complete independence nnd freedom of nclion, united together voluntarily." 1 tnke It thilv (he Iriih Nnlionnlints nro nol necessarily pinning thoir faith to nny pnrtirulnr parly in tlio HritMi l'nrlittinont. Thoir platform is to avnil themselves of every opportunn nnd fnvournblo menns to pvonn their lust demnnds. Util, tlio Unionists or Conservatives hnvo received nnch n shork, mh-Ii n rude nnd determined n«nl\enm« of tho Intent powers of Democracy nnd Liberuliim M-ns evldem-ed nl the' Into olenions, that they e«n scnicely hone to ever come buck ntfiiin wilh anything liko tho streiißth to the cnuso of Homo Thilo, Tlio Iriih poonlo nro only nsking whnt (l\o Brillnh rulers nnd slnlrsnien nro ndVocrtlinn for other jieonlcs in other countries, so Ihnt Its withholding is entirely unleiiiilila, no mntlcr which nnrty is occupying Iho Ti-PBsuiy llpnelios in the British House of, Commons,— l nm, rte,,, AN HUKIIMAN. Wellington, 25th February, 1905,