IRELAND UNDER HOME RULE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 78, 22 May 1911, Page 2

IRELAND UNDER HOME RULE.

Mr John Redmond has been expressing his views of Ireland under .tome Ruler “I believe,” ho said, “the working of an Irish Farllament would he a great surprise to the people of this country. It would be >orv unlike what they anticipate, there would lie a great deal of sober msiness and very low lircnojks. * n •i sense there would be less politics than at present. The questions arrsjii o: will be concrete, such as: him 11 vlie railways of the country be nationalised or shall they not? ‘How much money'can profitably ho spent on damage?’ and ‘How best shall ouv educational systems he hrougnt np-to-iate?’ finder present conditions no iiisincss man and , no profession;.! wan can represent an Irish constitu■ncy, and do his Parliamentary work Jfieiciitly, without injuring his busi-ic-ss or his profession. That, of nurse, is for mere geographical roa;ims; the time occupied in travelling tom Ireland to London and the isolation of one from the other. Yet .vervhody in Ireland woujd like to see Ua - e business men in our representa.ion, and we slionld undoubtedly got 'hem. ‘I think we should all ho in fir our of payment of members out cl I.i-■ State funds, byt that is a queninn wliich the Irish Parliament hould bo left free to settle for itself. •; am convinced that it will hs found ,-lien the matter is investigated that lie argument founded on finance is iio strongest of all in favour_ol Homo Rule, and from the British landpoint quite as imicli as from the Irish. Able men, educated men, with i largo stake in the country, would •ndouhtedly he chosen to represent rish constituencies, and the question •f religion would never arise. What as kept them out of public life hithrto lias been not the religion, but •■heir opposition to tlic principle of feme Rule. Once an Irish Rurliaumt is established that difference iisappoars. As to Protestants re•eiving fair play, the entire history if Ireland indicates that they will. Hit beyond that 1 would gladly ae■ept any safeguards which were conus tent witli ordinary democratic prmiples. As to the apprehensions wliich one hoars expressed in these natters, , I honestly believe that 12 norths’ experience of Home Rule will ’.ay such bogeys for ever.’ ”