THE DUTY OF UNIONIST LIBERALS AT THE POLLING-BOOTHS.
(To MR EDITOR OF ms SPECTATOR."J you allow one who always has been, and who still is, an earnest Liberal, and who shares your unqualified admiration of our late leader's commanding genius, and your belief in the absolute sincerity of his desire to do justice to Ireland, a few words on the crisis into which we are so cruelly plunged P With many who have adopted the view which you have so ably advocated of the unhappy Bill for the Government of Ireland, the question must have presented itself during the past
few weeks,—What will be our duty in July in those constituen- cies where no Liberal candidate opposed to Home-rule for Ireland presents himself :—to abstain from voting, or to throw our influence in favour of the Conservative opponent of Home- rule P I can believe that a large number of electors will abstain from
voting, on the ground of a profound distrust of the Conserva- tive Party, their past history leading us to believe that their access to power may be followed by a complete change of front, and a still higher bid for the support of the Parnellites, a fear certainly warranted by the public utterances of some of their leaders when in office last autumn.
On the other hand, it will be said that the Tory Party is at the present moment bound by the strongest possible pledges not to hand over Ireland to Mr. Parnell's rule, and that the disastrous effects to Ireland, and in consequence to England also, resulting from subjecting the whole island, Catholic and Protestant alike, to the rule of a Nationalist Parliament sitting in Dublin, will be far greater than those of a temporary Conservative Government brought in largely by the votes of Liberals. A Liberal elector whose vote is determined by con- siderations such as these will be no traitor to his party, except so far as he acknowledges a higher allegiance than that of party ; a traitor to his principles he certainly will not be. I must admit that were I an Irish elector, I have little doubt what I should consider my duty to be ; and, if we could not support a member of Mr. Parnell's party, how can we tacitly support one who would, in the terse language of a member of the present Government, make Mr. Parnell Prime Minister of Ireland P One of the saddest features of the present struggle seems to me the way in which advocates of Home-rule for Ireland have forgotten—may we not say condoned P—the outrages and crimes by means of which the National League has obtained its pre- sent ascendency in the South and West. Only a year ago these crimes filled every Englishman with horror and indigna- tion. Now they are scarcely noticed by the Press, and we are told that we are wanting in kindness and charity if we refer to the past. These politicians seem to have an ardent faith that if we transfer a thistle to the garden, it will bring forth figs ; if we only water and pet a bramble enough, it will bear an abundant crop of grapes. I do not share their confidence.
In a speech or letter reported lately in one of the daily papers, a well-known Liberal M.P. suggested that it should be ascer- tained beforehand in every constituency whether the majority of the Liberal electors are in favour of Home-rule or not, and that every Liberal should pledge himself to vote according to the views of the majority. Is it impossible for him to conceive that we care more for the good government of Ireland than for the success of our party ? Many of our Conservative friends will show next month that their love of country is stronger than their love of party. Are Liberal Unionists to show themselves less patriotic ?
For those who believe that the establishment of a Nationalist Parliament in Dublin, with virtually the power of electing the Executive Government, will be a step fraught with the gravest dangers to the peace of Ireland and to the liberties of Irishmen, that, instead of being a " message of peace," it will embitter every feud and quench the last hope of reconciliation, it seems to me a sacred duty at least not to use our influence in favour of one who would support this policy. The simple question before the country will be,—Do you approve of a measure on the broad lines of the Bill lately thrown out by the House of Commons ? Probably the majority of the electors would answer, "No." Why should the verdict be obscured because a large number of those who disapprove belong to the Liberal Party ?
6 Park Village East, Regent's Park.
Previous page
