nsists on that very thing,
and votes for it, with his crowd of noughts behind him. For I reckon
all his Parliamentary supporters as noughts, to which a value is given
by the figure 1 at their head. Isn't that true? What would the rest be
without him? The bulk of his adherents are precisely the kind of men
nobody ever pays any attention to. There's Morley, a good writer, but
not a man of business. Then there's Harcourt. How can Englishmen stand
such a hollow humbug? He'll say anything, any blessed thing. I prefer
Tim Healy, even, to Harcourt. Tim was roughly brought up, and, as he
gets his living by politics, he is to some extent excusable. The way
that Harcourt attacked the Irish party, so long as Mr. Gladstone
attacked them! The things he said, the strong language he used so long
as that course pleased Mr. Gladstone! Now he turns round and calls
them beauties; and for that matter so they are. It's what I mostly
call them myself. Beauties.

"The arrangement to keep the Irish Nationalists at Westminster is
something for Englishmen to consider. If they can swallow that they
can swallow anything. They can have no pride about them, or else they
are taking no further interest in their own affairs. To give the Irish
members power to vote on all questions coming before the Imperial
Parliament, while conceding to them the privilege of managing their
own affairs without interference, is indeed an eye-opener. The British
Parliament had sunk low enough when it began to heed the clamour of a
set of American-paid blackguards such as the bulk of the Irish members
are, by their own supporters, admitted to be. But how much lower has
England sunk when she accepts the dictation of these men, and says,
'You can manage your own affairs and direct my business too.' These
fellows are to be masters of Ireland _and_ masters of England. For of
course, they can always exert a preponderating influence in British
affairs, holding as they do the balance of voting power. And
Englishmen will submit to this; and will let their members be gagged
and the clauses shoved through the House by hydraulic power.
Englishmen are so fond of boasting of their Freedom and Independence.
Why, they are being treated like fools and slaves. And by such a low
set of fellows. Some of the Nationalist members wipe their noses on
the tails of their coats, and when those are worn out they use their
coat-sleeves. One of them was staying in an hotel where I was, and I
saw him