e demand. No candidate
at the last election ventured to ask the suffrages of any constituency
as "a supporter of things as they are." Yet that is practically the
attitude now assumed by the Ministerial party, both Conservatives and
Liberal Unionists. It is an attitude of which the country is getting
weary, as the bye-elections have shown. But the "Unionists," it must be
admitted, are in a sore dilemma. Their strength, such as it is, lies in
doing nothing for the reform of Irish Government. Their bond of union
consists of nothing else but opposition to Mr. Gladstone's policy. They
dare not attempt to formulate any policy of their own, knowing well that
they would go to pieces in the process. Their hope and speculation is
that something may happen to remove Mr. Gladstone from the political
arena before the next dissolution. But, after all, Mr. Gladstone did not
create the Irish difficulty. It preceded him and will survive him,
unless it is settled to the satisfaction of the Irish people before his
departure. And the difficulty of the final settlement will increase with
every year of delay. Nor will the difficulty be confined to Ireland. The
Irish question is already reacting upon kindred, though not identical,
problems in England and Scotland, and the longer it is kept open, so
much the worse will it be for what are generally regarded as
Conservative interests. It is not the Moderate Liberals or Conservatives
who are gaining ground by the prolongation of the controversy, and the
disappearance of Mr. Gladstone from the scene would have the effect of
removing from the forces of extreme Radicalism a conservative influence,
which his political opponents will discover when it is too late to
restore it. Their regret will then be as unavailing as the lament of
William of Deloraine over his fallen foe--

"I'd give the lands of Deloraine
Dark Musgrave were alive again."

The Irish landlords have already begun to realize the mistake they made
when they rejected Mr. Gladstone's policy of Home Rule and Land
Purchase. It is the old story of the Sibyl's books. No British
Government will ever again offer such terms to the Irish landlords as
they refused to accept from Mr. Gladstone. On the other hand, Home Rule
is inevitable. Can any reflective person really suppose that the
democracy of Great Britain will consent to refuse to share with the
Irish people the boon of self-government which will be offered to
themselves next year