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Show !Why Not Frea Irelaaa?. ' . PnriDg the progress of the Russo-Japanes.? war many Irishmen have been in open sympathy with : Russia, not that they loved Russia more, but because they loved England less.. They based their hostility to Japan upon the more or less open friendship of England for that nation. The attempt of England to rule Ifeland has been lept up for many "years and it is as far from being successful now as it was in the beginning, ttut with characteristic stubbornness iind tenacity to tra-. tra-. ion, England persists in one of the most futile endeavors en-deavors in history. She. has, steadfastly refused to j-ive Ireland home rule or anything else. She has tried .everything but conciliation and decent treatment." treat-ment." True, she has recently put into operation a plan, that wilt result injrish tenantsing' able to borrow money at low interest and on lon unie bat Ireland wants all or nothing.- ' - ' - - - So far she has got nothing and neither England nor Ireland has been. benefited. Suppose England tried the other plan.. ' ;; " - It wassuggeted; recently by. the .VcwiYor Sua that England set Ireland free. .The Sun can seldom be taken seriously and the first impulse, upon realin.f it3 editorial was to smile, but the suggestion taken, seriously seems excellent. There is no-reason why Ireland" could not govern-herself. , Her sons have done some pretty good work in the governing line in almost every land where their fortunes have been cast, and what land has not felt the hiiluence of the ever-delightful Irish nature? Set Ireland free and let her try her hand at it. It sounds well and we believe it would work well. At any rate, things could scarcely be worse than they are. ; Then instead of having an enemy ; England would : bare a friend. The Irish will give loyalty. freely. but tiey.' cannot 'be coerced into giving it. England would not need fear treachery. Irishmen fight brave ly under the English flag as it is, and they would fight for England-were they free. It. would be a great and a generous thing for England to free Ireland. It may be done. Stranger things have happened. '. - ' ' |