he Colonel, who said, "My
gamekeeper. A fine, rough-coated Scotsman. Came over here a mad
Gladstonian. Pinned his faith to the G.O.M. Followed him blindly, and
owned he was content to do it. Get into conversation with him. Observe
the change, the decided change in his opinions."

Soon I had Velveteens in full cry. His opinions were indeed decided.
Having admitted that they had boxed the compass during a six months'
residence in this down-trodden country, he went on to say, "The only
way ye could cure the discontent is to make no attempt at it. Then the
agitation would stop. The people are the biggest fules I ever saw.
Instead of returning a sound, advanced Radical like Emerson T.
Herdman, a man who pays them thirty or forty thousand a year, and who
spends all his money in their midst, the fules go and vote for a thing
like Arthur O'Connor, who never was here but once, and who never did
them the compliment of issuing an address. When Mr. Herdman came to
Stranorlar the people stoned him and his friends. And yet nobody ever
said, or could say, a word against the Herdmans, who are among the
most popular people in Ireland, and who deserve the best that can be
said of them. O'Connor costs these poor folks two hundred pounds a
year. They raise it in the constituency. Mr. Herdman would have cost
them nothing, and might have spent even more than he does at present.
He has opened up the greatest industry in the North-west of Ireland,
keeps a whole country-side going, and is an out-and-out Liberal. The
greatest exertions were made to secure his return, and the Catholics
promised to vote for him. He stumped the country, and left no stone
unturned. The Nationalist candidate never came here till the last
moment, and, as I said, issued no address. The people knew nothing of
him, and had never heard of him. But they voted as the priests told
them, and they would have voted for a stick. Ought such people to have
the franchise?

"What would I do to settle the Irish question? I've heard that
somebody proposed sinking the country for twenty-four hours. That
might do. Or you could withdraw the police and military, and in every
market town open a depot for the gratuitous distribution of arms and
ammunition. In ten days there would only be a very small population,
and you could then plant the country with people who would make the
best of it, and mind their work, instead of spending their time
standing about waiting for Home Rule to make th