nage at the door looked
so uncommonly Unionistic that I ventured to make a few inquiries _re_
the antiquities of the district. The inevitable topic soon turned up,
and to my surprise my friend avowed himself a Home Ruler and a
Protectionist. His opinions and illustrations struck me as
remarkable, and with his permission I record them here.

"Yes, I am a Home Ruler--in theory. I think Home Rule would be best
for both. Best for you and best for me, as the song says; but mark me
well--NOT YET.

"You are surprised that I should say Not Yet so emphatically, but the
fact is I love my country, and, besides, all my interests and those of
my children are bound up with the prosperity of the country. This
ought to sharpen a man's wits, if anything could do it, and I have for
many years been engaged in thinking out the matter, and my mind is now
made up.

"Home Rule from Gladstone will ruin us altogether. We must have Home
Rule from Balfour. We _must_ have Home Rule, but we must have it from
a Conservative Government. You smile. Is that new to you? It is? Just
because Home Rulers in this country cannot afford to express their
views at this moment. But the hope is entertained by all, I will say
all, the most advanced Irish Home Rulers. By advanced I mean educated,
enlightened. Let me give you an illustration which I heard from a
friend in Cork.

"Here is Ireland, a delicate plant requiring untold watching and
careful training. Around it on the ground are a number of slugs and
snails. Or call them hireling agitators if you like. I sprinkle salt
around the roots to kill off the brutes and save my darling plant.
That salt is Conservatism. It is furnished by people of property, by
men who have interests to guard. Salt is a grand thing, let me tell
you! Balfour is the man to sprinkle salt. Home Rule from him would be
safe. He is the greatest man that ever governed Ireland, but that must
be stale to you. You must have heard that everywhere. He put his foot
on rebellion and crushed it out of existence. On the other hand the
poor folks of the West coast would lie down and let him walk over
them. They hold him in such esteem that they would regard it a favour
if he would honour them by wiping his feet on them. He might walk
unarmed and unattended through Ireland from end to end with perfect
safety. But which of the Nationalist members could do that? Not one.
The city scum, the criminal, irreclaimable class, shout 'Hell to
Balfour,' but