Charles Bradlaugh

“ Now Lord Salisbury says: "Government by the majority works admirably well when it is confided to people of the Teutonic race, but it does not work so well when people of other races are called upon to join in it." If this means anything it means the perpetual denial to Ireland of the political right freely accorded in this country. In arranging in 1885 the redistribution of political representation, Lord Salisbury concurred with Mr. Gladstone in keeping the number of Irish representatives relatively to population in excess of the representation accorded to the rest of the United Kingdom. ”

“ It has irritated Ireland almost beyond endurance, and it has resulted in preventing the Imperial Parliament from giving its attention to many reforms of which England stands in need."
Surely those have no claim to be called Unionists who try to perpetuate a state of things so dangerous and unjust. Real union is only possible between free and equal peoples; where one has the right of self-government and the other is denied this, there may be conquest and subjection, there is no union. There is the bond which power forges, which holds as a chain ”

“ The voter may ignore Mr. Chamberlain, for he, too, though in favor of some large remedy for Irish misgovernment, has for the moment given in the lobby the strength of himself and his friends to swell against Mr. Gladstone the ranks of Lord Salisbury's followers. Tories know this well enough, for they openly declare that they intend to vote for the so-called Unionist Liberals who have figured in the division list against the principle of local self-government for Ireland. The choice for the nation to-day is only between Mr. Gladstone and the Tories. ”

“ For eighty-six years, during at least five-sixths of that period, you have tried coercion, and for most of that time Ireland was practically powerless in the Parliament at Westminster. Now, with the state of English political parties, no English statesman can feel quite sure of retaining power with a band of eighty-six resolute men in face of him to turn the scale on each earnestly-contested division. ”

“ Those who support a proposal for a subordinate legislature in Ireland, with exclusive powers, are now called Separatists; but such subordinate legislatures with such exclusive powers have for some twenty years existed in the Dominion of Canada, and separation has not followed. Yet surely Canada is more amenable to attraction from the United States than Ireland could possibly be from any foreign power. ”

“ Nearly every Conservative speaker in the House of Commons on January 26th urged that the division which was then about to take place was really on the issue raised as to Ireland. The amendment of Mr. Jesse Collings, vigorously opposed by Lord Hartington, Mr. Goschen and their friends, was only carried by the aid of the Irish vote. That vote was certainly given to drive the Tories from office because of their coercion declaration. ”

“ Chamberlain in his anxiety for "immediate legislation for the benefit of the agricultural laborer", he did not so stand with him at the end of January. If you are in doubt how you should vote, remember that for more than a quarter of a century Mr. ”