The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-31 00:00:00

A
GE' ‘NTED t o push first-cla,s Machinery
Oils. Liberal Conitnis4ion.—Box 31. Poet
0 Ice, Liverpool.

e ,tottrtyribge 13 tiscrber,

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31st, 1885.

THE DYNAMITE HORROR.

UPON the occasion of none of the dynamite
outrages, from March, 1883, down to the
2nd of this month, has universal indignation
and anger risen to such a pitch, or interna-
tional sympathy been more unanimously de-
monstrated than has been the case since the
explosion of Saturday last. On that day the
ninth of a series of dynamite outrages,
enacted in the Metropolis within less than
two years, wrought havoc within the pre-
cincts of the Palace of Westminster—even
within the very Council Chamber of the
nation. The particulars are too well known
to need recapitulation. It was evident,
from the simultaneous character of the ex-
plosions at Westminster and the Tower of
London, that a deep laid scheme of murder-
ous design had been prepared by the villain-
ous wretches who infest the country, and
who are the emissaries of the anti-English
savages of the O'Donovan Rossa type. Until
the revelations were made as a necessary
-result of the attempted murder in Rossa s
office a little time ago our American cousins
were disposed to look lightly upon the sus-
picion cf England that the mainspring of
the dynamite action was in New York ; that
the United States were indirectly- respou-
Bible for mnch of the destruction of property
and the alarm created by the new terrorism
in the lother Country. But the tragedy
lifted the veil, and it has only required the
recent outrages to emphasise the necessity
of Washington dealing somewhat hastily
with the question. A Dynamite Prohibi-
tion Bit! has been already introduced in the
New York Legislature and this is reported
ta be Inure comprehensive and satisf7y!tory
than a prior measure treating willi the
same subjee.t. The new hill makes it a
felony to contribute or solicit money for the
purpose of manufacturing or using explo-
sives to destroy life an.l property. While
America is stirring in a matter in which
nations can have but a common interest,
other countries, where extraordinary restric-
tions are not in forc:.b, are preparing to meet
a possible incursion of the dynamite fiend
with relentless severity. All nations and
peoples sympathise with England. They do
more; they set our Ministry an example of
promptitude and determination to extermin-
ate the cowardly miscreants as they wmld
vermin from the face of the earth. It seems
somewhat ludicrous at any time to lock the
stable door when the horse is stolen ; but it
is worse than ludicrous to act as our authori-
ties have done during the past two years
When the explosion occurred at the Local
Government Board offices and at the Times
office, extra precautions were taken to pro-
tect our public buildings. The police force
was considerably augmented, and everything
that official- ingenuity could devise was
adopted to prevent a recurrence of such out-
rages. There was then of course, an absence
of them, because it was next to impossible
under the enlarged surveillance for dyna-
mitards to accomplish their dark designs. A
month or two of this immanity led our par-
simonious Government to relax the surveil-
lance, with the result that almost immedi-
ately occurred the explosions on the Under,
ground Railway and the renewal of terror-
ism. As a contemporary says, this rarrow
retrenchment runs round all little outgoings,
and then we waste millions to redeem our
first faults. "We could afford to lay out
thousands for every ten pounds O'Donovan
Roaes could commend; yet he baffles us,
sending his men and his square packages to
and fro with secrecy, and organising with
imptmity his murder by parcels delivery."
Again the forces were enlarged, the oppor-
tunities for outrage narrowed, and the dyne-
mitards scared; but almost immediately the
extra precautions were withdrawn, and as
before outrage ensued. This had been the
policy of the authorities throughout. It was
the policy of Mr. Gladstone in Ireland. He
repealed the Crimes Act only to be com-
pelled to re-enaqt it by the recurrence of
treason and outrage. Shall it be the policy
agaig? This appears to us to be the momentous
question which arises from the evtnts of last
Saturday. Mr. Gladstone is responsible,
for the statement that the Manchester out-
rage and the Clerkenwell explosion brought
certain legislation "within the range of prac-
tical politics." Shall the Government of
England be intimidated into a dismember-
ment of the Empire byethe lawlessness of a
band of villainous murderers, when by a
liberal administration of the Police Depart-
ment the ruffians might in all probability be
checkmated in their game, or at any rate be
brought to justice and relegated to a prison
grave or the oblivion of a penal settlement?
That such intimidation and by violent
moans is the Fenian programme we know.
The bortherhood have taken Mr. Gladstone's
lesson to their heart; they are holding it
fast—and having, as they imagine, es-
timated fair means to obtain their ends they
have ferociously resolved upon foul. That
apostle of Fenianism, Michael Davitt, makes
uo bones about it, and we do not require an
overflow of intelligence to gather "between
the line" what he meant in his semi-mani-
festo with which he favoured the interviewer
of a leading London evening paper, almost
before the sounds of Saturday's explosion
had died away. "Why do the Irish leaders
not denounce their miscreants?" asked the
luterviewer. Dacia replied, "they might as
well expend their indignation upon the
Mahal." We may say here in parenthesis
that as Mr. Peasy, Mr. Parnell's colleague
Is tho representation of the City of Cork,
declares the Mandi to be actaally a certain
Mr. Sullivan, of Cork, the Irish might have
more influence with the dusky warrior than
Davitt appears to imagine. Returning to
the interview; Davitt added, 'lrish leaders,
both in America and Ireland, have repudi-
ated and denounced the use of dynamite as
an-Christian and immoral and disastrous to
the Irish cause; but dynamite advocates
have retorted and I must say, with, truth,
that England has never once conceded any-
thing to the just demands of Ireland unless
eckitpel bell' policy was first made to pre-
dispose her to give to the menace and law-
lessness of desperation what she persistently
refused to legal and constitutional efforts.'
Mr. Gladstone as we have shown, gave the
text and Davitt preaches the sermon. in
the same interview the ex-convict declares
that tho shattered buildings and destroyed
premonitory attacks"
cloak-rooms are ()ply "
which "will be followed by more desperate
and reckless outrages." Here is a distinct
easertioni which, perhaps, it would be folly
to take as gospel; but nevertheless the ex-
perience of past outrages, how and when and
under what conditions they were possible,
ought to poi:wince the authorities of the para-
meent daty of preserving and maintaining
a force able it/ cope with every emergency,
sad to insist upon restrictions which should
wake at least inch clumsy ahempts as
those of Saturday impossible.

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