The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-10-22 00:00:00

MR. STANHOPE AT WIGAN.

Mr. Stanhope was present at a Conservative
demonstration held in the Drill Hall, Wigan on
Monday evening, and replied to a vote of confidence
in the Government. The difficulties which beset the
Government were, he said, great and increasing. He
doubted whether any Ministry had taken office under
greater difficulides than Lord Salisbury's. Notwith-
standing the obstacles which had been put in their
way the Government had been able to give 1 o the
Irish tenants probably the greatest boon ever given
them. Affairs in Ireland demanded the closest
attention. It was not at this moment a question of
the Union or the failure of the Union, but whether
Ire'and should be governed or not. There were
some who declared that there was liAle or no crime in
Ireland. Such persons he would refer to the counties
of Cork and Kerry, where large numbers of tile
inhabitants were boycotted and under police
protection. This was a state of things which any
Government had to watch very seriously, and no
Government would be justified in handing these people
over to those who wished to injure them. They were
entitled to that protection which any Government
worthy of the name was bound to give to all its sub-
jects. Ihe Conservatives wished to give the same
liberty to the loyal in Ireland as to the disloyal. As
to the freedom of the Press, the Conservative party
did not wish to place shackles on the Press of
Ireland. They could publish fair comments on their
proceedings, abuse the Government if they liked, but
they should not use their columns for the purpose of
assisting conspiracy, of carrying out intimidation and
outrage in a manner which no civilised country would
tolerate for one moment. Some of their friends had
been discouraged by the failure of the recent pro-
eecutions. He admitted that some bad undoubtsdly
failed ; but though it might be law, it was not common
sense to say that the newspaper reports, published
with such effrontery, were not sufficient evidence.
They knew perfectly well that !very obstacle would
be put in their way, but on the other hand there
were elements of encouragement in their work,
and these were in the unanswerable speeches made
by Mr. Chamberlain in Ulster, and in the increasing
strength of ties between themselves and the
Unionist body. They had made some pro-
press in Ireland, but after all they were only on
the threshold of their work, and their difficulties
were increased by the incursion of Englishmen
into Ireland. The acts of the police were shown
in as unfavourable a light as possible, and the resident
magistrates and judges were treated with scorn. There
!night have been mistakes on the part of the police—
it would have been odd if there had not been—but it
was their duty to support the police, who, with few
exceptions, discharged their onerous duties with
courage and self-devotion. If the law-abiding of this
country did not support the polies, then the time of
rebellion would have come, and the period of mob
law was imminent. They were determined to uphold
the reign of law and order in Ireland, and he ap-
pealed to the electors to support them in their arduous
task.