Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-06-24
IRELAND'S CAUSE.
Gladstone Defends it in a Speech Made at
Edinburgh.

EDINBURGH, June Gladstone spoke
in Music hall here tonight. Tickets of
admission had been issued, and the hall
which is capable of holding 1000 persons
was filed to its utmost capacity, and the
audience cheered for Gladstone, and Lord
Rieseberg, and groaned for Chamberlain
Lord Harrington and other uniOnists, but
John COwen. the chairman of the Glad
stone election committee, who presided
over the meeting called for silence. When
he began his speech, Gladstone's voice
seemed less powerful than formerly. Re
ferring to the seeding liberals Glad
stone said the question was whether
the country would resolve with a strong
sense of justice and sympathy for Ireland
to compensate for these OBJECTIONS.
II am strongly convinced" he said,
chat the people have resolved to carry
the day Notwithstanding the defections of
prominent leaders of the liberal party.
This fcontest was fought against us by
the officers of our army. Conservatives
were content to leave the work in the
seeders' hands. They call themselves
unioni5ts and US disintegrators. They
wish to preserve the union unaltered.
We feel that it shall be specially conserv-
ed so far as it is valuable. We
seek union of heart and mind, which we
are struggling to restore. It is desirable
to speedily
CLOSE THIS GREAT CONTROVERSY.
for every interest in this country. The
position of all parties will be deplorable.
public business will be interrupted, and
public confidence shaken. Social order
in Ireland will not be restored unless peo-
pie speak clearly, manfully and decisively,
such as the question merits. (Cheers.) 1t
is important that the electors should real
ize the true issue, which is much disputed.
1t is choice between opposite policies
regarding Ireland; between opposite
principles of action, or as choice upon
the details of a large and complicated
bill. The question you are asked to de-
eide is the proposition to establish leg
islative body in Ireland to manage exclu
sively Irish affairs. 1t is principle upon
which you are called to vote, and not de-
tails and particulars of even a bill. It is
now idle to say that the country will be
asked to vote on the details of bill
which is dead with parliament. CHEERS
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE BILL SURVIVES.
Inever will be guilty Of dishonesty in
promising TO you without fenectlOn, the
new plan to give effect to principles.
will never accept the new plan unless I
believe it to be better than the old one.
I have been grieyously disappointed at
the barrenness and sterility concerning
our plan when they have raised objec-
tions. The last thing they have shown
themselves competent to do has been to
suggest improvements.
What the nation has to decide is not a
clause, detail or method of the bill
but the policy and principle en-
bodied therein. He who accepts them is
our brother in arms. He who repels
them, shirks them and uses fictitious
means to falsify them, is our adversary in
the fight, whom we must, without injury
to his life, limb or reputation, endeavoI
to defeat. 1 read in London that
Scotland was doubtful, or adverse
to home rule. I announced that did not
believe it (cheers). [ hoped for an op-
portunity to test it and saw enough in
my progress yesterday to show me
THAT THE HEART OF SCOTLAND
is more deeply and profoundly touched
than Scotland's will and that Scotland