Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-02-25
ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
Preparations for Meetings OF Irish Ma
ttonalists I'm Ireland.

London Dispatch. The announcement Is
made that fifty meetings Of Irish nationalist
win be held simultaneously In as many cities
of Ireland on the evening of st. Patrck's day,
the nth proximo, and that meeting OF the
Irish parliamentary delegation, with Parnell
presiding, will be held at the same time at
Cannon street hotel London. An evening pa
per which is evidently very little in the comb
dence OF the Parnelltes, asserts that the object
of these meetings Is to issue to England the
ultimatum of the Irish people concerning home
rule. As only five days VIII elapsc between
-Patriek's day and the date set by Gladstone
for the commencement OF the governments
work on Irish legislation, the same paper
jumps to the conclusion that Parnell means TO
force a crisis on the home rule question. The
correspondent 10 the United Press asked
Thomas Sexton, the nationalist member for
South Sligo, how much truth there was in the
statement OF the object Of the meetings and Of
ParnelPs intention. Sexton said after read.
ing the newspaper excerpt: "Why, this Is all
nonsense. Doubtless there viii be many times
fifty meetings Of patriotic Irshmen In Ireland
on St. Patrick's night, They would be queer
st. Patricks II there were not. Also, we exllcs
propose t. celebrate the occasion In nm appro-
pirate way at Rands hotel. But do not be
lieve that Parnell intends to discharge any
manifesto. He dCe' not negotit In thu tway
He don't hunt ducks with q brass band. tn, 70
may have been written or verbal exchanges OF
views between Parncll and members Of the
government, but they are not likely to be
exploited over the walnuts and wines at
st, Patrick's night dinner. Then, why should
Parnell deliberately decide now TO force
crisis just twenty five days from
nowi He can Dust the government when he
chooses, on the budget, on foreign questions,
or any one of dozen other side issues, but
to proceed to extremes until the government
has frankly and fully shown its hand"
The most immediate source of perplexity to
Gladstone just now Is the construction Of
budget that will be allowed TO pass the house.
The finances Of the empire are In at least as
bad condition as they were last June when
Gadstone's government was overthrown on
the proposition to raise revenue that was
absolutely necessary, by increasing the tax on
beer The present chancellor Of the exchequer
Is q much feebler flnancier than Childers who
proposed the fatal beer tax. Sir William
Vernon-Harcourt does not pretend to under
stand finance; he admits that he Is q square
peg in q round hole, but he thinks he could
have graced the woolsack II Sir Farrer Her
schell had not been appointed lord high chan
cellor Under these circumstances, Gladstone
will have to prepare the budget himself. He
will never dare TO relntroduce the beer tax
proposal, and 1t is probable that he will beg the
question by seeking to spread the deficit over
the next four or five years. Lord Churchill
is stu the brilliant marplot of the tory
party. He is now monkeylng with the Irish
question, and may make as serious breach in
the tory ranks as he did with the same weap-
ons last spring He proposes to reconnoitrc
Ireland, or at least the Orange end of it, and II
will begin at Belfast. OF course he ha, no
mandate from anybody to settle anything, but
he goes with the prestige Of an ex-secretary Of
India, and he will be made the most of by the
Ulster Orangemen. His visit will probably
cause few ructions and many broken heads,
but 1t cannot result in anything serious or
practical.