Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-04-28
HOME RULE.
TERRIBLE BLOW TO GLADSTONE'S
OPPONENTS.
Faith in the Premier by his Followers

J. j. Clancy, Of London, telegraphs as FOL
lows to tho Boston Herald "Home rulc
holds the field here and in Ireland. Scarcely
anything else Is discussed in public, In both
countries, too, Gladstone's bills hold the field
Discussion aids them, and since their intro
duction the chances of their passing the Com
mons havo never been greater than ut this
moment The home rule bill is now
certain OF passing, Scarcely a Liberal
organisation in England but has declared for
it, and even in Birmingham, after Chamber
lain's speech the predominant feeling is in
Thursday night was n mighty success and,
by reason of the multitude of Radical associa-
tons represented at it, has been n terrible
blow to Gladstone's opponents, and especially
to the Times, which rashly declared last week
that not single body OF the kind would be
found supporting the ministry on this ques
tion. And undoubtedly the Bradford election
and Lord Spencer's speech have had by far
the greatest influence in eIecting the swing
round to the premier that Is now so distinctly
in progress. 1t is not merely that pro.
nounced home ruler succeeds n pronounced
ant!-homo ruler in Bradford, but the
new member represents what has hitherto
been one of the Tory districts of
that town. An event like this is
calculated to decide, and has decided,
all wayering Liberals, for it is distinct
warning that the great body OF the Liberal
and Radical electors of the country will stand
by the grand old man, and that whoever OPP
poses him will be simply crushed out of po-
litical existence. Then Lord Spencer is, on
home rule the greatest authority in England,
for he has boen the most thoroughgoing coer-
zionist Ireland has ever known in modern
,t,l,.,y l,a IApl n,,nC
that British rule in Ireland has miserahly
failed, that the Irish may be trusted to keep
their promises, and that the charges of com
plicty with crime hurled at the Irish mem
bcrs are entirely unfounded, tho bottom.
is knocked out of all such arguments rs
those of Chamberlain, Trevelyan and the
Tories in Ireland. But fow of the Irish
members have spoke, and few Of them will
speak during the rec sss, on the subject of the
Irish bills, but can state positively that tho
views OF every member OF the party have in
brief been expressed by Parncll in speeches
in Parliament In fact, those speeches were
delivered only after the Irish pal ty had been
consulted and had authorized its leader to
speak as he did The various public bodies
in Ireland, on the other hand are freely pass
ing resolutions thanking Gladstone for his
bills and expressing continued confidence in
Parnell, and, on the whole, the feeling of
the vast majority Of tho Irish people is that
Gladstone has done his best, but that his
measures are 50 complex, and the prospect of
his being able to carry them, without impair
ing their character from the irish Point Of
view is so doubtful, that it is best 10 be
reserved in their regard and to leave the
Irish party an entirely free hand in dealing
with them. One thing, however, is resolved
on, and that is to accept no measure Of home
rule from which even one parish Of Ireland
would be exempt