Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-20
A GREAT SPEECH.
Gladstone ElectrIfiss the Friends OF Ire
land In Parliament.

Gladstone Electrifiss the Friends Of Ire
land In Parliament.
LONDON, February 19.-Gladstone's
great speech is still the one absorbing topic
of conversation in political circles 1t is
universally conceded to have exceeded all
his previous efforts, and the delight Of the
Liberals is almost beyond bounds. Mr..
Gladstone showed little fatigue after his
speech, the report of which makes about
six columns in the London newspapers, a
result doubtless due TO his recent foreign
tour, but his eyesight shows unmistakable
signs of failure, he at times only reading
his notes with the greatest difficulty. Re
ferring to the speech of Mr.. 'Balfour, who
had preceded him, Gladstone said he found
little in it to throw light upon the ques-
tions before Parliament. There was the
question whether the Conservative leaders
had eommu licated with Mr.. Par
nell on the subject Of home
rule. The denisls made by MIR.
Balfour did not get rid of the Irish mem
ber's assertions Mr.. Parnell had stated
that he found himself in entire agreement
with Lord Carnaryon on the Home Rule
question. That had not been denied.
Cheers. 1t was stated that Lord Carnar-
Won spoke for himself; but he was Viceroy
of Ireland at the time for the Conservative
government, which now held that Home
Rule in any shape meant the separation OF
Ireland from the Empire.
Some of the remarks of Mr.. Baltour, MT
Gladstone said, had apparently been lev
eled at himself. His (Gladstone's) Not
tingham speech had been absolutely mis-
repres ented as TO the state
ment regarding the Irish executives
practice OF obtaining information by per
mitting the police TO concoct crime. lie
protested then, as now, against the prac-
tice as dangerous to society and odlous In
itself. He had never uttered words over
which he felt more reioiced than his words
about Mitchelstown. He used them for
the sake Of preventing enormous mischief
aud suffering, probably blOodshed. ltwas
the agents Of the law thst were the break
ers of the law at Mitchelstown. 1t was
cruel, wanton, disgrsceful bloodshed almost
without example.
Mr.. Balfour had become by implication
breaker of the law, for he gave the act
his authoritative approval, as if it were to
be the model rule for the conduct OF the
police.
Mr.. Gladstone declined to accept as au-
thentic the government statistics OF crime
under the coercion act until ths cases were
thoroughly investigated. The only cases
given in detail had been met with point
blank contradiction. Supposing the gov
ernment had momentary appearance OF
success from the operation OF the coercion
act, were they going 10 forever legislste to
the came line? He had never heard the
ministers express confidence in the ability
to make permanent resistance to the policy
Of home rule. Parnellite cheers He
did not disguise the strength OF the
combination against home rule, which
included nearly the whole wealth and
all the elements of the actual strength
belonging to high rank and station in
the country. But the Irish nation and
the growing English popular feeling was
on the side Of Home Rule. To delay the
settlement of question Of this kind be-
tween nations was dangerous in the ex-
treme. If the resistance to the national
voice of Ireland was pushed too far, those
who now guided the mind of that nation
might lose their power and be displaced by
ruder and more dangerous spirits. Let
the Government bethink themselves and
consent to le2islate for Ireland, as they did
for England and Scotland, in accordance
with the Observation-Disclosures wishes
and permanent convictions of the people,
and thus at last present to the world the
pleased spectacle of truly, and not nomi-
nally united empire. Loud cheers
When Goschen arose, just before mid
night, to attempt to answer Gladstone it
was thought that the interesting part Of
the night was over, but the great event of
the sitting was still to come. In the
midst Of his speech, which was charac-
teristic effort of that bilious turncoat,
Goschen INDUCED in bitter personal at
tack on Gladstone. HE pretends to have
the people on his side and to enjoy their
confidence, Goschen was saying, but
let him prove it. What evidence is there
of it," Answer came, but not from Glad
stone. Throughout the day the polling
for Parliamentary candidate had been
going on at Southwark. At the last
election the Liberal candidate had ma
iority of only l13, and the Tories, whose
political stupidity prevents their seeing
they are losing ground, were confident OF
winning it. As Mr.. Goschen put his
question to Mr.. Gladstone and turned
triumphantIy around to his cheering sup
porters, Arnold Morley came up the
floor of the House and walked hurriedly up
to the Grand Old Man, to whom he handed
a telegram. Gladstone read it, smiled,
then chuckled aloud and handed it to his
supporters with triumphant look at yel-
lowfaced Goschen, who evidently foresaw
disaster. The telegram told that tie
Glsdstonians had won at Southwark by l.
1914 votes, more than ten times their
former majority, and it is impossible to de-
scribe the exultant pandemonium which
broke out in the Liberal ranks. Goschen
had to sit down while the Liberals exerted
their lungs, and even the Grand Old Man
pounded both feet on the floor and laughed
and shook hands without end.