Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-24
rBr CABLE TO THE DISPATCH.

The conical state of mental depression
which Just now characterizeS the Tory ranks
is highly gratifying to the good. From the
beginning the Tory confidence in the al
legged Parnell letters has been unbounded,
for Tories don't reason very much. They
simply said to themselves: THE Times
wouldn't 60 in for this sort of thing unless
it was sure that Irishmen are all born bad,
and naturally sympathize with murder
from very instinct. The Times will first
show how bad Irishmen, and particularly
patriotic Irishmen, are, and will wind up
by proving Parnell to be unusually bad,
by pinning to his name forever the author
ship of those letters"
But things have gone wrong. The Times,
il seems, has even more easily been beguiled
than its average reader. This grand scheme
for wiping out the Irish party looked well
through Tory glasses, but now it proves
that the Times and its case, with the Tory
hopes, all rested on the shoulders of Mr..
Pigott, and this gentleman, while a willing
perjurer, is but weakened Atlas, not up
to the weight required of him.
ALL DONE IN A HEAP.
The Times and the Tories have come
down in heap together, and haven't yet
recovered their breath. Such an utter col
lapse hasn't been heard Of. for many year,
and even Parnell's supporters, confident as
they were of his eventual triumph, hardly
realize yet the Importance of their victory,
and of the blow which the Government has
received with such unexpected suddenness.
The average Tory gentleman, so eager
few weeks ago to prove by argument the
genuineness of the Parnell forgerIes, wishes
now to be left alone. Occasionally one can
be found to declare in manly fashion his
disgust that an institution like the Times
should have been capable of trying to ruin
the character even of a political opponent
on such miserable testimony But the av-
erage reply of Tory, when asked his opin-
ion, is that be has not been following the
Parnell Commission very closely of late.
One of the hsppiest men at the trial has
been Labouchere, who, with his thin voice,
is fond of making a resume of the aspects of
the case and of the Times stupidity, thus:
"You see, these people-Walters and the
rest-seem to have started out on the sup
position that when man forges a document
he makes it as unlike the real as possible.
So they thought their moderately clumsy
forgeries very good property"
CREDIT WHERE DUE.
George Lewis deserves, perhaps, most of
the credit for the able working up of the
Parnellite side of the case. He has worked
night and day, and is credited in the pro-
fession with having eclipsed his own deeds
and all the other solicitors in the case. 1t
is probable he will 60 into the witness box
and swear that Pigott admitted to him that
he (Pigott) personally forged the letters.
There is some speculation as to the ultim-
ate fate of Mr.. Pigott, purveyor of the
forgeries. The only question of real inter
est seems to be, will he run away before the
commission meets on Tuesday, or will he
wait until Sir Charles RUSSELL having fin
ished with him, shall have him arrested for
perjury? The latter course seems most
probable, for being at his own request under
police protection, and also at someone else's
request (probably Hannen's), under the
supervision of Scotland Yard, he would
have to deceive three pairs of eyes in order
TO get away. There will be no difficulty
about giving him a satisfactory term OF
hard labor, for the immunity extended by
who may be recalled to testify doesn't
extend to perjurers.
THE REvULsIoN OF FEELING.
That the Government must suffer greatly
as q result of this fasco is apparent. There
is great revulsion of feeling among fair
minded Englishmen, and it is more than
ever certain that the result of a general elec-
tion now would be to bundle the Tories and
UnIonists out of power together.
The Times will be punished, as it richly
deserves. In the first place, it will be COM
PEELED to abandon for some time the role of
Thunderer and of Counselor and Guide to
the British nation. In a financial way, the
blow is a very heavy one. First and last,
the forgery publishing business, which has
failed so miserably, will cost the Times at
least e10O, 600, and the suits which Parnell
is bringing in Ireland and Scotland may, if
persisted in, cost as much more. The state
ment is going about that Mr.. Walters will
pay all this money out of his own pocket,
even should he have TO sell his estate, Bear
wood, to prevent the Times stockholders
through his stupidity and that of
Buckle, Macdonald & Co., his assistants.
This statement, however, hasn't a very
genuine ring about it.
A TERRIBLE TUMBLE.
Young Walters, who owns one-sixteenth
Of the Times, has received about ZIG divl-
dends for this year. The usual profit, an
nually divided among the Times owners,
is upwards of 600, 600. The feelings of the
Times owners, who have lost all that and
got only Pigott in return, can. be quite
easily imagined.
Outside of the Times forgery case, the
good home rule cause is going on well all
around. There has been an election, and,
as usual, Gladstonian victory in East
Perthshire. Not only did home rule win,
but with 500 more votes than the successful
candidate had in 1886.
The Grand Old Man has come home cheer
ier, ruddier. straighter, and in all ways
much grander than when he went away,
which is good sign for Ireland, and the
home rule members, Irish and English,
with many of whom 1 talked on the open
ing day of Parliament, have come back to
business full Of fight, and will not be slow
to impress on the people the character of
the men and government who bolster up
their cause with forgery, and from sheer
lack of brains fall SO fiat,