St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-28
Kilkenny's Verdict Will Be
Questioned on Account OF
Priestly Influence.
Leaders Of Both Great Parties
Deeply Interested in the
Result.
Recent Discouraging Events
Are Making Their Mark
on Gladstone.
The Scottish Strikers Are
Gaining--Germany's Emil
grafton Policy.

North Kilkenny is evidently not to pass
without severe contest. and leading men
OF both the great English parties seem
to be III doubt as to how the contest may
result. Vincent Scully, Mr.. ParnelPs
defeated candidate, has been active
ever since election day gathering facts
as TO clerical pressure used in behalf of
Hennessy, and he IS reported as saying
that the evidence when presented will
astonish parliament and the British
public. He claims to have proof that
even the confessional was used for the
purpose OF coerciDg penitents into the
support of HenneSsy; that the maledic-
lions of the church were held out as
menance to the Ignorant peasantry, and
that in one instance at least priest
used physical violence toward a par
shioner who dared to speak
word for Parnell. These matters
Will seem much more serious
to the British people than they
do in Ireland, where the parish priest is
looked on and obeyed as a care-taker
not only of the conscience. but of the
daily walk and conduct of his flock.
He makes his evening rounds to see if
any of them are out at unseemly hours;
he has no hesitation about breaking up
gathering that, in his opinion, has
gone beyond the proper bounds of good
fellowship, and he rebukes them openly
whether it be day or night, when he
detects them in wrong. This would not
be tolerated in England, but in rural
Ireland 1t is accepted as a matter of
course. No one pretends to doubt that
in their opposition to Parnell the Cath
Ollie clergy have been actuated by the
best of motives. and those motives not
ParnelFs continued leadership as i'm
periling the sanctity with which
they had taught their f1ocks to look
upon the marriage tie, and they were
sincerely indignant that a man guilty of
his acknowledged otfenses should dare
to face the people for whose rectitude
of principle they held themselves re-
sponsible. This is the clerical explana-
ton Of clerical influence in the Kill
kenny election. 1t remains to be seen
whether it will satisfy committee of
the British parliament. The weight of
opinion is that it will not, and that Sir
John Pope HenneSSy will be compelled
to vacate his seat.
Mr. Gladstone will spend Monday,
his eighty-first birthday, at Hawarden,
in the quiet of his family circle, and it
is understood that he desires not to be
the object of any special and wearisome
demonstration. Age is making its mark
OH the great leader, and the least events
of the past few months have told
on him worse than advancing years.
Mr.. Gladstone since the adjourn
ment for the holidays. has made
| statements privately that there is no
| little anxiety in Liberal circles, not that
Mr.. Gladstone is actually ill., but that
he is dazed and overcome by the terrible
spectacle OF Irish diSunion and strife,
and that, while still as devoted as ever
to home rule, he sees that obstacles
have been raised that only the utmost
courage and determination can sur
mount. AS for the Tories, they are per-
haps pardonably merciless in the tannts
which they are continually flingjng in
at the grand old man on the Irish ques-
ton They are especially careful to
make prominent the risks incurred by
| the cOnStabulary in keeping the Irish
| factions from taking each other up, and
to paint in vivid colors the possibilities
OF an Irish parliament composed of the
materials That figured OH Kilkenny plat
forms. MIR. Gladstone may have reply
to these taunts; but Mr.. Burt, the Eng
lish Liberal member of parliament, who
feels them as deeply as if it meant him
self, says it will be a difficult task to
frame an effective answer.
The Scottish railway strike is in a fair
way OF settlement, The companies find
| 1t hard enough TO contend with the
weather at this season of the year with
| out carrying on prolonged struggle
with their employees, and the traffic of
North Britain is at a StandStill until
settlement shall be arrived at. The COM
panies expected that the unemployed
would flock in to take the strikers
places, but they were disappointed. Fhe
railway unions of Great Britain are
thoroughly organized, and keep well in
hand even those of their members who
are out of work. and the strikers, with
CALIFORNIAN prudence, had laid by means
beforehand for struggle of six weeks
before having to ask aid of anybody.
The contest being resolved to an issue
OF endurance, the companies could less
afford than the strikers to lie idle for
the coming six weeks, and besides the
British public would not stand it. The
strikers chose a time when travel by
water Is almost uncomfortable in the
stormy pillows of the North and the Irish
seas and when travellers must go by
rail or not at all. Consultations are
now being held which, it is hoped, will
result is compromise honorable TO
all parties. The English trades unions
have been officially informed that tho
Scottish strikers have means for their
present needs, and the principal aid
desired is in the way of preventing the
Scotch companies from obtaining men
to take the strikers place A party Of
men engaged by free labor Office at
Wigan were to have left for Scotland
to-day, but threats and persuasion at
this moment have prevented them from
starting. The Scottish companies have
retained the free labor offices in the |
principal cities Of England to obtain /
men for the work that the strikers have
abandoned, but so far, though many |
thousands are out OF work, there is no !
eagerness to accept the company's offer. |
In Cardiff the attempts at recruiting
had to be stopped, owing to the hostile |
attitude OF the Welsh railway men and |
the union scamen and firemen. The |
English railway men are generally of |
opinion that Scottish railway fight is
their own, and that English companies
are waiting to see the result.
The strike has now seriously affected
another branch of business. Following
upon the announcement that the mills. !
factories and docks were closing their |
gates owing to lack of fuel comes the |
statement that the shipping trade of !
this port will soon be at Il stanistill, as |
the supply of coal available for the
steamers IS almost entirely exhaust
ed. Should this state of affairs /
continue much longer, considerable
suffering must fail to tue lot of the
poorer classes of people. especially upon
those who depend wholly upon
the actual days wages for their daily |
bread. Should the steam shipping trade i
come to a standstiil here, many other
trades directly or Indirectly depending
upon this shipping mast also suffer.
The steamship companies, it is under
stood, have ordered coal to be sent here |
by water, but several days at least must
elapse before it can reach this port.
The German imperial government is
considering the enactment of the laws
restricting aud regulating emigration.
The recent disclosures of the deception