Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-20
PRIESTS AGAINST HIM.
Indications of "a Crushing Defeat for Par
neil-geeling In Kilkenny.


New YoRK, December 19.-llarold
Frederics. the London correspondent of
the Times, is now in Kilkenny, and last
night cabed his paper as follows:
To-day I again visited the rural dis
tricts. driving over 81 miles OF country.
A great change was noted from the mob
of the City Of Kilkenny, which latter
does not vote. In the country | found
the rural population to be under the
leadership of priests and ardently anti
Parnellites.
This curious difference between the
city and country led me TO probe be-
meath the surface. Was it an anti-Eng-
lish feeling in the city which mastered
Parnell's mob? | discovered that brew
cries are the principal industries OF the
city, and the brewery work people were
the principal ingredients of ParnclfS
supporters.
Recently the bishop and priests start
ed determined temperance crusade,
greatly reducing the incomes OF brew
ers and publicans. This engendered a
bitterness which only required the occa-
sion for its development. The Parnell
split served the purpose, and accord
ingly beer flowed freely among the town
rabblc, which was agitated anti-cierl-
cally, by the brewers and winners. AT
once the ecclesiastics took an anti-Par-
nelite attitude. Respectable townsmen
side with the priests, but respectability
does not make mobS. Accordingly, In
outward, brawling show, the city
favors Parnell. Among the rural
population the clergyman is king.
The priest Is at the head of
every country league, controls its
working, and knows its pivot The
men, therefore, of the country are dead
against Parnell, being further iniiu-
enced by the fact that every landlord,
agent, bailiff, emergency man and land
grabber is now firmly Parnellite.
My forecast of the situation of next
Mondays poll is that, allowing thous-
ands of abstentions for neutrals, double
entries, deaths and emigrations, Hen
messy will receive 1900 votes and Scul-
ly. the Parnellite candidate, l,7O0. The
one certainty is Parnell's crushing de-
feat, despite vaporngs of the FteemdNS
Journal and United Ireland, which are
being circulated gratuitously among
the voters.
This brings me to topic raised by
Mr.. Healy to-day. Two large sums OF
money from New York and Paterson,
n. j., were yesterday announced by DR..
Kenney as allotted to the National
League. Mr.. Healy charged that this
was breach of the understanding ar
rived at by the American delegation,
claiming that the money should go to
the evicted tenants fund. He alleged
that otherwise it would be diverted by
the Parnellites for campaign purposes.
Treasurer Kenncy's reply is awaited
with interest.
Parnell's move after the Kilkenny de-
feat is now causing speculation. He,
however, still entertaining hopes OF
victory, declines to speak of plans. The
extraordinary intensity OF anti-Parnell-
ism among the devout Catholics is
shown by an unique incident in the
Catholic Church of Castle Conner, the
principal Parnelites stronghold. Last
Sunday before high mass, the organst,
instead of sacred music, played as an
overture, "Let Erin remember the days
of old, ere her faithless sons betrayed
her." and the song of O'Rourke, which
the incident which led to
the invasion of Ireland by the Normans
to the seduction OF
O'Rourke's wife by MacMurrough.
Such music, played amid a devotional
populace, created thrilling effect.