Evening journal., 1890-12-23
PARNELLITES DEFEATED
The Expected Rioting Did Not
Take Place.
PRIESTS TOOK AN ACTIVE PART

There We're Only Two Rows During the
Day. tho Most Serious Being Precipl-
tated by the Pricsts--BrIef sketch Of
Sir John Pope Honnessy.
KILKENNY, Dec. 23.--Parnell practically
comedies that his candidate Is beaten. He
estimates Hennessy's majority TO be 300
Healy says Il will be at least 100. while
Davitt feels sure Of l,l00. Both sides
agree that scarcely two-thirds Of the total
registered vote was polled, the Tories stop
ping away from the polls almost TO a man.
In Castleeomer, where 1901 men are
registered, only $50 votes were cast, Of
which Hennessy claims $50; in Gowran,
where l,2Q5 men are registered, only T75
votes were cast, OF which both sides claim
the majority
The votes in smaller divisions fell off In
proportion. Parnell proved the strongest
among the farmers and field laborers,
while his opponents captured the miners.
IL has been an exciting day, replete with
petty rows at the polling booths, but ex-
cept in one instance there was no serious
violence. Pnrnell takes his defeat calmly,
and says he will not change his determine.
tion to fight each constituency seat by seat.
He says this was one Of tho worst districts
for him to contest.
Not so Exciting as Expected.
The events attending the election were
not so exciting as the heat of the contro-
versy leading up to the great occasion
gave reason to fear they would be. A good
deal OF the surplus energy Of the people
was expended In actual work instead OF
talk and fight, which have heretofore been
In order, The most conspicuous feature
Of the day was the activity Of the priests,
who all day long worked like beavers,
leading bands OF anti parnellite voters to
the polls, raising cheers for Hennessy on
every possible occasion, and keeping up a
constant fusillade Of exortation, amounting
certainly 70 intimidation, against voting
for Parnell.
The priests were directly responsible for
tho most serious row Of the day It oc.
CURED at Johnstown. A squad of anti
Parnell men were marching IN from the
country under the leadership Of priest,
when they met squad of Parnell men
coming from the opposite direction.
Blows might have been averted IL another
n
row, had not placed himself at the head OF
the Parnell men and endeavored to per.
suade them to keep ont Of the way till
their rivals had cast their ballots This
provoked brisk stick swinging, which was
not stopped until tho police charged upon
the mob and took the sticks away from
them. The 500 policemen were none toe
many 70 keep order. They had all that
they could do.
They Heeded Not the Priests.
One good feature Of the policemen was
their absolute indifference to the priestly
garb, wherever they saw iit TO interfere.
They treated priest aud peasant alike. ]
do not mean TO say that the priests pro.
voked all the petty rows which have made
this day memorable in North Kilkenny, OF
that Mr.. Parnell's supporters did not let
their temper get the best Of them, but Ger
tain it is that in many cases where the
priests could have avoided quarrels they
actually encouraged them, cajoling OF
bullying the people, as circumstances re.
quired, in a manner that could not be ex.
celled in the most priest hidden country
under the sun.
The first serious disorder of the Gay was
at Castlecomer, where the fight was the
hottest on both sides. Here the miner ele-
ment met Mr.. Parnell in a threateningly
hostile fashion when he came 10 exhort
his supporters, and almost drove him ont
of town. They did, in fact, prevent him
from speaking, The miners are almost to
a man for Hennessy.
At CaTick-on-Suir last night n crowd
of Parnellites attempted to burn publicly
a number OF copies Of Davitt's paper, The
Labor World. Davitts friends rallied In
great force and routed the Parnellites.
Several Of the combatants were injured in
the fray.
There is some talk about Parnell going
personally TO Paris to meet O'Brien. The
anti-Parnellites say O'Brien will entertain
no proposal Of compromise which visits
vengeance on any single Irish member who
has opposed Parnell. In fact, the chances
Of an amicable agreement are very remote