The Indianapolis journal., 1890-12-19
POSSIBLE RESULTS OF PARNELLs FOLLY.

Judging from the present outlook the
Parnell episode will result in an entire
recasting of English politics and parties.
Among the most recent pointers in this
direction is the statement of Mr.. Joseph
Chamberlain, in speech at Birming-
ham, that within the past week certain
former friends in the Gladstonian party
had reOpened negotiations on the ground
that as Mr.. Parnell had rendered home
rule impossible, a reunion of the Liberals
might be effected. This would mean an
abandonment of the home rule cause by
English Liberals and the reorganization
of that party on new line. Mr.. Cham
berlain is reported as saying that such
step was impossible. because Mr.. Glad
stone still fondly clung to the desire of
his old age, and retained home rule in
the forefront of his programme. But
Mr.. Gladstone is an old man, and it is
hardly credible that. after the Irish
leaders and factions have completed the
work of wrecking the Irish cause, ne
will attempt the impossible task of col
lecting the scattered fragments and
patching them together. Still less is it
credible that he could command his
old following or the united sup
port of the Liberal party in so
hopeless an undertaking. Parnell
has burned his bridges behind him,
and, in doing so, has established an
impossible gulf between himself and
Al -, 7 olo ,,
returned to Parliament or not he will
be equally power for mischief. If he
holds his seat and the nominal leadership
of the Irish party he will be violently
opposed by strong faction of his own
countrymen, while if defeated he will
have sufficient influence and following
to balk the efforts of others. In either
case his policy, as now foreshadowed,
will be rule or ruin, and in either case it
seems to be equally impossible for the
English Liberals to continue to advocate
Irish home rule.
A more probable outcome is that Mr..
Gladstone, after an honest, sincere and
Intellectual attempt to reconstruct the
shattered fragments of the Irish cause.
and to rally his former following to its
support, will abandon it as impossible
and retire from public life. 1t has been
understood for some time that he
desired to make the success of
home rule IN Ireland the browning
achievement of his career, and that
with it's completion he would retire from
public life and spend the rest of his days
in literary pursuits. What more natural
than that when he discovers that the
Irish cause is wrecked beyond the
strength of one of his years to rebuild,
he should carry out his previous inten-
tion and retire permanently from pub
lie lifef Mr.. Gladstone is indeed grand
old man of wonderfully well-preserved
powers, but no man at the age of eighty
one feels like beginning over again
great undertaking to which he has given
many years of toilsome labor and which
has been wantonly wrecked by it's pro-
| fessed friends. The chances are strong
that after a few months of fruitless eff
fort to reconstruct his party on the old
line, Mr.. Gladstone willretire from pub
lie life.
With Irish home rule practically
eliminated as live issue in English poll
tics, as it now seems likely to be, and
with Mr.. Gladstone out of public life,
will begin new era of British politics.
The Liberal party would have to be re-
organized on new lines and with new
leaders. The Tory party would be greatly
strengthened and would probably enjoy