Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-15
PARNELL DEAD!

third in The list Of mortalities is Invested OF |
tragic features such as marked the other |
two, but TIE news Of it nevertheless comes
with suddenness equally great. But
Parnell no less than Balmaceda and Bou
LANCER had passed the plnnacle of
his glory His star was already !
declining. His life Was failure. What
might nave been is not easily conceivable
Even the English premiership was not be-
yond the possibility of his reach at one
time.
His rise and fall are matters of current
history His work for the Irish cause was
great, and resulted in nearer approach
to the end desired than had
ever before heen attained. But at
the very moment when it seemed as
though success was all but ready to crown
his efforts, his public career was blasted
end the cause he championed greatly In
iured by indiscretions of personal conduit
which forever put the stigma Of shame
upon his name Even had it been possible
for a grieved and betrayed people to over
look this serious lapse, the imperlous
attitude of the fallen hero alter
ward, when he disdainfully declined
to relinquish the leadership of the Irish
party in favor of Gladstone and sought to
bring into contempt the grand old man
himself, would have forbade reconciIia-
ton. In that crisis the true character of
the man was exhibited, and, instead or
an unsel6sh spirit laboring for the adj
vancement of a noble cause, the world be-
held an autocrat, ambitious, self
seeking, and dishonest = dishon-
eat insofar as he deliberately
endeavored to beIittle the glorious services
of Ireand's best friend, Gladstone. Par
nell lived long enough to produce serious
split in the Irish party, and the man
whose lauors he yainly tried to discredit
has since accomplished wonders in healing
The breach thus unfortunately created.
After the terrible storm of scandal had
broken over the head of Parnell he seemed
to grow more determined every day to
maintain his personal leadership at every
cost, and more violent Iii his denuncia-
tions of all who refused to enlist un5er his
banner. He abandoned utterly the old
principle of working by parliamentary
means through existing English parties,
a. c.l,k &c
independent power 70 shape her future for
herself However ready any man may be
to accept this as an abstract principle,
he must, if he understands the situa-
ton, admit that it is entirely impractical
BILE as a matter of fact Ireland is not
an independent power, and it cannot be
made such unless some force is brought
bear on Great Britain stronger
than Great Britain herself. When
Mr.. Parnell spurned the English liberal
party with contempt and virulenoe
even greater than that which he
bestowed upon Bafour and his
cory associates it was not
surprising that the personal Influence that
was his diminished in a ratio equalIing
the intelligence of TIE people. There WAS
then nothing to be seen In the future of
his side except personal endorsement and
personal triumph for Mr.. Parnell. If
he had gone into parliament with the
Irish members SOLID as a unit behind him,
result which is not possible, what could
he have done except to claim it as /, vindi-
cation of himsellF His party, as a party,
would have been absolutely powerless
Hating and hated by liberals and tories
alike, it could not have secured the passage
of a single remedial measure.
That he WAS a man of talents cannot be
gainsaid. lie was genius
as a manager and director and
he battle for Irish home rule
.7as planned and prosecuted with amazing
uccess up to the denouement of two years
ago when the idolizad leader became in
volved in scandal which at
once alienated from him the respect
and assistance of that better
element both in the Irish party and among
the English liberals which could not
longer labor in harmony with leader
whose pureness of character had been foully
tainted.
That a career so full Of promise at one
time should thus end so suddenly is never
theless sad. But happily the Irish cause
cannot materially suffer because of the I'M
expected event.
THE great crops In the northwest are
stimlating the value of farm lands at
phenomena. rate, according to the
Minnesota and Dakota core pondents of
the st. Paul Pioneer Press. Wild lands
in Mower county, Mimi, that brought
year ago from s. to $40 per acre are now
worth from s12 to SIS an acre. A farmer
in that locality has recently sold for So 600
a farm that could not sell for $4,000 a
year since, and sales equally or more
profitable are reported from wide extent
of territory. In some towns of that state
there has been an advance of so per cent,
and in nearly all an advance in values
avera ging about . per cent. is reported.
THIS is true also of many farming towns
OF South and North Dakota. The Phone er
P-ass estimates on the basis of It's reports
from its cores pondents total increase in
real vsinns for the three states Of about
500, 000, 900, which is more than the value
OF the whole wheat crop of the territory