Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-10-17
pAItNEI.L DEADt

Itlsan era Of startling deaths. Bal
maceda, Boulanger and ParneII have made
for the present fall a somber record The
third u the listof mortalities is divesiedof
tragic features such as marked the other
two, but the news Of it nevertheless comes
with suddenness equally great. But
ParneIl no less than BaImaceda and Bou
LANCER had passed the pinnacle Of
bis glory His star was already
declining. His life was a failure. What
tmignt have been is not easily conceivable
Even the English premiership was not be-
You'd 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 bad
ever before Leen attained. But at
the very moment when it seemed as
though success vas all bnt ready to crown
his efforts, his public career was blasted
and The cause he champi0ned greatly in
jured ty ndiscretions Of personal conduct
which forever pat The stigma Of shame
upon bis name Even had it been possible
for a Qrieyed and betrayed people to over
look this serious lapse, the tmpeuous
attitude Of the fallen hero after
ward, when he disdainfully declined
10 tcIipquish the leadership Of the Irish
party IN favor Of Gladstone and sought 70
bring into contempt the grand old man
himself, would have forbade reconciIia-
ton. In that crisis The trae character Of
the man was exhibited and, instead OF
an unseI6sh spirit aboring for the adj
yancement Of noble cause, the world be.
held an autocrat, ambitious, self
seeking, and dishonest = djshon-
est insofar as he deliberately
eudeaycred to belitte The glorious services
Of lreIaud's best friend, Gladstone. Par
nell lived long enough toproduca q serious
split in the Irish party and the man
whose Iaoors be vainly tried to discredit
has since accomplished wonders in healing
the breach thus unfortunately created
After the terrible storm Of scandal had
broken over the bead Of ParneIl he seemed
to grow more determined every day to.
maintain hls personal leadership at every
cost, and more violent in bis deuuncia-
tions Of all who refused to enlist under his
banner He abandoned utterly the old
principle Of working by parliamentary
means through existing English parties,
and asserted the right Of Ireland as an
independent power 90 shape her future for
herself However ready any man may be
g accept this ms an abstract principle
be must, if he understands the situa
ton. admit that it is entirely impractical
Die as 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.. Pmnel spurned the English liberal
party with contempt and virulenlc
even greater than that which he
bestowed upon Balfour and MS
cory associates it was not
surprising that the personal influence that
was his diminished ia aratio equalling
the intelligence Of tie people There was
then nothing 10 be seen in the future OF
his side except personal endorsement and
a personal triumph for Mr., Parnelt III
he had gone into parliament with the
Irish members sohd as n unit behind him,
"a result which is not possible, what could
he have done except 10 claim it as yiLdi.
cation Of himself2 His party as a party,
would have been absolutely powerless,
Hating and haiea by liberals and tories
alike, 1t could not have secured the passage
Of a single remedial measure
That be wis man Of talents cannot be
gainsaid. lie was genius
as IA manager and director and
he battle for Irish home rule
sas planned and prosecuted with amazing
up to The deuouemcnt Of two years
ago wien the idotzed lender became in
yolyed in scandal which at
once aienutcd 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 a leader
whose Irenrss Of character had been foully