The Blackpool Herald. — 1888-10-26 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

LECTURE BY MR. ELI WADDINGTON. On Saturday evening, about Sity or sixty persons assembled at the Sheaf-street schoolroom for the purpose of hearing a lecture by Mr. Eli Waddington, Conservative lecturer, on "Gladstonian Agitators: Arrested, Examined, and Exposed." Mr. R. Pout, of Skippooi, occupied:the chair, and said although the lecturer had not been to Poulton tefore. they had hEard of his doings at Stalmine, when he put to flight Mr. Joseph Howes, who had been sent down from the Lancaster Division to gull the electors with wholesale and base mis-statements. They must take Mr. Howes as a fair sample of the Gladstonian-Parnell Company. He then commented upon the Irish Question, and said he thought the law of treating political prisoners was far too lenient, and in any other country they would he treated as traitors and rebels. Some of the Radical and Parnellite members were so insulting to the Conservatives and the Speaker, that he (Mr. Poole) was sure they had neither respect nor love for either Queen or country. Mr. E. LEIGH (Blackpool) then spoke, and touched upon the composition of the so-called Gladstoni party. He said that in connection with that party there was a power greater than Mr. Gladstone, and that was Mr. Parnell and his followers. Mr. Gladstone had sunk himself from the head of a great party, and had become subordinate to Mr. Parnell in that great struggle. He then went on to speak of the two great schemes passed by the Government, viz., the conversion scheme by which in a few years they would be able to save three or four millions a year, and the Local Government scheme, and said if the Government had done nothing else than pats those two great measures, they would have done great things. The speaker then made reference to the change of Mr. Gladatone's opinions, with respect to Ireland, within the last two or three years, and said that it was a pity when a man who had held such a high position in the literature and statesmanship of the country had to confess that his whole life previous had been one gigantic blunder! He was sure they all admired him for his indomitable courage, his untiring industry, and his transcendent abilities, and it was with deep grief they said one word of disrespact to him who was to all honest purposes a Grand Old Man.  Mr. Waddington, at the beginning of his remarks, said he was very sorry to hear that a minister of the gospel residing not far from there had expressed his approval of the Plan of Campaign. It pained him to hear it, and he would be glad if the reporters would be good enough to convey to the rev, gentleman the opinion of the leading Gladatonians on the Plan of Campaign. He then read an article from the Daily News which disapproved of the Plan of Campaign. It WAS a sad thing, he continued, when a clergyman would stand up and vindicate a dishonest policy, of which the leading Gladstonian organ could not bring itself to approve. The lecturer then went on to speak of Imperial matters, and was quoting Mr. Gladstone's words spoken two or three years ago, "The Parnellites were marching through rapine and murder to the dismemberment of the Empire," when a man interrupted, and said he objected to it, as it was high treason against Mr. Gladstone and his followers. —Mr. Waddington: "Is it high treason to quote a man's words from his own speech "1—" You needna' call Gladstone. If you can prove murder, you had better prove it."—Mr. Waildington : lam quoting his own words.—Stanton: lam surprised that you can call murder. We are Christians in this room, and we don't like it. lam very sorry to hear you call a man a murderer. The English law doesn't allow it. —Mr. Waddington said there was a time for everything, and the time for him to protest was at the close. He then went on to speak of the great good the Conservative Government had done.—At the close Mr. Stanton said: You accuse Mr. Gladstone of being a supporter of a murdeang Government ?—Mr. Waddington said he never had accused the Parnellites of murder, but of incitement to murder.—Mr. Stanton said he had, and he would leave his company, and he left the room, muttering about something that a man who could not stick to his words was no man.—Votes of thanks were passed to the speakers and the chairman, and the meeting terminated.