THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1891. IRISH POLITICS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2279, 12 November 1891, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1891. IRISH POLITICS.

The Cork election lias, we think, decided the fate of the Parnellites. They have deservedly met with a crushing defeat, but the wonder is that so many were found to support them. To us their conduct is inexplicable. We can understand the firmness with which the late Mr Varnell insisted on beiug recognised as leader. He had worked hard for Ireland, he served her interests unselfishly, he succeeded in exacting from the British Parliament extraordinary concessions for her, and he certainly improved her position immensely. It was, therefore, only natural that he should desire to continue the work until he had crowned it with the Legislative freedom of his country, and it was no egotism on his part to say that he, of all others, had the best right to the honor of having secured it. His services to Ireland could not be exaggerated, and it was, therefore, not at all wonderful that many were found to overlook his error, and to adhere to him through good and evil report. We can, therefore, easily understand why Mr Parnell insisted on recognition as leader; we can realise why so many followed him in his fallen fortunes, but we cannot understand why men, who have hitherto been regarded as true patriots ready to do and suffer for their country, should endeavor to perpetuate a feud which they ought to know could not fail to result in disaster to the cause which they professed to espouse. There was no principle at stake ; the question in dispute was whether Mr Parnell should continue as leader or not. So long as Mr Parnell lived we could excuse his followers for overlooking his faults and remaining loyal to him, but the moment he died they ought to have crossed over to their former friends and colleagues, and shaken hands with them over his grave, Instead of doing this they appealed to the thoughtless and vicious, and tried to float to power on the passions of the social dregs of the cities. They raised the cry that Mr Parnell was murdered, believing that this would appeal to people's prejudices, and by that means turn the tide in their favor, but they have been defeated in their machinations, and now they sink to rise no more. Ireland cannot afford to trust men capable of such treachery, and Ireland, if she has a grain of sense, never will. From the beginning it was plain that Mr Parnell was mistaken in the course he adopted after his unfortunate sin had been made public. Mr Gladstone had evidently enough to do to carry Home Rule on his back without being weighted with such unpleasant circumstances as those with which Mr PamelPs name was connected. Mr Parnell himself ought to have seen this and ought to have retired from the field calmly and quietly when he was found out. Had he done this he would have been alive to day, a tower of strength to his party, whom he aoulcl have advised and directed from behind the scenes, and by the time the general election came on his error would have been forgotten and he would be recalled to public life again. But how much more so ought his followers see the futility of their line of conduct now. They say their grounds of difference with the McCarthyites is that Mr Gladstone has not given sufficiently definite promises with regard to Home Rule, but how on earth can they expect to extract anything better from him, or from anyone else, while they continue to promote factionfighting of the nature they have been indulging in 'I All that has been won for Ireland lately is the result of unity, and now Mr Redmond and hia friends think they can achieve great, things by promoting discord, bad blood, and disunion. We are glad to find that Ireland refuses to accept such a mad doctrine, and that at Cork she has given her answer to Mr Redmond by kicking him out of public life, and electing in his stead a man who has never been heard of in connection with politics.