High Jinks in Ireland.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 569, 12 February 1891, Page 3

High Jinks in Ireland.

FREE FIGHTS BEETWEEN THE FACTIONS. THE KILKENNY SCRAMBLE. The London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald, under date December 19, writes :— THE CENTRE OF INTEREST in the Irish struggle is transferred to Kilkenny, where both sides of the Nationalist party are industriously striving to win the electors over to their way of thinking, and freely bespattering one another with the vituperative eloquence which during the last few years have been reserved exclusively for Mr Balfour. There is no diminution in the interest with which the British public are watching the course of the conflict, which will eomp’ete one of its chapters on Monday, when the electors of North Kilkenny will decide between the nominee of Mr Parnell and that cf the paity which has elected Mr Justin M’Carlhy as their chief. Mr Michael Davitt and Dr Tanner are vigorously fighting the battle of Sir John Pope Hennessey, while Mr Parnell and a small band of devoted adherents are no less energetically seeking to secure the success of Mr Vincent Sculiy. Sir John Pope Hennessey and his opponent, however, are mere pawns in the game, and, as a matter of fact, they are taking comparatively little part in the proceedings. The battle is between Mr Parnell, who is fighting for his own hand, and his opponents, who are seeking to oust him from the leadership of the Nationalist party. It is becoming more and more apparent that the present split in the Nationalist ranks was not produced, but merely accelerated, by the incidents attending the O'Shea divorce case. There had long been a growing spirit of discontent among the 86 Irish members who constitute the Nationalist Parliamentary party with the despotic sway of Mr Parnell. A decision had been tacitly arrived at by some of them to throw oft his allegiance on the first favorable opportunity, and Mr Gladstone’s letter afforded the long-wished-for occasion. Mr Justin M’Cartby, in a speech at Cork, said that they had seen individual authority gradually

MEBGING INTO A MOTATORSHIF, and the devotion to a dictator degenerating in some minds into a fetish worship, They felt that their course was clear, and they shook off the perilous authority of the man. The dictation grew up gradually in and out of lhe Irish party. Formerly the principle which was the life, spirit, and soul cf the Irish party was that the minority must always bow to the decisions of the majority. There was a tima when they used to debate privately witbin their own coffee-room among the members of their own party on every important division which was going to be taken ; hut of late years, by steps so gradual that one could hardly tracc'ihem, they found the personal authority gradually sweeping and spreading over all the actions of the party, and as they knew from recent publications, there were important facts kept from the knowledge of lhe Irish party for 12 long months, '1 hey were beginning to feel, even before certain revelations forced the truth upon them, that it was dangerous to have that want of implicit confidence between the leader and the party, and their decision was forced by the events with which all were acquainted. Very similar language has been used by other speakers. It seems clear, therefore, that a covert rebellion was being set on foot against the uncrowned king among certain of bis subjects, and that the O’Shea divorce case and Mr Gladstone’s letter simply ripened the plot for execution. When Irishmen disagree there is always

PLENTY OF FIGHTING, and there has been no lack of it during lhe week, On Sunday a meeting of anti-Par-nellites was held at Tipperary, which was disturbed by the supporters of the member for Cork. Some priests who were on ths platform distinguished themselves by their exhortations to their followers to make short work with the members of what another clerical gentleman has called the “ wife-stealing party,” and the consequence was a genuine Irish row of the most approved Donnybrook Fair fashion, in which the Parnellites got the worst of it and had to leave the field. The priests then stationed groups of man on the outskirts of the crowd with injunctions to beat the brains out of anybody who disturbed the harmony of the rueeetmg. The Parnellites, not venturing to return to close quarters with their antagonists, betook themselves to throwing stones, and ultimately forced the meeting to disperse, It should be noted that, throughout lhe turmoil and trouble of the'North Kilkenny election, the Royal Irish Constabulary have maintained a passive attitude, probably in consequence of instructions received from headquarters, and contented themselves with affording protection to the particular side which stood most in need of it at any given rpoment. What occurred at Ifipperary on Sunday proved a mild affair compared with the events of Tuesday, which was A DAY OF BATTLE almost from beginning to end. It was market day at a place called Ballinakill, and each side hastened to take advantage of the concourse of farmers and country people who would be gathered to the spot to hold meetings. Mr Davitt and Dr Tanner were first on the field in the square at Ballinakill, The latter made a rattling speech, full of such phrqses as “ Hunt the fox,” “ Tally, ho 1” “ Kitty’s petticoats,” and the like, in the midst of which Mr Parnell and his supporters appeared upon the scene, and took up a position only a few yards away from the waggonette in which Mr Davitt and Dr Tanner were seated. By this time the business of the market had ceased, and the drovers, farmers, and country people gathered around the vehicles of the rival orators according as their inclinations prompted them. Then Mr Davitt was observed to suddenly leap down from the brake on which he had been standing, and, blackthorn in hand, commence to eight his way to Mr Parnell’s carriage, as it appeared, with the object of committing an assault on that gentleman or some of hie friends. His onslaught was vigorously resisted by Mr Parnell’s body guard and those of bls adherents who were surrounding the carriage ; but, despite the fact that Mr Davitt only had one arm, be wielded his blackthorn with such good effect that, in an incredibly short space .of tirnp, hp had hewn his way to the steps of Mr Parnell’s carriage. When he got there, however, bleeding, battered, and torn, he did not attempt any violence, but con tented himself with gisting at the member for Cork, and hissing out some angry words which were lost in the roars of the crowd, which was now in a band to hand melee. Then Mr Davitt turned back again, and reached his own car almost as quickly as he left it. After a little more fighting quiet was resumed, and the combatants set out for

A FRESH SPHERE OF ACTION. This new field was Castlecomer, some half dozen miles from Ballinakill, whither both parties repaired at full speed. At this place the Parnellites appeared to be in a minority, and the member for Cork and his friends were received with soma groans and hooting. Mr Parnell declined an invitation from Mr Davitt to address a joint meeting, and each side had its separate gathering, the Parnellite one being the smaller. Mr Davitt’s meeting broke up first, and many of the members of ft went over to the Parnellite crowd and commenced to jeer, hoot, and interrupt the proceedings. Blackthorns began to flourish on both sides, but no blood was drawn, and no heads were broken, and no " bhoys were kilt.” A little diversion was afforded by the spectacle of a couple of priests, one belonging to the Davitt’s gathering and the other to Mr Parnell’s brake, who bawled lustily away at one another, though their precise words could hardly be distinguished. Mr Davitt’s supporters created so much uproar that Mr Parnell’s meeting bad to be brought to a close. When ths member for Cork and his friends were driving through the town they had to pass by a concourse of Mr Davitt’s supporters, who greeted them with SHOWERS OF IHTD AND STONES, Seme of his followers jumped down from the Car tend advanced, blackthorn,-, in band, to

meet the aggressors. A short free fight place, in the covrae of which a couple of BAGS Ob’ LT ME were thrown by the Davitt crowd. One of these struck Mr Harrison, M.P., doing ho great harm, but the other bit the member for Cork full ia the face, and the lime getting into his eyes produced temporary blindness. He was driven back to Kilkenny with ali speed, but the pain was such that twice he bad to halt and dismount while a doctor, who happened to be with him, attempted to remove a little of the lime. He was confined to his room on Wednesday, but on Thursday finding himself a little belter he insisted on sallying forth to show himself to the electors. It was at first thought that total blindness would ensue, but though the risk of this is not quite removed, the doctors hope there will be no lasting damage. Some of the anti-Parnellites have been asserting that the bags contained flour, not lime; but the doctors state positively that the substance which entered Mr Parnell’s eyes was lime. THIS COWARDLY OUTRAGE was emphatically condemned by the leaders of the anti-Parnellite ratty, Mr John Dillon even cabling over from America his strong feeling of detestation for lhe act.