PARNELL'S SHOES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11538, 24 November 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

PARNELL'S SHOES.

CAUSE OP THE HEALY-O'BRIEN DIFFERENCE. "These quarrels among prominent Irishmen are ruining our cause." This was the comment of a well-known Nationalist on the latest letter of Tim Healy to William O'Brien. In this letter Mr. Healy accuses Mr. O'Brien of treachery to the Home Rule cause by trying to " smash Redmond" a few weeks after Mr. Redmond had been unanimously elected chairman of the reunited Irish party. Mr. O'Brien has called his fellow countryman's statement "a miserable lie," and it looks as if the quarrel would be a very interesting and lively one before it ends. " Some of them are never happy unless they are dealing in personalities, and disgracing us in the eyes of all reasonable people," continued the Irishman. "Healy is the worst offender in this respect. He must have his bitter remark, no matter what the consequences may be ; and he is now doing his best to drag Redmond into his fight. " His quarrel with O'Brien is entirely personal. The two of them conspired with Dillon against Parnell. They ousted Parnell, and in doing it Healy did not add to his popularity in Ireland. "He is the cleverest man in the Irish party to-day. We admit it. He knows it, and thought he was sure to step into Parnell's shoos. " But the people soon showed him that he had made himself impossible as a. leader. They still remember Parnell's work for Ireland, and if they did not forgive his moral fall themselves neither do they forgive Healey's bitter antagonism to him. " O'Brien and Dillon soon saw that Healy was a Jonah to them, and they tried to get rid of him. He would not be pushed on one side, and you now see him and O'Brien each fighting for political existence. " That is what the quarrel really is about, and, like all rows between friends, it is specially bitter." " Did O'Brien send the telegram advising his friends against Redmond?" "It is said so here in London. I never saw it myself, so I can't say; but Healy is too cute a man to challenge O'Brien unless he knows that he did so, and can prove it. Whenever Healy issues a challenge it is always ' heads' he wins and ' tails his opponent loses, so you can bet on him."