Current Topics.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 28

Current Topics.

Charles Stewart Parnell, who has just gone to his account, was unquestionably a leader of men. But ho was also a misleader, for notwithstanding the vast influence he exercised ; despite—or was it because of'?—the Machiavellian turn of his mind, he was followed by millions of the Irish people, and by a largo section of Englishmen and Scotchmen, who put their faith.in Mr Gladstone and the Home Pule which he, in a certain undefined way ashis manner is, had from time to lime supported. By not a few of his followers Mr Parnell was almost worshipped. These latter could see no fault in bis character or conduct. They were content to condone his errors and political shiftiness ; considering all that he sought for was the good of the cause. How for years he played with the leaders of both political parties in Parliament, and how each side directly and indirectly strove to secure his a ; d and assistance, and bade high for the same, is a matter_of recent history ; and for years he had Ireland politically at his feet. Not until the disgraceful duplicity which the wretched O’Shea entanglement disclosed, and the baseness it displayed, had come to light was there any manifest falling away of his many friends and supporters. Even then, though a great defection occurred, though he was at'last denounced, somewhat unwillingly in some quarters, by the Priesthood, and deserted by most of the higher thinking and more honourable of his party ; yet with a stern composure and apparent strong self-possession, he confronted ltis opponents, held meetings, brought boldly out his own candidates, aud struggled for them. Even when beaten as in Kilkenny and Carlow, lie lost outwardly, at least, not one jot of that bold front and self-assertion -which had always marked the man. But it was for many months felt that the cause of Home Rule suffered eclipse and eclipse likely to be of long duration, if indeed the scheme, as indicated by all the early utterances of Parnell which set out. ultimate severance, can ever again be resuscitated. Probably now that the chief actor, discredited as he had become, is off the stage, a compromise may be found practicable between followers of the late leader and the antiPamellites, if the two sides can agree about a leader. There lies the main difficulty. But come what may there can be no doubt that the death of Mr Parnell will remove a grave stumbling block and rock of offence from the pathway of the Home Rulers, the Liberals, and the Unionists also, although whether the occurrence will strengthen or weaken the hands and prospects or Lord Salisbury’s Government depends on what coalition of parties may now be found practicable under the new conditions. Probably a union of the Irish Party will now be effected, and if that is accomplished the united Irish vote is likely to he cast against the Ministry. As for Mr Parnell, worn and wearied, and pressed by the obloquy which had fallen on him, and which time did not seem likely soon to remove, whether he died from acute disease suddenly acquired, or. was physically prostrated by the existing troubles with which he was surrounded, we desire to say no more of the man and his errors. For years he was a conspicuous leader. He is gone. Heath covers a multitude of sins.

Christchurch election has resulted in the return of Mr Sandford, the_ Government candidate, who polled 1851 votes, against 1109 recorded for Mr Smith, and 637 for Mr Eden George, so that the first candidate on the list secured 105 votes niore than those given to the two others. We do not suppose that Mr George will take any further steps, because there is, we understand, an important factor left out of the argument as regards the legality of the Governor’s action ia rectifying, by Order-in-Council, the mistake which occurred as to the lapse of time between the nomination day and the day of polling. It would appear that the error was that of the returning officer, v/ho, through an oversight, notified the wrong day during which nominations could°be received. If tliia is correct the whole thing is at an end, and an election petition would be a mere waste of powder and pelf.

Although the statistics of drunkenness in some of the colonies are declared to be seriously high, there is one marked exception, and that is the Colony of New Zealand. Even here, where the habit is far less pronounced than in other colonies, the sin of drunkenness is mainly restricted to the older hands. As a rule the rising youth of the Colony are not addicted to excess in di inking, notwithstanding the attractions of the bar, and of those who preside behind it. Outside enjoyments —cricket, football, volunteering, boating and yachting—all form pleasanter and more healthy exercise ; good for the body and mind alike, removing our young men from sundry temptations, and giving them generally better aspirations and a happier rivalry. The opening of the boating season and the ciicket season, which took place on Saturday, was hailed by crowds of interested spectators, both at the wharves and at the Basin Reserve.

The sky was unclouded, the sun shone, and the day generally was auspicious. Long may our young men follow theso pursuits, which increase the physical vigour and expand the practice and sentiment of good fellowship and of genial personal intercourse.

It seems almost incredible, notwithstanding the repeated reports of great destitution existing in the famine districts of Russia, that so many as 32 millions of the peasantry are in a destitute condition. Yet that is the painful story, and these are the numbers which the electric cable conveys. Late papers from Home state that, as calculated more than a month ago, it would require twelve millions sterling to relieve the distress in Russia caused by the short crops and the deep poverty of the peasants. This is more than half of the loan which-Russia has just raised in Paris. This loan of L 20,000,000 was to be floated at 84, but it realised only the low price of which shows a discount so heavy as to indicate that the finance of Russia is far from flourishing, though it must be said that even in the dark days of the Crimean war her interest in London and elsewhere was always duly provided for. It is a melancholy tale to tell that while Russia in pursuing the objects of her hereditary ambition and territorial aggrandisement has been spending such vast sums in warlike preparations and war material, so many millions of lier subjects are suffering the penalties of poverty and starvation.

All things American must be great. Everything gigantic or nothing, and the fact must be frankly admitted, too, or the American with a true appreciation of his great country is disappointed. They “must he cracked up,” as Chollop declared, emphasising his observation with a flourish of his bowie knife. That picture is now obsolete, but the desire to be cracked up still remains, and undoubtedly it merits recognition, and never more than now. At the Chicago. Exhibition everything is to bo on the grandest of scales, from the new tower of extreme altitude to the latest and the greatest matter in racing stakes. It is announced that a proposal is in process of ripening in America that there shall be held during the Chicago World’s Fair a great international horse race between Great Britain, America, and Australia, the stakes to comprise no less than L 200,000 (two hundred thousand pounds !) or one million dollars of added money. Where are the children of Musket, where the progeny of Nordenfeldt and Martini-Henry ? With such a record as these New Zealanders have m de there should be no lack of competitors from these islands should this greatest of all racing prizes be effectually arranged.

A Movement is on foot, the object of which is to establish a company for the purpose of erecting a large hotel, superior to any now existing in Wellington. It is quite certain that as far as regards numbers, Wellington city is overstocked with hotels, some of which could, we _ believe, be dispensed with without injury either to the trade generally or to the city itself, while, judging from the numbers which change hands, outgoing occupiers of such hotels do not usually retire on a fortune. Of really good residential and well-appointed hotels, the city possesses only a few. Probably these could be numbered on less than ten lingers, and it is just possible that the time has arrived when the growth of the town, and the increase of travelling visitors may justify the large venture of building a hotel of extensive dimensions, greatly in excess as to size and accommodation of any hot.l the city now ■ possesses. It need hardly be said that it is the business of the projectors of this scheme to consider the whole bearings, and no doubt they will make careful enquiry as to the experience of other concerns of a lilco kind, such as those which exist in Melbourne and Sydney, and particularly in the former city. Even although it would be to compare small things with great, nevertheless, to make an estimate in each case of proportionate populations and the travelling public, local demand, and existing supply, would furnish valuable material on which to base calculations of cost and probable returns. For, after all, on these latter depend the success of schemes of this nature. A thousand pounds for the purchase of a license from some inferior house, necessi tated by the local option law, is a preliminary demand requiring some consideration, and if L 30,000 or L 40,000 (for those figures and oven higher haye been mentioned) is the requisite capital, the traffic vvould require to be very large to repay the shareholders. The main question is, are the population and the existing demand such as warrant the project ? A hotel metropole where the people number many hundreds of thousands differs somewhat considerably from a like establishment in a city of thirty thousand.