THE HOME RULE DELEGATES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 366, 19 October 1889, Page 2

THE HOME RULE DELEGATES.

Till proposal to invite the Home Rulo delegates to Gisborne has been taken up heartily, and a meeting was held on Tuesday evening to consider the arrangements to be made. It was decided to send an invitation so that it would be received in Auckland, and to hold a further meeting when a reply has been received. We are glad to see the way in which this matter has been taken up, and though no doubt there exists a wide difference of opinion on the subject, we believe that taken as a whole the people of this district are too liberal-minded to wish to avoid a fair dis* eussion of the Irish question. Those who think that a conflict of opinion will only

lead to embitterment in the future may rest assured that that cannot be so unless they create the feeling. In some other towns this has unfortunately been the case even before the delegates have arrived. Some of those journals that oppose Home Rule have bemeaned themselves by giving unfair accounts of events that have occurred and which bear on the question ; while on the other hand, charges of “ Piggottism ” have been freely hurled at them. These reprehensible tactics create a bitter strife in places where there should be complete amity among all classes, and it is made impossible to have a dispassioned discussion of the question at issue. The foolish attempt of some Tory journals to crush the mission of the delegates by gleefully anticipating ils defeat has added greatly to its success, for when temperate men see the wildest attempts made to distort facts to suit a feeling of partisanship, their sympathy always goes with those against whom these means have been employed. As far as the Gisborne journals are concerned there is no fear of any conflict of opinion. Our contemporary was at one time a strong advocate of a resort to Cromwellian methods, but now it has altogether changed,and alongperiod ofsilence while the. Irish question predominated is a tolerably fair indication that the Herald has been converted to Home Rule principles. Either that or it has not the courage to give expression to an opinion on one side or the other. That is not a very lofty principle to be the guide of a public journal, but perhaps it fits in with the circumstances, though we imagine that both Home Rulers and those who call themselves Unionists would prefer to see a straightforward attitude taken up.