The election in Carlow County, to fill up the seat
of the O'Gorman Mahon, has given a crushing triumph to the Anti- Parnellites. Their candidate, Mr. Hammond, was elected on Tuesday by a majority of considerably over two to one. For Mr. Hammond, 3,755; for Mr. A. J. Kettle (Mr. Parnell's candidate), 1,539,—majority, 2,216. That is, Mr. Hammond polled 677 more than the double of Mr. Kettle's poll. At the last contest in 1885, the Conservative candidate polled only 751 votes. So that even if all the Conservatives threw their weight into the.Parnellite scale, there would nevertheless have been nearly double as many Anti-Parnellite as Parnellite votes. As County Carlow was supposed to be Mr. Parnell's chosen ground, this result opens to him hardly any prospect of a Parliamentary following. After the dissolution, the Anti-Parnellites will sweep the field. But whether, if the priests ever abandoned the cry for Home-rule, they could return their candidates over the heads of the Anti-Parnellites themselves, is quite another question. So far, they have not shown any disposition to so much as try the experiment.
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