Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/128

Ranade had established his supremacy in 1889. As so often happens in India, affairs in the Sabha had degenerated into cliquism. In 1895, however, Mr. Tilak secured a majority among the members. This incensed the rulers of the Sabha. They were long accustomed to have things in their own way and had no desire to be ruled by Mr. Tilak. They, therefore, set up the "bewitching cry" of "compromise, as if there was anything to compromise at all." Prof. Gokhale undertook the mission of the Peacemaker. But he made the initial mistake of dictating terms to the victorious party. Knowing that his partisans were in utter minority, Mr. Gokhale should have proposed terms at least as favourable to Mr. Tilak's party as to his own. But he went a step further. He proposed three terms: (i) The Managing Committee of the Sabha should be composed of equal members from both the parties (2) The Chairman should continue to be same (that is a Moderate) and (3) There should be three Secretaries instead of the usual number of two and of these three only one should represent the majority. This attempt to hoodwink Mr. Tilak failed; and the chafing Moderates wrecked their venegeance by practically ousting Mr. Tilak from the Secretaryship of the Poona Congress. But even this did not satisfy them. Unaccustomed to play the second part, they resolved rather to secede from the Sarvajanik Sabha than cooperate with Mr. Tilak. They pressed Ranade to allow them to start a new Political Association; and after prolonged hesitation and against his better judgment Ranade at last sanctioned the formation of