The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-04-13 00:00:00

hand for useful and beneficial enterprises. What has
been done with that magnificent revenue? Tbe
burdens of the nation have been increased, causing, to
a great extent, deeression in trade. The marching
into barbaric districts of our army, which with the
navy has been costing us from twenty-four to upwards
of thirty-two millions per annum—this and much
more may be "Peace with Honour"; but we have to
lay a "Cyprus wreath" upon the graves of tens of
thousands of our fellow creatures in Zululand and
Asia, and to draw a curtain between us and the
horrible scenes of ravage, rapine, and mutilations,
which have resulted from a Tory Government, and
which have suUied the reputation of old England. The
Gladstontan Government left a most desirable
exchequer, for everyone knows there was a surplus of
five millions. Mr. Gladstone's budgets were spiced
with a clear and abundant knowledge of the produc-
tiveness of taxes, flow of commerce—the well-spring
of our country's wealth and prosperity. Let those
(whose real reasons they are wise enough to keep
undiscloeed) who salami, admire the foreign policy of
Beaconsfield, glance for a moment at the unhappy
wars which have taken place during his administra-
tion, and remember that upon the nation at large
have fallen the sufferings and burdens attendant upon
those calamities. Let them ask themselves whether
or not England bee preserved the probity of Turkey;
or whether she has effected the release of Christians
from the misguided Government of that country?
Instead of bringing the Afghans under our sway,
have we, or have we not, incited them to repair to
other strongholds? and how long ere they may again
wring up and threaten our " Scientific frontier r
Instead of obtaining European allies have we not
been doing our very best to make the Continental
Pismire jeer and laugh AS us, As we may Some day
find to our cost?

What is England doing today? Boldly and
fearlessly shaking the Tory stronghold to its founda-
tion. We would ask our new member whether the
manner in which the oonntry at large during the
past week has been conducting itself, will not In a
difficult pill for I3eaoonsfield to swallow, aye, and
Russia too. The grand Liberal triumphs throughout
the country are going a fair way to avenge the malt
contort at Bridport. Englishmen are voting for the
greatest finander, the first orator, and the most
conscientious statesman of the age. They are fast
awakening from their lethargy, and
assiduously to reduce and check that
expenditure which has characterised the late Govern-
ment. They are showing their appreciation for that
wan who has never eacrilosd principles for place, but
who has more than 0000 sacrificed place to maintain
and uphold his principles. They have learnt what
has been the home policy of the Tories during the past
six years; for their leader and guiding star during
those six sessions has passed no Act of value to the
country as a whole, but has muddled over what he has
attempted. Financially, they find the Income Tax,
left at 2d., raised to 5.1., which means another increase
In the next budget to pay for his battles; the
enormous surpluses they find converted into ditto
deficits; and the working men appeal to them, that
their condition has been worse during the past twelve
months than they can ever remember it. The electors
of England have awakened to the fact that Beacons-
field's foreign policy is in every direction marked with
bloodshed during the barbarous and unholy wars.
The electors of England are no longer to be duped by
the shifting policies of a man whose personal ambition
I. his mole motive. The bubble is threatening to
burst ;as the daily Increasing power of the Liberals
predict..

The Conssrvativee of Brislport are attempting to
impress upon us that the result of the late election
goal to prove that the borough has made • mighty and
rapid advance toward Conservatism. Not a bit of it !
Look for • moment at the number of voters who polled
for Mr. Ralli—Just nine less than those who polled for
Mr. Warton. Now, when we consider that
considerably more than half of those voters who polled
for Mr. Ralli were reli,ble working menl and that
those men so manfully resisted and withstood the
various temptations and inducements held out to them,
sticking to their colours and principles—then we feel
and know that the borough is as ever Liberal to the
backbone.

Now that the barrels (or rather their contents) are
out, those men who ran from their word are already
beginning to realise in what position they have
been the means of placing the borough. Apart from
conazientious principles, have some of those very men
forgotten that when the hour of affliction came, when
poverty took possession of their dwellings, when foul
weather came in place of fair, and their horizon
became clouded over—to whom they ran for support
and who assisted them' Their oonsciences are already
beginning to convince them, who? They find they
have exchanged • gentleman who, being tested, has
proved to be of the right metal—for what? Echo
answers "what?" Time will show. They have
taken the new member on trust, and if report
speaks accurately there appears to be a deal of trust
I about it. Some of the electors have bitten their
fingers—perhaps the smart will follow. It is hoped it
may not be so.
It may not be generally known that during the five
years Mr. Ralli represented the borough in Parlia-
ment, an authentic estimate shows that he has been
the means of benefiting the town and its people to an
equal, if not to a greater extent than, our lamented
Mr. Mitchell did in any five years of his (Mr.
Mitchell's) representation. Thus the people of
Briclport have become somewhat used to a literal
member for their borough. Will the new member
keep up thole munificent subscriptions to the churches,
chapels, schools, local improvements, itc., &c. &c.,
which have charactetised Mr. Rail? For the sake of
the borough it is earnestly hoped he will. Very
shortly those subscriptions may be lactated, and some
fine morning the new member may have an
Inundation of letters, requesting him to keep up such
subscriptions. We hope for the sake of the borough
that he will receive and answer them in the same
liberal spirit Mr. Earn did. It is probable that if the
new member should fail to come forward with £l,OOO
when 'tis wanted, some voter will be taking his coat
to the tailor's under • plea of a sudden admiration for
Mr. Gladstone's (not Beaconsfield's) foreign policy.
Ask some of the oldest inhabitants, who were eye-
witnesses, if the revolting scenes of drunkenness and
riot enacted in our streets, both before and after the
election, which has been disgracefully conducted in some
quarters, are far-fetched. Within the memory of the
oldest inhabitants, such scenes have never before
been witnessed, and for the honour and prestige of the
borough it is hoped never will be again.

Some enthusiastic (suddenly enthusiastic) Tories
have predicted that the "Wirings' must necessarily
change its tactics. The answer to such predictions
inwit be at once • plain and decisive "no." "Principle
which prompted the upholding of the views expressed.
was not a whit shaken when breakers a-head '
threatened danger and a camitm,i wet, ./ity (f) was
;tot suddenly observe I when the Tory party gave their
assurances of success."

All honour to those editors whose papers professed,
and still profess, either Conservatism or Liberalism;
who stuck boldly and fearlessly to their oolours
throughout, and casting aside favour and affection,
refuse to strike them.

The loss of the esteemed Mr. Ralli will undoubtedly
teach the Bridport Liberals a lesson—not to underrate
the strength of their political enemy: he
aware of the kind of influence that may be brought to
bear upon the electors for the future, to be watchful
Instead of lax in their exertions to maintain and
reinstate that power which is still predominant in the
borough. 'Union is strength; " let there be formed
at once an amalgamated Liberal Association which
will secure votes for its members, the gentry, trades-
men, and working men, and then by an efficiently
conducted public institution we shall soon see which
political party lithe strongest. The time may not be far
distant when the voters will have an opportunity to
emulate the conduct of English Liberals to-day, for the
electors of Bridport, in common with the electors of
England, do not, and will not, prefer paying an
increased expenditure of ten millions a year for Tery