The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-09
REFORM IN ENGLAND.

There has been another great reform demon
stration in England. The Trades Unions (the
conservative element of the lower strata Of En-
gish society have given their adherence to
the movement; and q general coalition is in
prospect of the bone and sinew Of the three
kingdoms The question has long since out
grown its original proportions, and the prime
movers may well stand in dread of the fate of
SEMEIE, who, though well warned of the terri
BILE power Of Joye, persisted in desiring bodi-
ly manifestation of his presence, was graft
aed-and crushed. 1t is perhaps well for Mr.;
! GLADSTONE, that his measure was defeated in
the late Parliament, and that he and his col
leagues were compelled to resign.
When Mr. GLADSTONE in May, 1894, launched
that s'thunderbolt," t." as it was called in the
English papers, in which he declared the right
of all men to vote, he placed himself at once at
the head Of the liberal party in England. He
said: sLess than one-fftieth of the working
classes are in the enjoyment of the franchise"
and continued:
s:What sse the qualities that at men for political
privileges? Are they not self-command, self-con-
trol, patience undsr suffering, confidence in the
law, and respect for superiors3 And when, should
like to know, in the history Of this or any other
country, were those qualities more prominently
exhibited than by the working peosle Of Lanca-
shire under the pressure of the cotton famine?"
To this he added the proposition, which was
the gist of his speech:
ST contend that when You would persist in e1-
cluding forty ynine- -ffeths of the working classes
ia fran ia IN ho
capacity, the cnftness, Inc misconduct Of those
classes as uniting them for its enjoyment"
This was, perhaps, not a prudent speech for
a Chancellor Of the Exchequer, but it is con-
tended by his friends that If he had been per-
mitted to carry his Reform Bill through, the
popular demand might have been met for the
time being, and Mr.. BRIGHT and his friends
rendered harmless. We adait, however, that
we cannot see exactly how the remedy pro-
posed by Mr.. GLADSTONE could have succeeded
in producing moro than mere temporary lull
in nthe storm. He proposed to concede moro
than the Conservatives were willing to yield,
and at the same time fell fur short of the de-
mands Of the Radicals If the progress of
events should reinstate him in the Cabinet,
very probable contingency, he would find no
little difficulty, il the sight of either party OPP
posed to him, to consistently pursue the line of
policy he had marked out for himself last year.
It is not easy for us to obtain accurate in
formation of the progress of this reform agita
ton in England. The numbers present at the
recent demonstrations are variously stated
10000 to 100000. The papers in the interest
of reform predicted there would be q quarter J
Of million Of people in the proosss:- NJ,
Times says the number did '-.ous' n'
The cOryssn.- not exceed =, wv
'op-- .,luents of the Northern Radical
..uas, all of course in strong sympathy WIN
JOHN BRIoHT, complain in almost every ietter
of the apathy of the great mass Of the miaoie
classes in England. Their reverence for roy.
alty, and the other hereditary institutions OF
the land, is such that they refuse to see their
own degradation, and still look with dlstrust
upon Mr.. BROWN and his coadjutors, This We
presume, may be taken as involuntary evidence
entitled to credence; and from it it Is fair to IN
fer that after all that has been said and writ
ten about tho great demonstrations Of the
operatives of the city, factory hands and Trades
Unions,-the social fabric in England is still
safe, and that the time of Mr.. BRIGHT and ms
friends has not vet come