The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-01
WANT'ED-A LEADER.

WANTED-A LEADER
The Earl of Derby, who was during such a
long period the leader of the Tory party in
the English House of Lords, is dead, and
Lord Cairns, his nominal successor, has given
up the task of leadership in disgust. A very
serious question is. therefore presented as to
who will lift up the mantle which was stricken
from Derby's shoulders by the hand of death.
The supposition that the new Earl, so well
known under the title of Lord Stanley, would
succeed to the political as well as titled posi-
tion of his father, is natural one. He was
born into craftsmanship, and has passed his
whole life in the atmosphere of politics,
having held, during his fathers lifetime,
several of the highest positions in the gift of
his party when in power But he is said to
be decidedly opposed to the assumption OF
the duties and responsibilities of the position;
and, in addition to this, has during late years
exhibited so much liberality of sentiment
that his complete adherence to the party of
Mr.. Gladstone would not very much startle
the equanimity of our British cousins The
foundation of the difficulty under which MIR.
Disraeli labors in securing representative in
the upper house consists in the fact that
nearly all the activity and vitality even of the
titled aristocracy is enlisted in the cause
of Liberalism; and it would therefore
appear that the only resource of the great
conservative commoner lies in dummy"
to whom shall be entrusted the nominal lead
ership, without any of its responsibilities or
privileges Such convenience, it is thought,
can be found in the Duke of Abercorn, whose
grand claims to the consideration of states
manship are embraced in the satisfactory
statement that she held for many years tho
post of Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert,
and is personally very acceptable at court -
If the unhappy Abercorn should be selected
as the successor to Derby, Wellington, and
the other illustrious leaders of the Tories in
the House of Lords, the falling-off will be
great indeed. But then the House of Lords
has itself fallen off immensely during the
last quarter of a century, and as it is at pre-
sent practically mere figure-head to the Gov
ernment, an ex-Groom of the Stole is doubt
less good enough to fill the purely ornamental
position of conservative leader in its councils.
STAND BACK The New York Tribune says,
''Let the jobbers and spectators who usually
luichou tuo dtLuoSpucre VI lldfTlSDurS SLauu
back until certain ''vital measure of pro-
lection and safety to most deserving class
shall have been perfected" The vital mea-
sure in question is bill, prepared by the
working miners of Luzerne county, which
proposes to regulate the opening and working
of mines in that county, and, without at
tempting to interfere with the relations of
labor and capital, prescribe such safeguards
as are necessary to prevent the recurrence of
disasters upon the Avondale scale. This bill
may possess all the intrinsic merits ascribed
to it by the Tribune: but, if such be the case,
we fear its fate is sealed in advance. 1t
would never in the world do to let the atmo-
sphere of Harrisburg get thinned out SO that
an honest man could breathe it without con-
tamination. The atmosphere of Harrisburg
was not created to undergo such process.
There was an opinion of that sort somewhat
prevalent before the recent election; but the
very respectable majorities by which divers
of the ''old members" were sent back to the
State capital dissipated it, and showed that the
people of this city, at least, don't expect their
chosen representatives to ''stand back, -
simply because the atmosphere chickens
when they rush to the front.