The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-09

measure OF the greatest import
ance as regards the future adjustment
Of the balance of power between classes; but
it was accepted as disagreeable necessity
by one side, as a boon of very little value by
the other; and as soon as the dreary debates
which il had occasioned were over, all the
world rushed with q sense Of relief to sub
iects more congenial to the modern national
taste. At this present time there are one or
two questions Of this class which still remain
unsettled-waifs and strays, scattered relics
of the great contests of old. The "ballot" ia
one. Thirty years ago 10 pronounce its name
was to raise topic of fierce and dangerous
controversy. Who cares about the ballot
now, except candidate who calculates how
far 1t may lessen his expenses2 The repre-
sentation of minorities is another, and, in our
view, far more important one Indeed, the
problem of dealing with it in rational way is
perhaps, the last secret reserved for the pro-
gress of merely political enlightenment. But it
seems as if the press and the public were de-
termined to leave it alone Whether Mr.
Hardcastle has secured q day for the discus
sion of his motion on the subject, we really
do not know. We are certain that there is a
total absence of eagerness on the part of the
world In general to know whether it is coming
on or not. And it must be remembered that
this civic apathy, so to speak, is by no means
confined to one class in society. If politics.
pure and simple, constitute mere bore for
the present to the ordinary cultivated mind,
they seem to be as completely distasteful to
the mass of the people. Perhaps there
never was in Great Britain-we do not
say Ireland-a voluntary organization 30
powerful as that of our trade unions has be-
come of late years. Any leader who could
master and divert it for what we have termed
pure political purposes, might effect formi-
dable changes in the State. But scarcely any
of their actual leaders have shown the slightest
inclination 80 to apply their power, and the
few who have made the attempt have failed
altogether. The wiser among unionists do
not believe that they should forward their
own special views by any dealing with suffrage
questions, and the great body do not seem to
care about them.
The truth is, not that party sentiment has
ceased to exercise its influence on the masses,
but that it has taken another direction. Mere
political change is no longer, Judging by pre-
sent appearances, an object of general desire,
But the interest formerly felt in il has been
transferred to two other divisions of nublic
matters, pecuHiary and religious, question
to be taken in earnest mus touch either the
pocket or the Preyer-Book BY pecuniary
9ueS'ior, -, we mean, of course, such as affect
enc Possessions or the well-being of the COM
Munity or of any important class OF 1T. Ever
since the great free trade battles which inau-
gurated the present era in our domestic his
tory, questions of this class have been in the
ascendant. Social economy has usurped
the domain of politics, and will do SO
more and more-unless we misinterpret the
auguries of the time-until those hazardous
problems which lie at the base of it have
either been solved or put aside as insolubls.
The object now at heart is, not to apportion
political power among the several ranks of
men, but to apportion the moro substantial
good things of this life; and few there are
nowadays SO contented with superficial solu-
tions as to hold the favorite theory of our
fathers that the first ensured the second. Any
question touching the regulation of the rela-
tons between owner and occupier of the soil,
or between capital and labor, now excites
palpitating eagerness, very different indeed
from those subdued emotions with which we
greet the occasional temperance of the old
institutional discussions touching secret
voting or the uses of the House of Lords. 1t
may be thought singular that along with this
tendency to economical controversies, the
age should witness SO extraordinary a
recandescence of the spirit of
ecclesiastical polemics likewise. But
the sagacious observer will recognize this as
scarcely less salient feature of modern So
ciety. Men of ability, men of practical sense,
men of sound learning, utterly impassive to
the defamation or reasoning of political re-
formers, totally incredulous as to mere politi-
cal ameliorations- who in these matters
have got, in MIR. loves happy phrase, 'be-
tween the north wind" into a region of un
troubled calm-will take FIRE on the occur
renee of the most insignificant controversy
between rival religious parties. There were
fifty such men who worked themselves into a
fever for or against DIR. Temple for one who's .
pulse beat a stroke higher by reason of th 8
debates on lodger suffrage. Our party leader
of old who thought they knew their country
men well-the two Pitts, Fox, and Grenvilles
would have recoiled in bewilderment from
the notion of one of two united ma
tions rending its establishments fercely
asunder on question of Church
patronage, and another going hall
out of its wits about the special regulations
under which poor helpless children are to be
taught their very elementary Grammar OF
Assent SO as to please the scots. Burke,
with his larger mind might have compre
hended more nearly the nature of the change
which had passed over the mind of his nation
but he would have regarded it as sign Of
degeneracy such as was manifested when the
Roman nation ceased to study the art of gov
erning empires and betook itself to the Ariar
controversy. Whether we ought to fee
humiliated on this account or not, one thing
is certain-men who aspire to lead must frs
follow, and in order to follow they must sym
pathize with the genuine movement of thei
time. For the present the ''dry light" of tn
mere politician is in this country obscured.
Oxygen Gas.
n.,s,, II.