The New York herald., 1879-12-10
Gladstone in Mid-Lothtan.

This morning we print in another col
umn full extract of the third of the series
of Mr.. Gladstone's remarkable speeches
with which he is attempting to capture
Midlothian. The enthusiasm with which
the ex-Premier has been received and the
attention with which his speeches are con-
sidered all over England show very conclu-
sively that the great orators power over the
popular mind has not decreased. Whether
the great majority of the people Of the
islands. however, will be willing to accept
liberal government in place of Disraeli's
is at present question which this series of
addresses will not decide. Still, it is
significant that Gladstone can win from
o land virtually politically ruled over
by the feudal Duke of Buccleuch, and
which has tory element strong enough to
support Lord Dalkeith for the con-
stituency which the ex-Premier would gain.
such almost unexampled enthusiasm, and
obtain progress" perfectly triumphal in
character. The enthusiastic character Of his
reception is almost unparalleled. A corre-
spondent of the London Times in describ-
ing the scenes at West Calder on the
occasion of the second great speech,
says:-"The Gladstone fever has fairly
taken hold of the people-of high
and low. OF old and young, of women not
less firmly than of men. Gladstone, like
the east wind, is in the air, and the former
seems to make the latter tolerable. Deli
cate ladies equally with robust men defy
the elements in their devotion to the hero
of the hour. They stand literally for hours
in the muddy streets and at gusty corners,
in the dim light Of gas lamps as cheerfully
as in the broad light of day, on the chance
or in the hope Of catching passing glimpse
of the sharp features and white locks of the
popular favorite." The speech which we
print to-day was addressed principally to
agricultural hearers, and the speaker, seem
to have been greeted with greater enthusi-
asm than anywhere else in Midlothian. In
this oration Mr.. Gladstone confines himself
chiefly to questions connected with the
land, and his views will be found quite
worthy of perusal and study. One of his
principal points in his third speech was
to warn the farmers against hoping for
relleI from their present ulmcultleS
by the creation of small farms Of
peasant proprietorsbip, as Mr. Psrnell
demands for Ireland; yet he proves, on the
other hand, that in France the increase Of
agricultural income during the last thirteen
years has been three per cent per aunum,
while the increase in England has only
been three-6fths per cent per anhum. Ad-
mitting that this increase in France over
that in England is due to the grow
ing prosperity of the small peasant
proprietors, he is, nevertheless, very ear
nest In urging that the system of
peasant proprietorship, though capable of
great extension in the British Isles, should
not be pushed to too great an extent, at
the expense of the larger estates and the
richer proprietors, who are quite as neces-
sary to the we'll being and development of
the country as the petty holdings. This
part of the speech is evidently addressed to
Mr.. Parnell and his followers, and can be
studied to advantage by them in their
present campaign against the landlords of
Ireland.