Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-18
. Is England Waning!


and manufactures in Great Britain is
getting to be q serious thing. The
gloom naturally consequent upon
such state of things is settling like
q dark cloud over the whole kingdom
and pervades all classes. Discourage
ing as was the outlook one year ago,
the experience of the great majority
of merchants and manufacturers has
been but constant succession of
saddening reverses. In many cases,
we might say thousands, inter fnan-
cial calamity and ruin have closed
the doleful scene. Although by dint
of armed police. the disturbances
occasioned by the closing of large
manufacturing establishments and
labor strikes have been temporarily
quelled, the spirit that would break
out in arson and robbery is hushed
for q season. In London, Liver
pool and Manchester, thousands of
starveling men and women are held
in check only by the strong arm OF
the law and such temporary military
regulations as the emergency of the
times has rendered an imperative
necessity. Those who were once the
most thoughtful and hopeful are now
fearing that England's downfall has
commenced, and that she can no
longer be considered as leading the
ma nufactures and commerce of the
world. The scepter of supremacy
which she has welded for centuries
is slipping from her grasp, to be re-
claimed no more forever. Let no
one on our own side of the Atlantic
think that we are taking apremature-
ly lugubrious view OF these things.
How to soften the present exacerba-
ton that exists in all classes is now
the great problem in Parliament.
William Gladstone has openly Civ
en- expression to his belief that the
United States are passing Great
Britain in the contest for industrial
supremacy. In the recent speeches
of Mr.. Bright. he does not hesitate
to give vent to his gloomy forebod-
ings as to the immediate future of
England. A few months ago, Mr..
Bright was called upon to make a
speech ct the opening of the new
Town Hall in Manchester, and an
intelligent lietener uses the following
language in speaking of the occasion:
eft is not the habit of Mr.. Bright to
be respondent of the progress of
modern society, and it was q harsh
and unpleasant surprise to find him
prophesying decline when he might
have been expected to prophesy in
crease. We are judged. We are
found wanting. Our greatness is
doomed to pass away from u.s." 1t
is asserted by those who have OPP
FORTUNES of knowing, that in almost
every branch of English manufac-
ture production has outrun consump-
ton, and there is no outlet in foreign
markets for the rapidly increasing
surplus. Former depressions diff
fered materially from that which now
exists throughout the kingdom. In
other days, the temporary glut of
English manufactures in foreign
markets caused a corresponding
dullness OF home, but only for few
weeks duration at the most. Now,
however, the tables are turned.
Those nations which we're England's
best customers few years ago, are
now her most active and dangerous
competitors in distant, non-manu-
featuring countries. David McEvor,
of the Cunard Line, said, but few
days ago, that he knew of no nation
whose trade prospects are so gloomy
as those of Great Britain; that the
exports from that country to the
United States are comparatively
nothing in value or volume. But
we have not yet touched upon the
great evil that is destroying Eng
land; an evil, by the way, which is
only her own besetting sin, and a
Gin which will destroy any nation
under heaven. We mean her love
OF war and unhallowed conquest.