Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-10
GLADSTONE AT LEEDS.

by his enemies An inquiry into the rea.
son why in Ireland there is no public cpin-
ion to support the Government would in
volve an analysis of the relations between
the two countries for long period, but it
would be well worth making if time and
space served. The singing out of Par
nell for attack, however, must strengthen
the latter by causing it to be believed that
he stands for all the elements which are
opposed to the Government. There can
be no doubt that the new Parnell pro-
gramme is open to the criticism Gladstone
applies to it. Il is in effect policy of
plumber, for it involves the robbery OF the
land owners and the tenants both, in the
interest of third class. And since the
arguments and propositions of Parnen and
his school are not restricted to the case OF
Ireland, but are capable of application to
ally country in the world, it no doubt be-
hooves the statesman of England to take
position on this aspect Of the land ques-
ton, and that in the most emphatic way
a policy which proposes the coufscation Of
large proportion of the property of the
property-owning classes, for the benefit OF
the non-property- downing, is sure to be
popular with the latter. 1t is a policy
with which great deal of mischief can be
effected which may be employed to widen
the division between rich and poor; to
encourage crime to palliate assassination
to furnish specious excuses for outrage to
check industry to foster turbulent indo-
lence and pauperism. But it is not pro-
gramme which deserves to be called
rational or practical. There is literally no
possibility that it will be successful, we
will not say in the present generation,
but within any period to which it is
possible to look forward, In fact it IS op-
posed to the first principles of civilization,
and as civilization is the development OF
human wants and aspirations, it may be
said to be opposed to human nature. We
see therefore no possibility OF evolving any
other than delsterious results from such a
programme. It can do harm. 1t can stir
up strife. 1t can prevent progress. But
it cannot settle anything wisely or well. 1t
is quite possible that it may bring trouble
to England as well as to Ireland. This in
deed is among the more obvious contin-
gencies. But it will not hasten any of the
events to which the more intelligent Irish
men direct their attention, and it is ex-
tremely likely to Illustrate the best features
of the really benefcent measure just
passed, and known as the Land Act.
~
THE MEETING or THE SENATE.
The United States Senate will .maet to.
day to select President for itself, and
perhaps to organize. The Democrats have
the power to elect the President, and have,
It is said, unanimously agreed upon Senator
Bayard for that position. The Republi-
cans have held caucus, and Committee
of Conference was appointed to meet
similar committee from the Democratic
caucus. As the Democrats refused to en-
ter into any agreement respecting the
choice of President, and as the Republi-
cans did not care about anything else, this
movement came to nothing, and now the
Republicans are railing bitterly at the
Democrats for not giving up the advantage
they hold. They say that the Democrats are
unpatriotic, and that they are about to
make situation in which premium will
| be offered for the assassination of President
Arthur. It appears to us that this kind of
talk is both foolish and in bad taste. Pres
| ident Garfield was assassinated in order to
make way for another Republican. His
assassination grew out of fractional feud
which had separated the Vice-President
from the Administration. The country
can have no guarantee against the repeti-
ton of this state of things if the Vice
President is Republican. It is quite
conceivable that if the Republi.
cans were allowed to elect the
| President of the Senate, he might become
involved in feud with President Arthur
And in that event it is perfectly clear that
there could be no more security than there
was for Garfield. The truth is that the
Democrats are not responsible for what is
about to happen. Had Conkling and Platt
not betrayed their party, the Republicans
would have been able to elect the President
of the Senate. That is where the respon-
sibility for the present embarrassment
rests, and nowhere else. As for the Re-
publican talk about want of patriotism, it
is nonsense. Nobody believes that if the
case had been reversed the Republicans
would have surrendered their rights to
their opponents. Everybody knows that
they would have found abundance of patri-
otto reasons for maintaining their position.
The Democrats have the necessary votes to
there any instance on record of party
surrondering majority rights to the minor
ity? The Republicans have been put in
their present disagreeable position by their
own friends, and not by their opponents.
1t may no doubt be embarrassing in some
minor respects to have Democratic Vice.
President, but the Republican Senators
would not elect President when they had
the power, and therefore they must accept
the situation. The whole case is an i'm
pressive illustration of the evil of pro-
crastination, in politics as in everything
else
TEE Dynamite PLOT.
It is said that the dynamite plot has
been exploited. and that it turns out to
have been barefaced swindle, devised by