New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-16
NOTES FROM LONDON.
Observation-Disclosures.

nRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF The TRiBUNE'l
Ever since the proposal to make Mr.. Lowell Lord
Rector of the University of st. Andrews was
broached il has met with support from the most
widely different quarters. The most notable
declaration in his favor came from the leading Or
gan of the Conservative party in Great Britain,
which devoted leading article to the advocacy of
his election That of itself is enough to silence any
criticism, if any there be. Mr.. Lowell allowing
himself to be nominated for post candidates for
which are sometimes pushed on partisan grounds
The Conservative managers of St. Andresws
made, l hear, strong effort TO identify Mr.. Lowell
with the Liberals, and to saddle the Liberals with
the responsibility for proposed or possible ex-
tnguishment of the University. But Mr.. Lowell
il is needless to state, stood for the Lord Rector
ship neither as a Liberal nor in any political char
acter or capacity whatever He was not supported
as Liberal He may have been opposed as
Liberal though il would be more accurate to say
that Mr. Gibson was supported as Conservative.
The truth is the Liberal section of students were
ready for once TO leave politics out of the contest
for the Lord Rectorship. The Conservative
section had opportunity TO do
a graceful thing and ioin III the
choice of Mr. Lowell on purely academic and literary
grounds They preferred to run Mr.. Gibson, and
they need not be blamed for doing so. Mr Gibson
was a candidate deserving of honor, and extremely
thusasn there may happen to be in the University.
He is a good example of partisan leader, good
LAWYER n good House of Commons speaker with
tnn times as much 90 in him as his nominal leader
Oh the front bench. But his claims were purely
political. He is net known as an author, and good
sneaker as he Is it would be rash to rate him high
as an orator
Mr. Lowelrs success has not called forth from any
quarter a more apt pleasant comment than may
n 1.1no of to-
1.-THE autbor of the Biglow Papers and Of more
serious poems less generally known but not less en-
titled TO admiration, is man whom any university
may have reason, beyond the conspicuous confidence
repOsed in him by his own Government, TO he proud
OF as its representative. The elevation of such a
man to such an Office is specially valuable as beaI-
ing evidence to the tie of a common literature
Which. more than anything else, perhaps, helps TO
keep before the minds of Englishnen and Americans
= wholesome of their indefeaslble klnshlp."
And in other journals words marked by equally
GOOD feeling may be found Mr. LOwelrs success,
if NAV be added, is where more popular than in
what is called society. He has majority of Is in
\ poll of 50, the vote standing Lowell, 100; Glib
son. So. 1t is not supposed that anything will
come of the attempt 10 declare him ineligible on
The ground that he is an alien. The Lord Cham
celor has given an opinion that the objection has
nothing in it, And legal bubbles aside, it is pre-
cisely Mr. Loweps nationality which, in the minds
of a great number of Englishmen, constituted
strong argument iii his favor.
Mr.. William Morris has at last been heard from
ON the subject of his relations TO his own workmen
AZ compared with the soeialistic views which he
has lately proclaimed as treasurer of the Demo-
cratic Federation In reply TO the letter OF NJ"
the substance of which have previously given,
AIR Morris freely admits that his position a we'll
+o-dO employer of labor and holder of sOcialistic
opipious is false one. But he does not see hisway
IN making it less false by casting aside his position
of CAPITALIST and taking rank with the prOetarat.
His assailant knows very well. says Mr.. Morris,
that il is not possible TO do so. confess do not see
why nor does Mr. Morris make it clearer by adding
that the most he can do is to palate as far us lie
ran the evils of the unjust system he is forced TO
sustain. OF by urging that he and those like him
are but minute Inks in the immense chain of the
terrible organization of competitive commerce, and
that only the complete unriveting of that chain
will really free him and them.
Well il no reform is to be begun till it is complete
il will be a long time in coming. Such reforms as
the world has hitherto prOted by have not been ac-
complished by securing unanimous OF even
majority vote for them at the outset. If Mr.
Morris really believes that the capitalist class to
which he belongs is as he declares 1t is class OF
marauders his single example Ill stepping out OF
Il would do more flr his new gospel than all the
Iecturing and letter-wrting between this and
the millennium What Mr. Morris in effect
saws is that capital is nothing but accu-
INFLATED stealings from the producer. He is him
self n captalist engaged, on his own theory,
at this moment in the very process he condemns
What is to prevent his ceasing TO stealf | don't
accuse him of stealing-Heaven forbid. 1t is his
Democratic Federation which to my mind Is bent
on doing the stealing, if any Is TO be DONE But
from his own point of view do not see what can he
sod for him. The rest Of his letter is not important
in ON pyfT
mental form of the views he is known 20 hold
Indeed. Mr. Morris's answer is satisfactory to
nobodv Int those who would be satisfied without
any. The half-penny evening journal which, till a
nornv rraI trimmed its sails to the SOcialistic
iree1e was the most radical Of London papers,
asks: Does Mr. Morris ever palliate the evils of
the system lie describes as unjustT There
are eminent employers here and abroad
who do not share in Mr.. hOrrss
Socialstic views, but who do share some portion Of
their profits with their work people If Mr.. Nor
ria can saw he does as much, he may, to that ex-
tent silence his critics. Another critic is even
more blunt Nothing, he says, can be easier than
for Mr. Morris TO cast aside that position of capital
ist which ne SAYS he cannot get rid Of " Let him
instruct a man of business TO sell his wall paper
business for him and give the proceeds to the poor
Then he might call himself Socialist, but until lie
can practice he ought not TO preach" Such, APP
rohend viii he the general British verdict in this
matter. IL we accept Mr.. MOrris's view OF things,
his case is very much like that of Southern slave
holder before the war who should have denounced
the wickedness of slavery, kept all his slaves aud,
when challenged have answered that he was only
minute link in the universal chain of the terrible
organization of competitive labor.
A funeral by all means, but not a grave, says the
Dean of Westminster TO the friends OF Sir William
Siemens And so the great electrician Is 10 nave a
ervice beneath the groined arches OF st. Peters