New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-20
avn THE OPENING OF THE NATIONAL LIB
WI ERAL CLUB.

.itSpl q
.,rougthep the Liberal party Oh the side where 1t
,rnnosed perbaps enormously, to be weakest, the
-sa;,l sidc. Tory clubs abound. Clubs not Tory in
me Int heartily Tory in fact abound sui more
Tbs Carlton the Junior Carlton, the Conservative
the It Stephens the BeacOnsheld, are examples OF
,be former. The latter it might be inyldious l"
mcntiop but everybody in London would naino
VOL, half dozen IN breath, and half dozen niore
iu tile next. The Liberal list used TO begin win
the Reform Club, but the Reform Cluo u ,''0
wears NAV be correctly described as more " MS '"'
Liberal aud more neutral than wing lno 49,.
shire was established as a political CLUB 10 promote
Y,S.a,;.,,, ,,od hos done something to carry ont
,h ,,.,,osas of its founders. SO OF the CITY LID
81 ,lnh bnt there the catalogue ends unless you
-. >, beoin again at the other end with BroohsS
Ill contaiu, the cream, in social sense, ol the
IiheraI party aud has the honor oil beng IouhuS
denounced by the more Radical wing as wing
CLIQUE aud a nursery OF aristocratic IDEAS
IT would take long 10 set forth all the reasons
rbv climbs of an essentially social character shouiu
u, thought needful to the prosperity of party oc-
cupyng itself with politics. But so 1t IL IN Louon
and such fact as the adhesion OF Mr. W. H. oh'i'n
nate First Lord OF the Admiralty TO the Tory party
hacause he failed to gain admission TO the heioim
CHM may 90 far to ex PLAN the political 1uhclions
ard uses of institutions devoted to dining ana suoA
,no and loungng. The Tories are iona ol saying
that Liberals are less clubbable than thelr oppo-
nents meaning not that they have fewer CLUBS, Dut
they are less prone to accept the conditions OF ic
and 10 exhibit the peculiar traits OF character on
which club success depends. No good LlDeral Will
meet assertions of that sort otherwise than by
es of polite incredulity. Still, there is the fact
,hat hitherto Tory clubs have multiplied faster
tbo, Liberal clubs don't know who conceived
the idea of a society which should combine some OF
the advantages of caucus win those oil q c'uo
prouer but whoever he was 1t is to him that the
National Liberal Club of to-day owes its existence
andits extraordinary prosperity. Started only
few months ago, it numbers to-day over o'ooo
members with temporary hoase In lriualgar
Souare. on the corner of Northumberland-ave'' the
most central spot i'll London. and WITH hxed pan
IF spending half million dollars on a permanent
home as soon as site and the money can be louhd'
The money is the least of he difficulties
Mr.. Gladstone has accepted the presidency OF the
elub Tie list of ce-presidens includes the Dukes
&c Devopshire and Westminster the Ears of Derby.
Dalhonsi, Northbrook ROsebery and Others. CaD-
met Ministers who arc not all earls, and scores oil
social and political celebrities hgure among the
various officers, and scores more, or perhaps nun
ilr.ds among the members All wings OF the party
are represented, aud ali sections OF the United
Kingdom. 1t is favorite pleasantly OF Tory
journalists to hint that social ambition Is the secret
Qf
f,om Aberdeen and Leeds and Bristol arc supposed
IN connect themselves with the National Liberal
Climb in the expectation of intimate intercourse
win the ornaments of society, some of whose titles
oaorn thus column. The local solicitor in town on
uusiness looks forward with confidence to eating his
mutton chop at the same table with LORD ilarting-
ton hearing all the current Cabinet secrets meah-
while and getting an invitation 10 DeVohshFe
Uonse by way, OF dcsseIt. But apprehend that
the local solicitor, from whatever part ol 'he
country he halls is not such fool as the Tory Jour
nalist would like 10 make him out lie knows very
well that he will meet men OF like political faith
with himself be their social distinction more or
Lass And that is what he wants. The club will
he an excellent club, and an excellent political
Rendezvous | should 60 q step further anu say
that whenever Lord Granville or Lord Harrington
look in they will get as good rs they give III is
defect in English politics that London knows SO
little of What the rest of England is thinking ana
no better thing could he devised or desired ior Tue
Liberal party than that the facilities oil inter
conTse between the provincial aud metropolitan
members should lie Increased. They VIII De ID
creased when this club is fairly going. yet it is
more than probable that its dining room and smok-
iur.room will be flied chiefly, as other clubs are
filled by London men IN good and regular stand
ing not only in the PARTY, but in some good soclaI
position.
That such an institution should be opened Win
adrnner wasa matter of COURSE But that ont OF
5000 members more than $500 should elect TO he
present at this inaugural feast is really remark
able proof of the vitality OF the CLUB ana Oh
the unusual interest shown by ITS mem
bers IN their membership The old-iashioned com
mittec would have made blunder at the worry
outset by. selecting out OF tins multitude some
manageable minority, and giving dinner In the
81 W
favored oacs present and ! eco grumbleis win
qrev.nce outside Some bold OF demo
cratic n,n of M nd conceived the notion OF prOvm-
ing for every one who should apply and the result
was the wonderful banquet OF last nighf iueIe
is not roof in London, perhaps Dig enough |"
cover this army of dining Liberals save the Apuar-
ium and the Aquarium. with all It's obvious dis"d-
vautages was accordingly chossn 10 dine ia H. VI
10 eat moderate allowance Of the cola N'ahus pro-
vlded and even to drink the vine OF when tnete
WAS no stint proved feasible enough. 1t was
when one wanted to hear the speaking that inc
a1icnlty of the situation made itself felt However,
the sneaker could at least be seen, and the SIX OF
eight hundred Liberals who had JouTncycd from
north and south and west to be present were sup
pose as eager to Mr. Gladstone as 70 near hIh'
The place itself was worth seeing. gay win pan
ners the floor filled with tables we'll spread Tor TINS
array of guests tat guinea apiece ladies' III Tue
galleries a band playing and some of the greatest
people in England at an upper board whereon inc
lesser light gaze their ILL.,
When Mr.. Gladstone arrived, and again when he
stood ND to speak and third time when he sat
dowp-and finally when he went away-the scene
was a curious one The greeting given to HIM was
enthusastic, as may DO supposed. There were
cheers. volleys of cheers that echoed through the
building aud were long in dying away But what
was more striking than the ordinary applause was
the sudden upsprngiug of 1900 men TO theii iee''
each with "a white napkin in his manu. whch he
49, wns MhrlMInl OF