The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-12-11
Democracy in England.

| 1t is one of the most tremendous revolution
of history, which the astute Gladstone, wit
his combination of the talents of the states
man and the mere politician, has pushe
through the British parliament. The house Q
lords has yielded to the demand of the times
and given its assent to the franchise bill. TIL
surrender is complete, for the bill is not accom-
panied with the threatened compromise. rider
the redistribution bill, which is separately con
sidered. No wonder, as reported, that the aget
commoner, as he sees the great measures of 4
lifetime approaching achievement, intends t.
make them the browning act of his active po
licbl life, and to retire to the dignifed idleness
OK >peerage, for he can depend on being fol
| lowed by the respect and admiration of the
| world.
! The franchise bill, which has also received
the royal assent, is only step short of univer-
| sal or manhood suffrage. 1t extends the fran
| chise very largely, and 1t is estimated that at
| least 100000 Englishmen will become voters
under its provisions. This, however, but faint
| ly represents the Significance of the mighty
transformation wrought by it. Heretofore the
voting power, and hence the shaping of par
lamentary sentiment, has rested with the up
per and middle olasses-the great landed pro-
prietary, which has been the repository of Eng
llsh political conservatism, and too often has
stubbornly refused to concede reforms demand
ed by popular though DISTINGUISHED opinion
until the mutterings of the people have become
too ominous. The reform of 1882 extended the
franchise to the middle classes, Or to small pro-
prietors. Gadstone's reform completely breaks
down the barriers by extending the right to ten
ants.
The farmer who rents his land from the own
er and the mill worker who lives in his employ
ers house are no longer without voice in leg
islative affairs, but they stand on an equal foot
ing with landlord and employer. The
redistribution bill is natural conse-
quence of the enlargement of the franchise, as a
step away from an antiquated and senseess
system of arbitraIysconfermen of powerful will
merge the parliamentary representation of towns
OF less than $4,000 inhabitants and some of the
smaller boroughs into the counties, and will
give towns of $4,000 inhabitants one member
of parliament. Boroughs under 81, 900 lose their
second members. The next parliament will con.
sist of $40 members, an increase of llS. Ire
land and Wales will be represented as now, al
though falling below the rule of population.
As to what the effect ON the parties will be we
can only guess. The conservatives who since
Disraeli's spectacular manoeuyers have been
very strong among the lower classes, are conf
dent that they will be the gamers But this is
very doubtful just at present. Freedmen are
apt to vote with their deliverers, and the Liber-
al party can expect large reinforcement of
voters. But the party itself is made up Of
widely discordant elements, which Gladstone's
genius alone holds together, and there must be
a general reformation as soon as he retires.
In all human probability an out and out Demo- |
cratic party will be its successor.