New-York tribune., 1884-11-01
MIR. GLADSTONE'S POLITICS.
INFLUENCE OF HIS JOURNEY on REFORM


Drrstpr, October 4.
What remains IL 10 consider Mr. Gladstones p't-
formancc In Scotland with reference 20 ia immcd''
ate object accepting his point Of Wow and Tor.
getting Egypt and the rcst Of the universe outside vi
these islands Let mo begin by stating hooi "r NJ
imprcssion which mayrcrhaps lessen the elect o w"
objections To his method which have sct ont earlier
The Impression ! get from all ! have seen ana
heard ~ that Nh. Gladstone means the carry
ing of the Franchise bill to be the crownIng
work Of his life. Among his great achievements
in constructive legislation, Reform bills or bills
for charging the suffrage have had no important
place. II il natural and honorable 90 him that ne
should wish to leave n great franchise measure as
lasting memorial of hs public life. As he said hum
self he wants To broaden the basis which the
Constitution rests IL is an ambition which we
Americans at any rate. are bound to applaud IL In
one more step IN the Amercanzation of English IN
stitutions; another stage toward that government
by democracy whittier England il rushing Win
giant strides. There is little difficulty In seeing
how Mr.. Gladstone might persuade himself that 1t
is exped ent to subordinate everything to tbs one
aim We can almost sympathize with his i'm
patience of every obstacle. and if not sympatnize
with Mt least understand the mood which leads
him % close his eyes for the moment to the claims
Of the vast Empire beyond these narrow seas. ana
devote himself 20 the immediate welfare of his near
est fellOwcitzens.
am not sure that the Franchise bill may not be
the crowning work of Mr. Gladstones life IN more
definite sense. aud that when it is accomplished he
NAV say farewell to Office and to Parliament. IL
had heard one single word from him IN private
pointing to such a purpose, should not say what
do But I have not. | have absolutely no author
ity nor support for conjecture except from other
sources II is purely conjecture still il Is con
lecture in favor of which much might be urged ana
which some people que etly think well founded. IL
would not he the first time he has cherished snch
desire II wonll not clash with hi known declara-
tons and wishes at two three periods o MS iiie.
If cannot seem improbable If yon consider hl' age
his hcalth-whch. vigorous a. IL ls. has hal more
than one recent shock-his deep religious feeling
about the uses to which the closing years OF lie
ought to be devotel and many other things on
which need not dwell. If refer e the possibility
of such plan. it is only because il offer one more
r, ason for tine line he has taken here m Scotland
and for his present exclusive preocc lparion with
the single measure he Is resolved at all hazards to
carry into law.
BE this a. il may. au1 whether Mr. Gladstones
mot yc. be simple or complex, it l. obvious thlt he
camc to Scotland to pulpit from which to
preach the gospel of Franchise and that only. Let
me drnp the eoclesinstiral metaphor before n h'-
comes embarrassing or which a worse. mN'I
and say that drsi Midlothian and then all So'timd
was hut thc nl,tfoun from which he spoke ~ the
whole kinglom. ne himself his declared hi4 co1-
viciion that Iulmnl has gone ns fast and as Tar
with him as scotnni II may be sp. 1ui in t'"'"
srpntdr ,nys 10 ig sner go strk ~ beliefs ior vhrl
sufficient evidence is fnrihrUriinH I'm England ih'
evidence has Vet ~ hr strengthened. w. Scot tnd ~
"a already u,.rth.-HnI so'tlnll. h1N"to. H
hnt tho ndrinro.Ilam of lngl1nd m political
| thmlIns 1ho blrns vhirh tho cal 'loptn accepts
to. has tho tnnthtpn VIII proclaim to-m"rr'v, AMI
probably clnm thon o. hia own. lih" Nov-lne
| aud in AmotioA -roilbud here in old luHnnl b.
/ uutaary of ruliti.u ilnpa n wa nnt lui nothing
| that Nii Gladstone rhrao Midlothian aa iho hr'tth
STONE ur tho rtuatlo vhiDn ho preached h l7i' II
10 equal, usorul 60 him now. aud tha history of
! is7p aud 1850 explains tho confidence in ngiah
suptnff hr now rNptcslra before u gland las really
hreu heard nom,
Scotland la. truth needed uu kindlins ia favor of
| the noN suurtgo She was ready, ia MI Glad
stones Judgment, o. ~ too Tar ahrld ih pursuit ot
IT, and T. complcate the la,urs which he was atriv-
/ lnr 10 simplify Accorll llnsly his hrst errind here
was To discourage at least to rctard. agitation
against the House of Lords Scotland. IN common
| with Liberal England had pretty much made mp its
aind that this Reform bill, like the Reform bill OF
! 1882 was in peril of being wrecked b. the oppo-
sitlon of the Lords, or OF the permanent Tory ma
| ority which is lnpel in the Second Chamber.
/ Ii was fast approaching state OF mind III when
Franchise First might be its motto. and the
one burning question be the House of Lords and
| whether Mend EN- or End em Mr. Gladstone
| wants to pass the Franchise bib. and wants, at
present. neither to Mend nor Ind the Lords Re
| form or abolition ofthc Lords Is problem be has
! not thought out 1t involves an organic change
from which his conservative instincts-and few men
! have more or stronger-shrink. Any scheme for
! limiting or for annullIng the Legislative authority
/ of the Upper Chamber involves enormous difficult
| ties. a prolonged struggle, probably political con
vulsion beside which the present obstacles IN the
way of giving the vote to couple Of millions OF
non-voting Englishmen seem trivial.
He began. therefore, little indirectly. bnt as he
said OF Parliamentary obstruction, perhaps for that
reason the ecctIyey to chill the ardor of his
Scotch supporters tor battle with tho Lords.
think said at the time-I know thought-that he
had only 70 utter TO his audience IN the Corn TX
change at Edinburgh one word Of definite menace
against hereditary and irresponsible power, TO raise
a whirwind which even he might not afterward
| have been able to ride He would not utter IT, lie
| devoted his hour and half to argument for the
Franchise bill-powerful and comprehensive, Ger
tainly. but lilly confined to the subjects long
since thrcshed out Parliament and the press A.
almost 10 seem hackneved the hardened politician
or more hardened journalist. In few but emphatic
words he avOwcd his disinclinatlOn tO touch the
question of reforming the Lords. He disappointed
his audience and knew he disappointing ibem
Later in his speech he spoke sterny of Lord Sails
bury's monstrous pretenson that the House oi
Lords should de, ermine the time of a dissolution Of
Parliament He discussed the history Of that
House. He dwelt on Its protracted resistance to
Liberal legislation He dcrided IT. claims 10 repre-
sent the whole people He condemned is whole
| legislative action for fifty years. He enumerated
the instances where It had set itself against the
will of the people, as repeatedly declared by their