Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-18
GLADsroNE,s MANIFESTO.

Mr.. Gladstone has issued his mani
festo to his constituents, and from the
meagre reports OF it that the telegraph
has brought, it shows the Grand Old Man
10 be still a power Throughout his
manifesto there is that most essential
quality of all political documents-hope.
Mr.. Gladstone shows the same grasp OF
subjects that so marked him in years
long gone by. There is in this manifesto
the same clear ring that marked his fam
Gus Midlothian speeches, those speeches
that were the envy and admiration OF all,
and the scourge of the Conservative
party. Mr.. Gladstone shows deep and
true insight into human nature when he
frankly acknowledges that he and his
party made mistakes and committed seri-
Gus errors of judgment. Yes, grave mis-
takes and serious errors were made, but
the manly acknowledgement of them
shows that Glddstone's and his party's
pride is not in consistent adherence to
such mistakes and errors. This very ac
knowledgement proves Gladstone
statesman, for he who is leader and can
see no errors in long and troubled ad-
ministration OF the affairs of great ma
ton cannot justly claim TO be a states
man. Lord Beaconsfeld made many
grave mistakes, but the pride OF party
and the love OF self prevented him and
his followers from acknowledging that
they had ever embarked in any scheme
that was not wise and that was not car
ried to a successful close.
Mr. Gladstone traces all the trouble in
Egypt to the policy of foreign interven-
ton pursued by the Conservatives. That
such is the case in part, is no doubt true );
but as he inherited some troubles on
account of such intervention in foreign
affairs by his predecessors in Office, so has
he transmitted some to his successors.
Man is necessarily and naturally infu-
enced by the actions OF his fellow-man,
even in his own affairs, and how much
greater, then, must be that influence
where different men shape the destiny OF
the same thing. The destiny OF a nation
is not entirely in the hands OF any party,
nor is it solely influenced by one policy.
The reaction OF extreme policy is often
as powerful as the policy itself, and an
extreme reaction is as liable to result in
evil as an extreme policy. A grave error
that may be attributed to the Gladstone
Government was its failure to accept
accomplished facts as irreversible facts.
When the policy of the Gladstone Min
istry towards Ireland is considered the
conclusion irresistibly forces itself upon
the mind that the policy there was sufii-
ciently radical, but that its radicalism
took the wrong direction. The dealings
with the Land were as exasperating to the
land owners as could be, but were any
thing but satisfactory to the Irish ten
antry or the Irish people. Something
was needed in the government OF Ireland
to meet the changed condition of the peo-
pie and their growing wants. A change
of the most radical nature was made. but
the change was from bad state OF affairs
TO a worse one; and Coercion Acts and
military support failed in every respect.
Whenever Ireland's wrongs are righted
and her disturbed state is made peaceful,
it must be done upon the policy OF concil
iation and the granting OF the right of
local self-government to the Irish in Irish
affairs. Mr. Gladstone believes that the
genius OF the English nation will be equal
to the succe3 3sful solution OF the Irish
question, AMI that no embittere1 civil
strife will ensue. "Sh0uld such strife
ariss one ly cast blame on the other,
but the verdict Of the civilized world, l
am convinced, will alike condemn both, ;"
says Mr. Gladstone.
Some of his suggestions as to the land
system are admirable, especially the
part relating to the providing OF greater
facilities for the transfer of land, and the
recording of title thereto, and the opposi-
ton to primOgeuiture and entails. Primo
geniture is the purest remnant OF feudal-
ism that remains in England, but even
the terrible and logical attacks of James
Mill and others in the Westminster Re-
vie1e, in the early part of thiscentury,
were impotent to strike it down. Primo
eniture is the donjon OF English aristocg-
racy, and when it goes there will follow
in its wake the British nobility.