The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-06
ENGLAND AND IRELAND.
Er. GladStone's Humiliating Attitude in
the parliamentary Elections.
Parnell Promises To Be the D~ictatOr-The
Balkan and Burmese Wars-Notes Of
Literature and the Drama.
correspopsepce Of Il Q India napOlis Journal.

Correspondence Of Il o India napolis Journal.
LONDON, Nov. 25.-The English Parliament
has hardly ever been dissolved in the midst of q
more embarrassing crisis than the present. Not
that we are face TO face with any special danger,
but we are confronted with most perp!exine pos.
sibilities. We are at peace, yet we may be on
the eve of a great war. The people are content
to make their influence felt at the ballot-boxes;
yet there is much uneasiness in the country.
Efforts are being made to set class against class.
The element Of fanaticism has been introduced
into the electoral campaign. The standard of
the church has been raised aloft. The bit
nerness Of religious feuds has been
imputed into the canvass. Free land"
and other Socialistic cries are hoard. There is a
bracing up of old rivalries. Glasses are gather
ing together. "Free trade or protectionP is a
question that sounds like a strange revival. And
over all can be heard, with the ear of magma
ton, the roar Of hostile guns in the Balkans.
Any day we may have to drop for a while these
burning questions of church and state, and of
land reforms and tariffs, to concentrate our
attention once more on the Eastern question.
If there were more sincerity among politicians,
and less faction, we should have time for domes-
tic as well as foreign politics. But the
spirit OF party selfshness is the main factor on
both sides, and thus the problems of the
hour are passed on from one generation
to another. While l write, Parliament is dis
solved. There is no longer a member of Parlia
ment in England. The magic letters, an. p"
are abolished. The House of Commons does
not exist They are beginning to select the
men who shall constitute that next assemblage.
The land is full of the party cries of the con-
tending factions. Every hall and assembly
room echoes with the oratory of the chiefs and
the cheers of their partisans or the groans of
their opponents. All England, Ireland and Scot
land are full of the Sound and fury" of the
various platforms. Every political hobby that
man can ride is being ridden. Every ism" that
is known to the language is being ~paraded; every
anti-this or anti-that which philosophy and
.fanaticism can invent is having its turn in
public. All the boardings are covered with
political posters. and many private houses are
exhibiting the rival placards. Even London is
giving way to the general excitement. In the
terrace by Regents Park, where l reside, scores
of houses are decorated with the command,
'fVote for Lord Charles Beresford." And for my
part I certainly will in preference to his
canting opponent. Very great issues
depend upon the result of the election. If Mr..
Gladstone comes into power, we shall have a re-
newal of the past troubles, foreign and domestic,
which have grown out of his vacillating policy,
his trimming. his lying and his vanity. There
never was so learned a fool as MIR. Gladstone.
The Blue Book of his premiership, the German
White Book and the Russian state papers will
furnish an everlasting condemnation of his for
eign policy; and the story OF Egypt and the Sou
dan, when impartially told in history. will cover
his name with infamy. Learned. Yes, no man
more so; but his statesmanship would be farcical
were it not tragic. 'Ee will ruin his country or
die in a madhouse," was the prediction of Lord
Palmerston. People are beginning TO think SO
riously of the great Englishman's prophecy.
Gladstone has assuredly brought US to the edge
OF a precipice. Will the common sense of the
people he strong enough to check the ruirous
march in time2 Mr.. Gladstone is having a hot
time of it even in Scotland, whore, however, he
has spoken with his customary power, but not
with lis usual influence. He mas to trim" too
much to be effective. His one object is to get once
moro back into Office. He would best consult
his fame and his influence were he to "dare to
be free" from the wire-pulling of Chamberlain
and Dixie. Under the circumstances, Mr.. Glad
stone cannot complain that the Gordon tragedy
is much used against him, though one of Cor.
donis last pathetic letters is occasionally quoted
by rival speakers-the letter in which the mar
tyred representative of England under Glad
stone wrote: Il will accept nothing from Glad
stones government, as l will never put foot in
England again, but will ID. V. ifI get Quit 60 to
Brussels. and so on to Congo" He was most
anxious to join Stanley in central Africa. 1t is
u terrible Indictment that under Gladstone 90
900 persons have been killed, EGO, 900, 900 spent
in Egypt AMI the Soudan, for nothing; literally
for nothing. Nobody has benefited by a single
Liberal operation in Egypt, or in Europe, and
yet the land ia strewn with the graves of the
British, Egyptian and Arab soldiers. and dotted
with ruined cities and burned up villages. "If
the late government were only to be judged by
the Gordon incident. they do not deserve to
come back to office, is the verdict of every for
eign politician | meet.
Mr. Parnell has reason to feel satisfied.
Whether one may question his honesty or not,
whether one may believe that he is q profes-
sional agitator who will never be satisfied with
anything, or whether he is really a true patriot
in the best sense, which means the good of his
country without a thought of self-whatever he
Is. there can be no question as to his power at
the present Moment. He may almost be said to
be the arblter OF the present political contest,
and considering his previous contentious with
Mr.. Gladstone, he would not be human if he
did not rejoice at the humiliating position which
MIR. Gladstone occupies before the country. 1t
Is not in regard to Ireland that Tories and
Liberals are seeking favor at the hands of the
gentleman whom they have both denounced
1.-THE Liberals more especially as an Irish rebel;
but it is IN respect to the English constituencies
that they are cap in hand at Parnell's door.
In many great English districts the Irish
vote is very powerful. It is in the north-in
Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Stafford
shire. Newcastle, Durham, Derbyshire. Here
and there it is predominant. Now the mandate
has gone forth from Parnell and his caucus that
the Irish are to vote for the Conservatives A
few weeks ago the Liberals defed the Irish
voters. The Liberal orators everywhere scoffed
at the Conservatives for making a compact with
Irish rebels They dared the Conservatives to
fight under the Irish standard. They called
upon the Conservatives to deny the unholy alli-
ance. The Conservatives, in some cases, did
deny it, for they had no understanding with
Parnell; but, coming into power, they had refused
10 renew the coercion act. They had granted an
inquiry into certain criminal trials which the
Irish asked for, and they had generally shown a
practical sympathy with some Of the Irish
claims. 1t was natural that the Irish should GO
with the Conservatives Their vote in the Com
mons had turned the government out. 1t was
not that thew particulsrlY liked the Tories hut