Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-12-06
THE CABLE LETTER.
The British Political Situation One of
Perplexity to Politicians All
Over the
United KiDgdom-Enough C0nstitueh-
cles Yet to Vote 20 Make the
Whole Issue One
or Absolute Uncertainty-No Abatement
In the Exeitement-Unprece
ed State Of Affairs.

LONDON, December s.-Tae political sit
ustion tonight is one Of perpletity to all
British politicians. The Liberals close the
week with a tie with the Tories and Par
| nellites combined. There are, hoteser,
enough constituencies yoot to vote to make
the whele .ssue one of absolute uncertainty.
A glance at the history of The campaign
will make the reason of this plain. When
Mr. Gladstone was defeated In the Parlia-
mentary vote in which the Home rulers
withdrew theIr strength from him, he
knew that his absentee votes added to the
votes he tailed would be more than
sufficient TO overcome the entire allied op-
position. He was diss susted with his whole
relationship to the Irish party and conf
dent in his strength; resigned power In
order to gain it on a new foundation
whenever he should be inderendent
of the Irish hembetr. He de.
sired to have at his back
British majority, SO that whatever he
might do for Ireland nhohld be accepted
as a concession, and not as an extortion.
He fet entirely able to accomplish this
result. He had enfranchised 2,OCo.COO
voters, had redistributed the boundaries of
the and felt certain that his
party woaid gain largely from these meas
ures. When the csmp1ign opened, how
ever, the Radical leaders went off on their
own hook and tried to secure an alliance
with the Home Rulers, with whom they
believed they could secure the govern.
ment for themselves. While engsgsd in
this effort the Radicals committed Them
selves to several very advanced principles
which were popular throughout Ireland
and Scotland and in the English rural
provinces, containing the bulk of the
newly enfrenchised voters. Chief an,ong
these was that OF
DIsEsrARLtsHMRNT.
The Parnellites, however, distrusted the
Radicals and courted an alliance with the
Tories, who were then in the first fush OF
power and stronger With the people than
now. The Home Rulers accordingly
tltrted with the Radicals in order to 81 cure
better terms from the Conservatives. The
latter hually agreed to the Irish terms and
the Parnell-Salisbury compact was an
nouncei. By this time Gladstone had
become thoroughly aroused, and by main
to their allegiance to the Liberal party.
But they had so generally and thoroughly
pledged themselves to disestablishment
that their reunion with the "grand old
mans" followers scared away from him
large numbers of the moderate Liberals,
who went over 10 the Tories to "nase the
church." These accessions we're so nu-
merous that the Conservatives threw aside
all other issues and placed themselves
before the country as the defenders
Of the English church. In this
agemen5 that they felt certain OF
success without Irish help, 30 after this
had been turned over to them by mani
festo by Parnell, the Conservatives repu-
dated it, and posed as pure and unal-
loyed English party. In the meantime,
hr. Gladstone, by almost superhuman ef-
fJrts, had succeeded in dwarfiug the i'm
portanee of the disestsblishment issue by
loealizing it in Scotland, where it is popu-
lar with the mai )rity, and throwing it out
from the campaign altogether in England,
where it is unpopular with the msj rity.
BY THIS ACHIEVEMENT
he stopped the religious stampede from
bis ranks and brought back thousands of
the descrters. The voting had now be-
gun in the large towns. The Liberal
Tory party, left without distinct Issue, as
gradually dwindled. The Parnt ties have
stood together as man; while they have
voted in all cases against the LIBERAL can
didates and in favor of the Tory nomi-
nees IN districts wherein no Nationalist
candidate was running, they have practi-
cally part d company with the Tories. AT
the time of writing the Liberals have
eected 3l3 candidates, the Conserva ives
2l3 and the Pdrnellites 20 While Glad
stone has, therefore, 20 maj 1rity over the
Tories, they and the Home Ruiers tie
him. Never before in England was po-
litical situation Just like this. There
are four distinct and dis
tinctive parties. The Radicals aud Lib
erals are nominally united, and 60 are
the Tories and Home Rulers. The latter
alliance is unnatural and unreliable, while
the former, although unreliable, is natural.
The Radicals claim the credit of the Lib
erals success among the new voters, and
the Liberals clsim it among the cid. The
Conservatives are in
A HoPELEss MINORITY
without the solid Parnell vote, and would
os ht pliers with il against the Radical and
Liberal vote combined. On the other
hand, the PArnellites could always depend
upon large Radical vote on any fair Par
liamentary measure in the interest OF Ire.
lsnd. From this it is plain that il the
Tories should retain power they could
never be certain of their ability to pass any
measure, even with the Irish vote, and
could never be sure of commanding that.
Such government would simply be i'm
potent and ridiculous. II the Liberals
should assBms power they could never
count on the whole Radical vote, and con-
sequently would be without ability to
30 To- nf
their government measures. The
Radicals might sfiiate with the
Parnellites, but if they should do 80, the
Liberals aud Conservatives would assur-
edly combine sgainst them. The situs-
tion is one OF unparalleled perplex kitty. 1t
shows that the people OF Great Britain
are clearly divided into four parties, no
two of which are analogous. 1t makes
the prospective British government de-
pend upon party deals. 1t demonstrates
that there is at present no majority in
| Great Britain for any defined policy.
Neither the Liberal nor the Tory party
can, il would appear, take the government
without compact to silly itself with the
other on all measures against one branch
of its own organization - the Liberal
party to act with the Tories sgsinst the
Radicals, or the Conservative party to act
with the
LIBERALS AGAINST THE IRISH.
week ago the Conservatives were 30
certain OF retaining power that Cabinet
council was called to meet next Monday
| to arrange government programme. The
| situation is 50 changed that this council
has been postponed for a week in order to
await the outcome of the elections before
taking any action looking toward the re-
teution or the surrender of power. 1t is
plain that Lord Salisbury is now disin-
c,ined to remain in office Without the nee.
essary support to carry on the government.
The Liberals are divided in opinion as to
whether they should take office or not.
The Radicals demand It il the Liberals
secure a majority of twes members over
the number elected by L 3 Conservative
and PArnellites together Eord Salisbury
shall resign before Parliament meets. They
take the ground that the Liberals can
easily carry on the government Nth ever
so small q sjoriiy, arguing that enough
Conservatives can always be depended on
to support the minority against the Par
nellites and their allies to insure a ms jor-
ity on all imperial measures. The modsr-
ate Liberals, however, prefer that Mr..
Gladstone shall decline office and adopt a
policy of guarded support of Lord Sails
bury. This policy involves pra tict re-
casting OF party lines, a union of the mod.
crate Liberals and Conservatives as agains,
the Irish and r Ridicals Such an organiza
ton, if arranged, would really form
NKw ENGLISH PARTY,
which would have a tremendous majority