Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-06
POLITICAL PERPLEXITY.
A UNIQUE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN
ENGLAND'S PARLIAMENT.


Neither of the Great Parties Sufficiently
Strong to Take n Commanding Position
Party CompRcts the Only Means by
Which Measures Can be Passed--The
Probable Outcome of the BallOting.
LONDON, Dec. 5.-The political situa-
ton tonight is one Of perplexity to all
British politicians. The Liberals close
the week with tie with the Tories and
Parnellites combined. There are, how
ever, enough constituencies yet TO vote
to make the whole issue one Of absolute
uncertainty. A glance at the history OF
the campaign will make the reason of this
plain. When ex-Premier Gladstone was
defeated in the Parliamentary vote in
which the home rulers withdrew their
strength from him he knew that his abb
sentee votes added to the votes he tailed
would be more than sufficient to overcome
the entire allied opposition. He was dis
gusted with his whole relationship TO the
Irish party, and confident in his strength
resigned power in order TO regain IL on
new foundation, whereon he shows it to
be Independent of the irish members.
BRITISH MAJORITY WANTED.
He desired 10 have at his back British
majority, so that whatever he might do
for Ireland should be accepted as a con-
cession and not as an eXtortiOn. He felt
entirely able TO accomplish this result.
He had enfranchised two million votes;
had redistributed the boundaries of the
constituencies, and felt certain that his
party would gain largely from these
measures. When the campaign opened,
however, the Radical leaders went off on
"thelr own hook" and tried to secure an
alliance with the Home Rulers, with
whom they believed they could secure the
government for themselves. While en-
gagged in this effort the Radicals commit
ted themselves to several very advanced
principles which were popular through
out Ireland and Scotland and in the EngA
lish rural provinces containing the bulk
of the newly enfrauchised voters. Chief
among these was disestablishment.
PARNELL's GAME.
The Parnellites. however, distrusted the
Radicals and courted an alliance with the
Tories. who were then in the first flush OF
power and stronger with the people than
now. The Home Rulers accordingly hirt-
ed with the Radicals in order to secure
better terms from the Conservatives. The
latter finally agreed to the Irish terms,
and the Parnell Salisbury compact was
announced. BY this time Mr.. Gladstone
main force he compelled the Radicals to
return to their allegiance to the Liberal
party; but they had so generally and
thoroughly pledged themselves to dis
establishment that their reunion with
''the grand old man's' followers scared
away from him large numbers Of moder-
ate Liberals, who went over to the Tories
''t0 save the church."
CHURCH CHAMPIONS.
These accessions were so numerous
that the Conservatives threw aside all
other issues, and pledged themselves be-
fore the country as the defenders of the
English church. In this attitude they re-
ceived so much announcement that they
felt certain of success without Irish help.
So, after this had been turned over to
them by the manifesto from Mr.. Parnell,
the Conservatives repudiated IT,, and
posed as the pure and unallOyed English
party. In the meantime Mr.. Gladstone,
by almost superhuman efforts, had sue
| ceeded in dwarfing the importance OF the
disestablishment issue by l0calizing II in
Scotland, where it is popular with the
majority, and throwing it out from the
campaign altogether in ENGLAND, where
it is unpopular with the majority.
STOPPED THE STAMPEDE.
BY this achievement he stopped the re-
ligious stampede from his ranks, and
brought back thousands of deserters. The
voting had now begun in the large towns
The Liberal party gradually drew to-
gether, and the Tory party, left without
distinct issue, as gradually dwindled. The
Parneliites have stood together TO man.
While tiey have voted in all cases against
the Liberal candidates and in favor of the
Tory nominees in the districts wherein no
Nationalist candidate was running, they
have practically parted. company with
the Tories. At the time Of writing the
Liberals have elected 3l3 candidates, the
Conservatives 243, and the Parneites 20.
While Mr.. Gladstone has, therefore, 20
majority over the Tories, they and the
Home Rulers tie him.
UNIQUE SITUATION.
Never before In English history was the
political situation just like this. There
are clearly four distinct and distinctive
parties. The Radicals and Liberals are
nOminally united, and 30 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
| eral success among the new voters, and
the Liberals claim IL among the old. The
| Conservatives are in hopeless minority
without solid Parnell vote, and would
be helpless with IL against the Radical
anO Liberal NOLe COnDlueus On Lne OtnDr
hand, the Parnellites could always depend
upon a large Radical vote on any fair
parliamentary measure In the interest OF
Ireland.
UNCERTAINTY OF LONG POWER.
From this 1t is plain that II the Tories
should retain power they could never be
certain Of their ability 10 pass any meas
ure, even with the Irish vote and could
never be sure OF commanding. Such
government would only be mpOtent and
ridiculous. II the Liberals should assume
power they could never count on the
whole radical vote, and consequently
would be without ability 10 command a
majority for any Of their government
measures. The Radicals might affiliate
with the Parnellites, but II they should
do so the Liberals and Conservatives
would assuredly combine against them.
The situation Is one Of unparalleled per-
perplexity.
THE POPULAR DIVISION.
II shows that the people OF Great
Britain are clearly divided In four parties,
no two OF which analogous. II makes
the prospective British government de-
pend on party deals. 10 demonstrates
that there IL At present no msjority In
Great Britain for any undefined policy.
Neither the Liberal nor the Tory party
can, IL would appear, take the govern
ment without a compact 20 ally itself with
the other on all English measures against
one branch OF its own organization. the
Liberal party 10 act with the Tories