The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-30
TnEENcLIsH ELECTIONS.

The Parliamentary elections in England
as far as the boroughs are concerned were
completed Saturday night. The result is a
remarkable triumph for the Tories. They
have carried all the large cities except Biz
mingham, and even there the Liberal major
tiles are greatly reduced. The boroughs
have always been the strongholds of the
Liberals, and in elections preceding the pres
ent Tory success in them would have indi-
Gated beyond all cavil a Tory victory in the
general result. 1t probably indicates that
this year, but not so certainly as heretofore
because in the counties 100000 newly en-
franchised men are to throw their votes for
the first time. The Liberals are hoping that
these new voters will turn up On their side
and check the tide of Tory success. But
they almost confess that their hope is a for
lorn one. In their hearts they are probably
already convinced that they are destined to
be in the minority in the next Parliament.
Assuming that the Liberals are defeated the
size Of the Tory victory becomes matter Of
deep Importance. Will the Tories have a
majority over all or only plurality, and
be compelled to seek the assistance of Mr..
ParnelPs following to control the House?
The answer is full of significance to the
Irish cause. If the Tories have clear ma
jority it will be pretty safe to conclude that
their Irish allies will get the cold shoulder,
and Mr. Parnell's demands be accorded very
little attention Already part of the Tory
press, anticipating this result, are adyoca
ting the abandonment of the Nationalist
The alliance between the Tories and the
Parnellites was an unnatural one because
the Tories have always been bitter foes to
the doctrines which Mr.. Parnell is preaching
and the radical changes in the government of
Ireland which he is seeking to achieve Beth
parties to the compact were animated by the
same motive, a determination to beat the
Liberals. Mr.. Parnell had not got all he want
ed from the last Parliament. If by an ali-
ance with the Tories he could prevent either
of the great parties from holding majority
of seats in the next House of Commons he
shrewdly calculated that both parties would
be at at his mercy and that he could comlel
one or the other of them to pay for his sup
port by such legislation for Ireland as he
might dictate. His whole canvass has been
managed with view to this end. He took
great care that the Nationalist candidates
should be men whom he could rely on to vote
as he dictated A great part of them he
picked out himself and compelled them to
sign pledge by which they virtually agreed
to vote on all questions as he directed. 1t
was just as essential to the success of his
plan that the Tories should not have a ma
jority as it was that of Liberals should not.
Neither party was inclined to give him vol
UNFAIRLY what he wanted. His design was to
place both of them in such position that he
them to accede to his wishes. If the result
Of his manifesto to the Irish voters on the
eve of the election has had the effect of Civ
ing the Tories clear majority we may be
sure it has accomplished more than he inten-
dsd it should.
The causes that have led to the Tory tri-
umph are many. Depression of trade and
manufactures has made great many work
ingmen uneasy and anxious for a change,
in the hope that in some way, they probably
have not the slightest idea in what, change
would bring better times The cry that the
church was in danger has also had a good
deal of influence. Englishmen are proyerbl-
ally conservative and such an innovation as
that in the established order of things was
certain to excite general alarm, even among
those who cared very little about the church.
Viewed in the light of Mr.. Joseph Chamber
lain's radical utterances on the stump men
who cared very little about this question per
Sc would regard disestablishment as the en-
tering wedge to be followed by other reforms