Omaha daily bee., 1885-06-13
accounts have been so adjusted and
found correct.
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.

OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
Like a thunder clap from clear sky
there comes the announcement of the
defeat Of Gladstone In the house of com
mons on the second reading of the budget
appropriation blu and the dissolution
of the cabinet. On the eve of general
election Gladstone and his ministry are
compelled to make way to the tories who
have no better hold on the commons or
the people than the liberals have In this
crisis.
Neither the calamltous campaign In the
Soudan, nor the Afghan affair, nor yet
&C ercion in Ireland, could accomplish what
has been brought about by slight In
crease In the taxes of beer and spirits.
This was question that came home to
the British bosoms and business. When
Mr.. Gladstone wrung his hands on the
announcement of the vote he was proba-
bly, thinking less of his own defe,t than
of the petty Issue upon which It was
achieved. He may have been thinking
in that moment of the scorn which the
government Of Europe would ex-
press over the people who could con.
template with comparative stolidiIy the
disasters around Khartoum and the hu-
mility of its diplomacy by Russia, and
yst could be aroused to the overthrow OF
its government bya shilling Increase In
theltax of whisky.
While the whole strength Of the oppo-
sition was put forth In the vote of Mon
day, there we're many absensees on the
government benches. Should the tories
accept power now they will be likely to
encounter hostile honse on very differ.
ent questions than the increased taxes on
beer and spirits.
In the general elections which will be
held In November the real trial of
strength between parties will be made,
and the result will probably determine
the control of government for years. The
liberals have decided advantage in the
contest In the extension of suffrage to a
million of new voters and in a new dis
trlbution of seats. Possession of power
In most countries 10 regarded as advan.
tsgeous In political contests, but
government pressure is little felt In
English elections. In the coming contest
the narrow issue presented by the tories
in the vote of Monday is the small in
crease In the beer and whlskey taxsu, or,
as Gladstone put it in the debate,
whether In raising revenues, choice shall
be made between slcholoic liquors or the
question upon which a great party can
90 to country and claim its confidence.
Of course the tories will endeavor to
make the most of the Soudsn calamity
and the governments policy In Egypt
and Afghanistan, bnt upon these ques-
tlons the sentiment of the English peo-
pie Is unmistakably on the side of the
defeated ministry.
History Is perpetually repeating itself
especially In political affairs. In 1886
Peel wonthe greatest of his parliamentary
victories under traglcally adverse circum-
stances. On the very day that t. e Times
announced that he would propose the
repeal Of the corn laws an acute cabinet
crisis came on, and Peel absolutely went
out of office, though it was to return to
the premiership after a fortnight of con.
fusion, "like," to quote his own words,
"a man restored to life after his funeral
servlcs had been preached" The corn
bill passed its final reading in the house
of lords on June %, and on the same
day Peels ministry was overthrown on
the Irish coercion bill. "He had crushed
O'Conuell and carried free trade, and
O'Connell and the protectiontsts had life
enough yet to pull him down,
like a conqueror who, having
won the great victory of his life, is
struck by hostile band in some by.way
as he passes home to enjoy his triumph"
In 1873 Mr.. Gladstone, the first English
prime minister who had ever really
periled Office and popularity to serve the
interests of Ireland, was defeated on the
bill to give Ireland national university,
through Irish votes. When he resigned
Mr.. Dlsraeli declined to form an admins.
tratlon with the existing house of com.
mons, and on being urged to take Office
and dissolve parliament, refused declar.
Ing that the functions of an opposition
were critical, and he had nothing in par
ticular to dissolve them-let the ministry
dissolve. Finally Mr.. Gladstone returned
to Office for few months; then
dissolved the house, and went down like
a stone in the troubled waters of the gen.
eral elections Late In 1873 Lord Bea-
consfeld returned from the congress of
Berlin such popular idol as hsd not
been known in ths political history of
modern England. Early in 1880 he ap-
pealed to the people, and his administra-
ton was buried under an almost unpre-
cedented parliamentary majority. Mr..
Gladstone returned to office with clear
majority of slxly-two over the conserva,
tiyes and home rulors united; he has just
be en- beaten by twelve. 1t is worth re.
marking that during the Victorian age
dissolution ha, been singularly fatal to
the ministry bringing 1t about.
lis difficult for impartial lockers on
to account for the wild enthusiasm Of the
PaInellites over the defeat OF the Glad
stone government. The cable tells US
that they pointed their fingers at the
premier, yelling the. while: "Taat 10
the price of coercion !" Down with
Buckshot Forster % Remember Myles
Joyce !" and other hot taunts. Appar-
emily they could not have been
more fiercely glad II the vote
that laid low the Gladstone gov
eminent had Insured Ireland Its inde.
pendence. In the estlmation of the So