The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-09-26
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

land and Preservation of the Union"-No
Suspicion of Whigim In the Grand Old
Man.
LONDON, September 20.-Mr. Glad.
stone proposes to follow his pamphlet
platform with series of speeches I'M
folding the ample political scheme out
lined in the printed address TO the
electorate. The question is, where,
when and how shall the words be ut.
tered? The party managers have no dc,
sire TO see their chief again irltter away
his slowly returning energies in Mid.
lothian campaign. Mass meetings are
stricken from the programme. If Mrs.
Gladstone and Sir Andrew Clark prevail
there will be no stumping the country
this time. But the bare skeleton of Lib.
eral policy given to the Nation is going
TO be covered with living flesh; let there
be no mistake about that. Mr.. Gladstone
himself favors the idea of addressing a
conference of Liberal leaders in London,
to begin with. 1t is easier to reach
the ear of the country in this way than
any other. This was the short, sharp
and very effective method adopted OF ex-
citing public opinion in the Irish land
question. Speaking in conversational
tone to a gathering comprising recog-
nized representatives of every shade OF
Liberal thought, seated comfortably In q
moderate sized suite of luxurious rooms,
Mr. Gladstone did more in one hour to
ward cementing Liberal unity than he
had been able to accomplish previously
by three weeks incessant effort inside
and outside Parliament. The enthusi.
asm aroused cast into the shade all pre-
vious experiences. The selection of
Birmingham, the headquarters of
advanced Radicalism and the
caucus, for the next address would
undoubtedly rally the radical masses and
bring The caucus system of the kingdom
into line, disciplined, eager and obedient
to The leaders, will. Words of counsel
to the Liberal committees of Manchester,
| Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow, skillfully
| designed to break down the barriers be.
tween Wings and Radicals, extremes and
moderatcs, would conclude a series, the
absolute certain effect OF which must be
party and create the needed en-
thusiasm. Mr. Gladstone'e appeal
10 the electorate is admirably
framed, as whole, for the ends in
view. Isolated portions may tend per-
haps to divide extremists in the great
wings, but the effect will not be lasting.
The disestablishment plank will be han.
died by the Tories for all it is worth, not
only in Scotland, where disestablishment
Is living issue, but in England, where 1t
is distantly threatened. Mr.. Gladstone,
however, is careful not to entangle Elm.
self; he leaves that to the Tories. The
non. conformists are vastly in the major.
ity in both countries, and in Wales over
whelmingly so, and If it comes to a square
fight on the maintenance of the State
Church, Gladstone will find himself on
the popular and winning side, the side
with most votes.
The Egyptian question, which seems
to be regarded by outsiders as Glad
stones weakest point, is really his
strongest, from the electorate point Of
view, strange as it may appear to Amer.
lean readers.
Something more than superficial
|
derstand the motives underlying Glad.
stones exposition OF Liberal doctrines.
The Liberals were sent to office in 1880
with mandate from the Nation to
reverse the foreign policy OF the Tory
! Government and this Egyptian question
was prominent feature. Liberal opin.
ion regards Gladstone's failures as the
logical result OF the Tory legacy. The
evils Gladstone was sent to office to re.
move have not disappeared Five years
of vain struggle have left them Intact
and the task of sweeping them away has
still to be accomplished. TorI
triumphs over Gladstone simply
mean that success has crowned
their efforts to resist the Nations man
date, Their work, therefore, will have
to be done all over again; this time In
such fashion as 10 bury the Tories ana
secessonists deep out of sight. These
are aspirations which fire the Liberal
heart in 1885. When it is said that
Gladstone's Egyptian plank is rotteng
every potent fact in English poll.
tics is forgotten. The admission oil
Liberal error in going into Egypt to
perpetuate Tory blunders Is, to the
|
Indictment of Tory policy possible 20
conceive, and the strongest calm of the
Gladstone Cabinet to a further term
in office and another opportunity to
reverse Tory policy. The withdrawal OF
the army may be bitter pill. to swal-
low, but Ia feetlng incident of political
action is, after all, small thing com.
pared to the eternal principles of Ma
tional life.
The Irish plank, from a Liberal out
look, is perfect Gladstone takes his
stand on the principles of lSS0-"Justics
to Ireland and preservation OF the
Union" 1t is impossible of imagine a
better double-neaded party cry. The
Tories can do no better. The Irish sure
~ ask no more than justice. Gladstone
promises this in the fullest sense, and
the National conscience is satisfied Re
cent events in Ireland are not calculated
to weaken the impression that
Gladstone is likely to prove a
wiser guide than Lord Randolph