Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-24
BRITISH POLITICS.
Gladstone Makes His Much
Mooted Speech.
OVATION TO THE GRAND CID NAN.

He DIsappoints the Politicians by Conan-
ing Himself to Giittsring Gsneraiities
as to the Liberal PoIioy-rhe Tory Gov
eminent Given . Turning Over-Nsws
of the Explorer stanIey-Labor Troubles
in Germany-DIsastrous Flood at st.
Petersburg.
LONDON, Oct 4-Ths meeting Of the Lib
eral electors Of Southport yesterday after
noon, who gathered to listen to Gladstones
great speech. proved the most enthusiastic
and successful political event held In Eng
land for long time. Gladstone was at his
best, and for an hour and ten minutes he
spoke TO his auditors with all his old-tims
vim and eloqusnce. The hall was beauti-
fully decorated, and amid the profuson OF
flags and banners tastsfully drapsd from the
walls aud pillars were scattered innumerabls
placards bearing pithy and striking patriotic
notices and party war cries Upon the
large flag behind the speakers desk were
blazoned in letters Of heroic proportions the
words Gladstone lives" while on the oppo-
site side Of the hall huge banner bore the
inscription, ave win with the flowing tids
The Grand Old Mans Reception
Inc uhii IN WDlcu 1tauStOu0 mhuo
spe CHI was crowded to suiocation fully two
hours before the great Liberal statesman ar
rived. On entering the ball he was greeted
with a storm OF cheers and shouts, IN which
every member of the large aud enthusiastic
audience Joined, and which was prolonged
until the grand old man" had reached the
p'atforfn and waved his hand as a signal for
quiet. After fseiiugly thanking his audi
ence for tine warm welcome accorded him,
Gladstone at once plunged into the bust
ness in hand by presenting to his hearers an
exhaustive review of the work for the past
twenty one years Of the great Liberal party,
whose candidate he had come there to sup
port
The Question OF Ireland
This speech had been looked for ward to by
both Tories and Liberals as keynote" 1t
was expected that Gladstone would an
nounce the exact position Of the Liberal
party on all questions now before the pso-
pls or at least give an outline OF the Liberal
programme This expectation was not just
iflAd
When the Irish question was reached Glad
stone argued that the principles for which the
dockmen in their re ent strike contendel
were precisely the same as those for which the
Irish tradesmen and ten tntry sought recogni-
ton at the hands of British parliament. IL
was absurd to give our sympathies
TO the one and deny them TO the
other, for the two must stand or fall together.
But this was precisely what the Tory govern
ment had done. While conceding the justice
OF the dockmen's claims to q decent living as
the fruits OF their labor, they crowded the
Irish prisons with tenants who made the Same
claim He believed that an appeal to the peo-
pie, il 1t could be made tomorrow, would re-
suit in verdict overwhelmingly In favor OF
the Liberal policy OF Justice to Ireland.
Coercion u Failure
The policy OF coercion, he insisted, had
proved a miserable failure. and II any proof
were needed of the fact IL would only be neces-
sary TO point out that after all these years OF
coercion with which 1t was proposed to pacify
Ireland the Tory government found II neces-
sary less than fortnight ago TO proclaim new
districts in Ireland. The crime rate to-day
was the same as II was in 1884, when the To
riss declared that coercion was no longer
necessary, aud yet that policy remained the
cornerstone of the governments programme.
No Policy Announced.
In concluding he s sted that It was impossi-
BILE at this time 70 map out the Liberal policy
of the future within the outlines already
well known to the electors. When the proper
time arrived the Liberal party would b
found prepared to formulate their proposals
with due regard for the neos-sity of alton.
essary TO present to the electors for their ap-
prevail or rejection the living principle for
which the Liberal party contended,