Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-12
LOTS OF SYMPATHY
But Not Much Substantial
Support Is Given by the
Grand Old Man to
THE CAUSE OF LABOR.
The Rural Conference Is Gathering
of Wild-Eyed Radicals.
ROYALTY ASKS ANOTHER D0WRY.
Princess Victoria Mary Not the First Choice
of the Duke.
BUYING FRANCE OFF NEWFOUNDLAND
THE CAUSE OF LABOR.
ROYALTY ASKS ANOTHER DOWRY.
Princess Victoria Mary Not the First Choice
of the Duke.
BUYING FRANCE OFF NEWFOUNDLAND


LONDON, Dec. 11-If the rural confer
ence which opened yesterday in Londor
represented with absolute fidelity the spirit
of the agricultural element of Great Britain
the country is on the eve of social and po
litical revolution. No assemblage of sup
posed representative men ever held in
England has displayed such envenomed
hostility TO parsons and land owners. Del.
egates boasting themselves as persistent
parson-fghters and denouncing Squire ty-
ranny were cheered to the echo, and their
scornful allusions to the patronizing acts Of
the clergy toward rural inhabitants were
keenly relished.
An occasional delegate feebly admitted
that he had met liberal landlord or an
open-minded cleric, but the entire sympathy
of the conference was reserved for the
motto, Down with the church and the
landlord" The speakers and the bulk OF
the delegates were fluent and forcible in
speech-obviously not Hodge in the rough,
but rather Hodge trained to spout in dis
senting conventicles.
Hardly q Representative Gathering.
Mr. Schnadhort has done nothing more
clever during his career as a wire-puller
than his cleaning from the mass of inchoate
intelligence of rural England these men, so
strongly radical, and setting them up as
representative voices But it would be mis-
leading to infer from the character of the
the conference that the rural poor have de-
serted the church en- masse, or have become
infused with political designs against the
sQuirearchy.
The conference, while indicating clearly
and actively an existent force to be accounted
with in the coming elections, owes its great
est Importance to its foreshadowing the
future agricultural policy. When the spirit
of the delegates permeates the electorate
the hereditary privileges of landlordlsm
and churchism will vanish.
Mr.. Gladstone's speech to-day was dis
tinct disappointment. many delegates ex-
pecting that a definite assurance in regard
to the Liberal programme would be de-
clared, and would include some of their
aspirations.
Some men who urged the immediate ap-
plcation to England of the principles of
fair play for rent, fxity of tenure and free
sale, and others who wanted the abolition
of primogeniture and limitation of the size
of estates, got only enlarged allusions to
the New Castle programme.
A Sympathizer, Not q Leader.
Mr.. Gladstone spoke throughout as a
leader who was sympathetic, but doomed
not to lead in the struggle in which his
hearers were most concerned. The Chair
mans incidental reference to Mr.. Glad
stones projected trip to Biarritz as 'a jour
ney to that beautiful land" was misinter-
preted BY the audience, and brought tears
70 many ewes. Mr.. Gladstone's own allusion
to the limitstion of his physical powers,
and his sensibility of the disadvantage in
which his party was placed owing to his ad-
vanced years, caused renewed emotion
among his hearers. There were many cries
of ''No, no; you will have long life
vet" etc.
The following are soIre of the leading
points in Mr. Gladstone's speech:
The labor trouble has now assumed about
the same proportions and aspects as the
home rule question, because the Irish farmer
was really struggling with the agricultural
la6orer- The project of organizing rural
labor was the foremost question now before
the British public, as the constant and
damaging migration of rural la borers to the
towns proved most conclusively.
Mr. Gladstone admitted that the Govern
ment deserved credit for takinga slight step
in this direction by passing county coun-
ellis bill, but he said this measure does not
by any means satisfy the Liberal party eX-
principle.
The great English Liberal also strongly
advocated the passage of law fo- the pur-
pose OF enabling the local government
the rural population to use and profit by it
20 2 very much greater extent than they
were now able to.
The Entail of Land Denounced.
The reform of the land laws was another
point tonched upon by the speaker, who adj
vocates the adjustment of the present sys-
tom Of entail, together with greater facili-
ties for the transfer of land
Continuing, Mr. Gladstone touched upon
the question of the reduction of the hours
OF labor and said that he was in favor of re
ducing the amount of toll exacted from the
working classes in general; but, he desired
that such a reduction should be made with
out any violation of the rights of the en-
ployer or of the employed. The prin-
ciple of liberty must not be vio-
lated even in making these most needed re-
made in the hours of labor, Mr.. Gladstone
would like TO see it proved beyond any
doubt that those who now receive low
wages for lonk hours would at least receive
the same wages for shorter hours. There
fore, Mr.. Gladstone recommended much
care and considerable deliberstion over this
subject before proceeding to even recon-
mending legislation in this direction.
After some criticism of the Government
claim TO have well administered the affairs
OF Ireland, a claim which he disputed. he
hampered in its efforts to provide even the
smallest and most meager form of local self
government for Ireland
A free education also received attention
from Mr.. Gladstone, who earnestly advo-
Gated such measure in connection with
all schools depending upon popular sup
port.
The Conspiracy Law to Be Abolished.
Mr.. Gladstone urged the abolition OF the
common law against nspiracy. We must
provide for the rural population of Great
Britain, as well as for the same classes in
ireland. Nothing must be a crime which
relates to the prosecution of labor inter-
ests, or because it is done by combi-
nation of men, unless it is an offense against
the letter and spirit of the law.
Mr. Gladstone and his wife will start on
their trip Tuesday morning and will reach
Paris "Wednesday evening. Several French
free traders who have been beseeching for
a conference with Mr.. Gladstone on the
subject of international tariffs will have an
opportunity to see him, although he gives
no promise of speech. His medical ad-
wiser, Sir Andrew Clarke, insists upon per-
feet rest Mr.. and Mrs. Gladstone proceed
from Paris to Biarritz Wednesday.
The Cabinet held a prolonged council to-
uay, ana VIII not meet again until the new
wear, when they will prepare for the OPEN
ing of Parliament After the council.
in conversation referred to the
dissolution of Parliament as probable in
June.
Royalty After More Public Money
The arrangements for the marriage of the |
Duke of Clarence and Aeondale were, it is |
discussed bv the Cabinet to-day. |
Although the act of 1889 bars special grant |
to the Duke, the Ministers hold that a |