St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-12
Parsons and Landlords Find
Little Favor in the Rural
Conference.
Hostility Of British Workers
to Non-Producers Is Very
Marked.
Gladstone Given an Ovation
at the Meeting--Advanced
UttePanceS.
EnPaged French Deputies in a
Wild HumOP--The Lie
Passed.

LONDON, Dec. 11.-If the rural con-
ference which opened yesterday in Lon
don represented with absolute fidelity
the spirit of the agricultural element of
Great Britain. the country would be on
the eve OF social and political evOlu-
ton. No assemblage of supposed repre-
sentative men ever held in England has
displayed such envenomed hostility to
parsons and landowners.
Delegates boastlng themselves as per-
siStent parson-fghterS and denouncing
Squire Tyranny were cheered to the
echo, and their scornful illusions to the
patroniZIng airs of the clergy to-
wards rural inhabitants were keenIy
relished. An occasional delegate
feebly admitted that he had met a
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 land
lord" Mr.. SchnadhOrst has done
nothing more clever during his career
than his cleaning from the mass of
Inchoate Intelligence
of rural England these men so strongly
radical, and setting them up as repre-
sentative voices. But it would be mis-
leading to infer from the character OF
the conference that the rural Door have
deserted the church Ell masse or have
become infused with political designs
against the sqGirearchy.
The conference, while indicating
clearly and actively an existent force
to be accounted with in the coming
elections, owes its greatest Importance
to its fOreShadOwing the future agri-
cultural policy. When the spirit of the
delegates permeateS the electorate the
hereditary privileges of landlordism and
churchiSm will vanish. Some men who
urge the immediate application to Eng
land Of the principles of fair play for
rent. fiXity Of tenure. and free sale, and
others who wanted the abolition of pro-
mogeniture and limitation of the Sue of
estates. got only enlarged illusions to
the Newcastle programme.
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 chairman'S incidental reference to
Mr. GladStone'S projected trip to Biar-
ritz as "a journey to that beautiful
land" was misinterpreted by the audi
ence, and brought tears to many ewes,
while GlaGstone's own allusion to the
limitation of his physical powers and
his senSibility of the disadvantage in
which his party was placed owing 10
Ills advanced years, caused renewed
emotion among his hearers. There were
many cries of mo, no." "You will
have a long life yet" Mr.. Gladstone
and his wife will start ON their trip
Tuesday morning.
Beloved by the Masses.
When Mr.. and Mrs. Gladstone en-
tered Memorial hall this morning there
was scene OF great enthusiasm. The
delegates rose to their feet, and with
one voice cheered their leader again and
again. Mr.. Gladstone said he was re-
joiced to see that the deliberations of
the conference were attended with
union, moderation and decision, which,
he declared, were the sure precursors of
victory.
Speaking on the subject of working
men, Mr.. Gladstone said the labor ques-
ton had wide range. Home rule was
part of the labor controversy, as the
bulk Of those in whose behalf they were
struggling were laborers or small
farmers. The proof of this
statement lay IN the constant
migration of these labOrers. Every
endeavor ought TO be made to keep the
la6orers at home. He hoped TO see
ldOOT cdnUlddteS IOr seats iii parliament
increase in number, but they ought not
to be saddled with frightful election ex-
penSeS. He was in favor OF paving
members Of parliament for their Serv-
ices, as this would be of great benefit to
the candidates put forward by the labor
or rural constituencies. A fair repre-
SentatiOn Of those classes was, in his
opinion, absolutely necessary and proper
for the government of the country. and
this representation could hardly be had
without calling for a drain upon the
funds of the local organizations unless
members of parliament received pay
nent for their services.
AT another point of his discourse Mr..
Gladstone said that lie favored an
amendment to the Irish conspiracy
laws, so as TO allow the laborerS in Ire
land to obtain the greatest possible re-
suits for their labor and for their prod
uctS. Ii the rural reforms advocated
were carried out, the speaker said, he
saw the way clearly TO better condi-
ton OF the rural population. Society
had not performed its duty when it sent
the aged and the blamelesS laborer to
the wOrkhOuSe. The labOrer, he claimed.
hal right 10 be placed in the position
of being able 10 put the spade into his
own land, and the parish councils he
had already referred to were the only
means of securing him this right, and of
securing an adequate working of the
small allotment plan of relief for the
rural communities.