The morning call., 1891-10-25

to this tune his organ blows one OF Its
loudest blasts. The men who have really
done something for Hodge, he Is here called
Hodge without any slur. are Joseph Arcb,
who discovered him. Sir George Trevelyan,
who tuiIed for years to put vote in his
hand-Glad stone looking coldly on almost
TO the end-Chamberlain, whose every pro-
gramme had a place iu it for the rural
worker, and Jesse Collins, himself grand
son OF an agricultural laborer, who has
given his life and fortune in his service, and
who never, as Chamberlain remarked this
week at Sunderland, got anything from
Gladstone but snubs and sneers for his pains.
Down to 1883 Hodge had no vote. The
strength Of his vote Is now great-nObody
knows quite how great certainly over
millions. He becomes therefore pet of the
politician. SchnadhOrst long since reckoned
him up and at last two by-electons were
won by lavish and most INSCRIPTIONS
promises TO him. which the Gladstonian
party neither Will nor can fulfill, and now
Gladstone himself, who could give points
any day to SchnadhOrst as an electlOneering
agent. opens his arms to him. lie will have
valuable aid in Sir Charles Dixie, whose
hopes of re-entry into public life turn Oh
rank socialism. The conference is to con-
siGer and presumably advocate, first, the
establishment of parish councils, the latest
panacea Of the social reformer; second, in
creased powers to the local authorities to
acquire land with public money, not for
alOtmentS only, but for small holdings, for
village halls, chapelS, labUreIS dwellings
and for other purposes which 1t is now the
fashion to call public; finally-I quote now
from the authorized texts ''the reform of
the existing allotment acts, by tie removal
of restrictions. and by giving security of
tenure and power to erect buildings with
the right of full conversation for all i'm
provements." Thus. and not otherwise is
the millennium OF the agricultural laborer to
arriva and thnSa the nplnfe which Glad
stone. to whom nearly all socialism is really
abhOrrent, is prepared to advocate.
The ParnelliteS have thought better OF it,
and not Pierce MahOney but John Red
muDd is to be their leader. The change
marks very clearly the temper OF this party.
MahOney Is an amiable gentleman. who
looks as if he had walked out of q Nandyke
icture, and is one of the few in either fac
tiOn who has not risen from humble station.
Bnt if he has force and fighting qualities
they have heretofore remained concealed.
John Redmond is q man OF a different
stamp, who shows himself ready to risk
something for his cause and his comrades
He resigns his seat for Wexford and
plunges into the contest for ParnelPs seat
at Cork, which not q few OF his own party
think desperate business. The anti-Par-
neliteS do not like il and nave turned their
guns on Redmond, loaded with missiles OF
the kind we know.
The publication of Mr.. Ruskin's poems
is one of those Incidents in literature which
can be noticed only to be deplored as piece
of foolish hero worship. Ruskin is great
though overrated pToSe-wrlter; Il poet he is
not In these two sumptuOus volumes there
is not single line which a judiciOuS critic
would not willingly let die. The sole justi-
ticatiOn for their appearance is as n contri-
button to the history of the growth of a
writer's mind; even from that point OF view
their value is slight.