The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-28
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sretiai Correspondence OF &e IatcttOtaeer
LONDON, Dec. -, lS0l.-Whilo l am
aware that a considerable time has
elapsed since tho date OF my last letter,
yet really did not realize until tho re.
ceipt OF q late letter from tho senior
member that anything III tho nature OF
M "aching void" or a "long iclt want
existedin your columns onaccountoi my
silence In fact, reading over tho inter
esting correspondence Of Mr.. Wakcman
from London and other parts Of England
in your columns from week to week, I
felt that you were being supplied with
about all the English matter you would
care to handle, having an eye, rs you
always properly have, to variety in the
mako up OF your paper. 1t is a law oil
physics you know that two bodies can
not occupy tho same space at tho same
time, and Mr.. Wakeman being first in
the field, under contract for a weekly
letter, was quito willing that he should
occupy it until he had finished up with
this immediate part OF the foreign world
And now that [ have drawn my news
paper pen again out OF its scabbard of
what shall l write that will particularly
interest you or your readers? The
senior suggested something about Mr..
Gladstone III his late letter, knowing
that had in mind visit to that part
OF the country in Which Mr.. Gladstone
resides. Well, | can give you the very
latest in regard to the "GrGnd Old Man,"
for | had the privilege OF seeing and
hearing him yesterday. A privilege it
was, sure enough, MS YOU will readily
appreciate when tell you that several
thousand applications for tickets by
parties as eagerly DESTROYS OF seeing and
bearing him rs I was had been denied
by the committee in charge OF the meet
ing, and its objects.
"pIscoNrENTED" nURALlsrs.
Twill explain little Mt the outset in
regard to the peculiar characte. OF the
meeting aud its objects. 1t was an
agricultural conference, gathered hero
from England, Scotland and Wales, OF
representatives OF the "discontentcd
class" Of enthusiastically OF the peo-
pie known rs tenant farmers. They
came here to the number of i25 from
all parts OF the kingdom named, first to
consult among themselves rs 10 what
steps like our Farmers Alliance) they
ought to take in politics, and second,
to hear Mr.. Gladstone descant upon
their grievances and the various rem
edies proposed for their present amelio-
ration and ultimate cure. Mr.. Glad
stone, you know, is rural statesman,
and he is supposed to be familiar with,
and also sympathetic with these gricv-
ances OF the small farmers, albeit he is
not by any means small farmer him
self but i very large one, having an
estate at Hawarden Castle OF seven
thousand acres. Still, in farming, us
in all departments OF labor in this
kingdom, the "Grand Old Man" is
supposed TO be in special sympathy
with those who have great grievances,
and thus it happens that wherever he
goes the masses greet him with more
respect and affection than any other
public man. You know that some
years ago he made an open declaration
OF his sympathy with the masses as
against the classes" and is the author
OF that euphonious expression, and
hence while as rule the GLASSES" are
against him the masses" are quite gen.
orally for him. This is more particularly
true OF the masses in the cities and towns
rather than in the Villages" as the
country districts are called. Tho great
landlords have exercised an oyerwecning
influence over the rura! vote. Having
tho power TO civic. Hodge" and
"Hurd," us the name goesihere. for
small farmers, Hodge" and "Hurd"
have voted under the surveillance of the
squire and the parson, and these two
have been, as it would seem, the local
dictators and tyrants OF England. The
Ycomanry OF England and Wales are
largely Dissenters or, as they call them
selves, Non-conformists, while the
squire and parsonarc OF course oftho Es-
tablished Church and nearly always
Tories in politics. These two control in
many cases the so-called national schools
and parson has been known to deny
the privileges oil the schools to unbap.
tized children. A man stood up here
in the conference on Thursday, and
mGdo this statement and no one denied
: its truth. Neither did any OF the Tory
newspapers the next day. I infer
therefore that it ia true, for the Tory
papers have been swift to tear the con-
ference to pieces as far as they could.
wvoSGs or THE SMALL pApNrrs