The morning call., 1892-07-13
THE LIBERAL VICTORY.

Mr.. Gladstone has triumphed over Wing
and Tory, Ignorance and prejudice. lie has
fought the battle of self-government against
power and privilege. and has won. The
Tory papers take comfort out Of the pros
pect that his majority viii be small; but,
though it be not so wide as church, nor as
deep as a well, il will suffice. To be COM
Portable. Ministry should have a working
majority large enough to stand the occa-
sional less of a few votes by absenteesm;
hut nothing succeeds like success; power
may attract recruits TO Gladstone in sufficient
numbers to compensate him for truancy.
The striking feature in the contest has
been the hostility Of the privileged classes
to Gladstone. In theory, Great Britain is
governed by King, Lords and Commons,
and the church has share of government
as we'll Gladstone will now resume power
with the church against him. and likewise
two of three branches of the Government
For many years his relations with the Queen
have been strained; there is solid majority
in the House of Lords against home rule
and every other measure looking TO the eX-
tension of popular influence. The situation
is not uneXampled. 1t is repetition of
1928, when Earl Grey carried his measure
Of parliamentary reform. Then, as now,
King, Lords and church were opposed to
the leader of Parliament. To bring The
House Of Lords 10 its senses, it was neces-
Sary to create a number Of new peers, and
to intimate TO the Old ones that if they re-
NAMED reealetTant, the process would 90
on until they were outyoted in their own
house. It became indispensable to talk so
plainly TO King William that at last he
shrank from incurring the responsibility Of
| resisting the will of Parliament. But lie had
no sooner signed the reform bill than he dis
missed the Ministry without an adverse vote
of the House of Commons, and placed the
relns Of government In the hands Of Sir Rob
ert Peel. The result would hardly eneour-
age Queen Victoria to follow his example by
refusing to accept Gladstone as Prime Min
ister. Sir Robert could not command a ma
jorty in Parliament, ana had to make way
for the reform party. which Queen Victoria
found in power when she came TO the throne
According to ancient precedenls the
Queen might refuse TO allow Giads tone to
kiss hands, and might decline to receive
Labouchere as a member Uf his Ministry.
She would probably like to do so; for hav-
ing begun life as an ardent Liberal, she
ends 1t as a stiff-necked Tory. But as Lord
Melbourne advised her in 1888 to tender The
olive branch 10 the Tones, SO now Lord
Salisbury would undoubtedly counsel her
that opposition to Gladstone would be
taRtamouut TO revolutions; and she would
submit.
BY what measures of policy Gladstone
VIII iuauguTate his new Term Of Office ii is
yet too SOCn to predict, lie is pretty sure
10 pass a bill granting TO Ireland some
measure of ef-goyernment-not as large
as the Irish would like, nor as comprehen-
siye as citizens Of tie various States in the
Union would demand, but still liberal
enough 10 satisfy tie more moderate of the
Irish leaders and to remove the most fruit
iul cause OF irish discomfort. This Will
naturally be followed by an extension Of
the system Of county government in Eng
land. TIE field Of usefulness for the new
Ministry viii be in the home department
England's foreign relations are SO tranquil
that they viii absorb little attention. The
defects OF the electoral law Of 1854 have
now been detected. and they Will call for
cure. 1t Will lie in order to abolish a few
more OF the privileges Of the nobility and
the clergy. The reorganization OF the mu-
nicipality Of the city of London will natur-
ally take leading place among the reforms
of the day. 1t is not certain whether Eng
land is yet ripe for a law granting salaries
to members Of Parliament; but John Burns.
who was elected by an overwhelming ma
JOrlty from Chelsea, is sLre to introduce
bill on the subject, and the vote on it will
test the progress Of republican sentiment.
The evolution of sound doctrine is slower
in England than in some other countries
But it is uniform, and it takes no sleps
backward. The French move quicker to
conclusions which reason warrants; but
sometimes they make such progress az a
single bound that reaction is inevitable,
and ground is lost again. The mind of
intelligent men is generally a reliable
machine, but 1t must not be made TO
work too swiftly. 1t is the function of
the statesman TO measure how much truth
the people are able 10 imbibe and digest at
single meal; therein lies Gladstone's
strength