The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-16

Tho first great move in the ccctloneerinG
campaign now begun in England was made
the other dayby Mr.. GLADSTONE In speech
| addressed to the London Liberal ind Radi-
cal Union Club. Tho speech represented n
determined and sagacious effort to capture
the Tory stronghold. the huge metropolitan
district which returns no fewer than sixty
two membcrs Of the House OF Commons.
No one knows better than Mr.. GLAD
STONE that he can scarcely hope to carry
In Scotland and Wales many moro seats
than he carried in 1886. while there is dan
ger that in Ireland tho Nationalist strength
may. owing to intestine divisions. DO some
what diminished. The gains. therefore.
which arc indispensable to give him n
majority. must be made in England, and.
above all. in the metropolitan district where
he was dsastrously beaten six years ago.
Now at the election held this spring for a
new London County Council. tho so-called
Progrcssivos. backed by the labor vote. in
fictcd an overwhelming defeat upon the
Modcratcs. who included the landowners
and large ratcpaycrs. 1t is obvious that II
the ProErcssivcs as body coald be con-
verified into Gladstonians. nothing could
prevent the Liberal leader from sweeping
the metropolitan district. The Conserva-
t!ves. however, have pcrsistently main
tanned that municipal politics was ono
thing and national politics another. But
they have forgotten TO conciliate the Lon
doners by granting, or even promising to
grant. any OF their demands for an enlarge
ment of tho powers vested In the County
Council. This has given Mr.. GLADSTONE an
opportunity of proving that municipal
politics IS inscparab!e from national poll
tics and he seized it in his recent speech
He warned tho Progrcssivcs. and the
facts confirm the warning. that they can
have no hope Of gaining from Tory Gov
eminent such an extension OF tho functions
discharged by tho County Council as is
needed to carry out desired reforms. On
the other hand, ns the unchallenged head Of
the Liberal party. he told them what they
mny expect from the next Parliament II
they help him to eject the Unionists from
Office. He promised that tho historical
corporation Of the city Of London. which is
now excluded from the metropolitan dis
trct. shall bc merged in it. and that the
Chairman of the County Council shall be
transformed into a Lord Mayor. He also
declared that the accumulated wealth OF
the so-called guilds and companies. now
expended for tho benefit of n chosen few,
should be made available for the entire
people OF the metropolis. IIc likewise adj
vocated reform OF the franchise so that
voters in London boroughs shall not be
overwhelmed by mere owners Of property
who sleep out Of town. and a registration
bill which will allow such Londoncrs rs fire.
qucntly change their lodgings to vote as
householdcrs He declared further that tho
London municipality ought to have all the
powers which are anywhere bestowed upon
any municipal body. including the right to
tax ground rents. the control of the police
and the right to make any rules it liked for
| the payment Of laborers employed by con-
| tractors performing municipal work Ho
even went so far rs to say thnt Parliament
| might enforce similar rules with regard to
the rate of wages and the hours Of labor
upon all companies invested With monopo-
lies. that is to say. all railway. gas. and
water companies and such limited liability
companies as those which provide omni-
buses or cabs or popularity needed goods.
1t is not surprising that these offers were
| received with enthusiasm by the London
| Liberals and Radicals to whom they were
addressed They are acknowledged by the
! unionist newspapers to constitute mag
niliccnt bid for the support Of the Pro-
! grossvcs. and their only answer Is to de-
scribe tho promises as llusory because
their fulnlment is to be pos poncd till after
the passage Of Home Rule bill. This an
swcr might have somo weight. if tho Con-
servat!vrs on their side would pledge them
selves to any substantial enlargement OF
tho County Councils powers. They have
not done this, and therefore Mr.. GLADSTONE
seems to have the field to himself. so far rs
concerns men deeply Interested in munich
| pal reform.
| Thu Elcnnnfs In ChInnrn