The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-13
Exit Lord Salisbury.

It was by its full majority OF forty that
the Gadstonian opposition passed on Thurs
day the vote of want Of confidence to which
Lord SALISBURY must defer by at once re-
signing his place as first Minister. For six
years he has been the virtual ruler OF his
country with large and docile ma ority at
his back. including many OF the most capa-
BILE and distinguished politicians. Yet he
has failed to convince the electors that the
bestowil OF a separate government upon
Irclant& would cndanger the cohesion and
welfare >f the United Kingdom.
1t has not been from lack Of shrewd and
earnest effort that he has lost his hold upon
the voters who placed him in office. He
has done so much to concilate England and
Scotland that old-fashioned Tories may
we'll recall with disgust. and almost with de-
spair the sacrifices imposed upon them. 1t
has been the hand of their own chosen Minis
ter which has struck down the squirearchy
by the County Government act, and which
has dealt q shattering blow ut the land
owning interest by the measure providing
for alotments to agricultural laborers.
1t is he who has pledged the credit OF the
imperial Treasury for an immense sum of
money to be expended for converting
Irish tenants into peasant proprietors.
although he had denounced with peculiar
vehemence the Land Purchase bill OF
Mr.. GLADSTONE. which embodied the
came principle. Had not his hands been
tied by the fear Of losing in one quarter
what lie might gain in another. Lord SAILS
BURY would not perhaps have shrunk from
disestablishing the historical Presbyterian
Kirk in Scotland and the Anglican Church
in Wales. 1t is certain that at his Tithes
act many OF his Welsh supporters stood
aghnst. Even on the question OF free trade
he waverej. for he acknowledged. what no
English statesman OF the first ranl, has adj
mittcd in the last forty years. that there
was Il good deal to DO said upon both sides.
, Yet all the concessions made or promised
! have been frutlcss and instead of the great
| prcpondcrance which his followers pos
sessed in the last House Of Commons. thoy
are now confronted by considerable adj
| verse majority.
| Tho defeat OF the Conservatives although
thcy were assisted by q body OF Dis8ident
| Liberals, formidable in experience and abil-
| ity il not in numbers. is due partly to IN al
| teTution Of Mr.. GLADSTCNE's home rulo
| programme. but mainly to the profound
change wrought in the British electors by
the last Reform act, that. namely. Of 1885,
| The Home Rule bill of 1886. by completely
Withdrawing Irishmen from tho imperial
assembly at Westminster. and thus SEEM
ing to provide n basis for entire separation.
alarmed many Englishmcn inclined to
allow Ireland. under certain guarantees,
to manage her own local affairs. The reten-
ton OF Irish members in the British House
of Commons would undoubtedly involve
some difficulties turning on the question
whether Irshmen could DO allowed to lcgis-
late on matters with which Englishmen,
Wclshmcn. or Scotchmen were exclusively
concerned. But this objection seemed To
DO outwcighed by tho pledge OF national
unity which would DO offered by the pres.
ence OF Irishmen in Westminster. At all
events Mr.. GLADSTONE decided to allay
misgivings by modifying his home rule
| project in this particular. BY this stroke
OF policy he undoubtedly removed the prin'
cipal objection to his plan.
1t Is very questionable. however. whether
even home rule scheme thus modified
would have been accepted by the British
electorate. constituted rs this was seven
years ago. The fact is that Mr.. GLAD
STONE Is indebted. not to the English urban
constituencies which havo remained sub
stantially unchanged. but to the English
counties in which the weight of the newly
enfranchiscd agricultural laborer has beer
evinced for the first time. In the election
OF 1886 tho farm hand. who had been prac
tically serf tied to the glebe for centu
res, did not comprehend or exercise
the political strength which had jus
been conferred upon him. He Is nov
alive to it.. and nothing can convince hin
that he has not more to hope for from his
liberators than from his traditional oppres
so'. II wrs ha who, under the shield o