New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-06

tons between the two countries will be fairly
| dealt with by arbitration.
Everybody, his opponents included, rejoices to
| see Mr.. Gladstone again in the House. full Of
! vigor and health The atmosphere changes with
his coming, and respect for parliamentary tradi-
rons is revived on the front Opposition bench and
is enforced on the Radicals below the gansway. or
on most OF them. Mr. Gladstone has other weapons
| at command than ieers, and he has that authority
over the great body OF his followers which Sir
William llarcourt has not. He still thinks
Wellington did, that the Government Of the Queen
must be carried on. lie accepted therefore, in
principle, Mr.. Balfour's proposal to take private
members mornings for the Government a pro-
posal which free lances like Mr.. Labouchcrr and
people with crochets like Mr. Cremer, wished 70
resist. Mr.. Labouchere did in fact resist He
renounccd the leadership Of his leader and lectured
Mr.. Gladstone his ignorance of what had
passed during his absence and of the enormitics
the Ministry had been committing This some.
what unseemly spectacle diverted the House and
provided the Ministry with the unusual majority
of 222
Having thus sat handsomely on his unruly sup
porter, Mr.. Gladstone bethought himself that il
was the duty Of the Opposition to oppose, and he
opposed scheme for suppressing the slave trade
In East Africa, and opposed il with tremendous
energy HIS opposition sprang from rcminis
cence Of those days when the slave trade enriched
his family. He declares himself now against trad
ing in slaves but thinks real hndrance to that
industry could be expected from building rail
way between Mombassa and Victoria Nyanza. The
Ministry asked for 81 0O. 900 TO survey the road.
Not penny, said Mr.. Gladstone, il ! can help IL.
lie complained that evidence for against the rail
road was not forthcoming. Yet in the absence Of
such evidence he wished to state in the most eX
press terms that |, for one. am determined to cy
emDt mvself by my declaration OF to night from
every jot title of responsibility for this under
taking" This redundant emphasis has become
habitud to him in old age
At the bottom OF his opposition 10 this meas
ure, as at the bottom of his policy OF scuttIing
out of Egypt seems to lie that physical and SEN
timental horror Of boodshed which he has more
than once avowed and which he has more
than once acted 10 the grave detriment Of his
countrys honor. Neither this horror nor his
unwlingness TO spend money experiments
against the slave trade is shared by the House
of Commons The Ministers carried their pro
posal by 9s majority Sir William llarcourt
may console himself with the reflection that none
Of the mistakes Of his brief licutenancy resulted
in Ministerial majority equally large.
Those who pin their faith 10 hyc-elections ought
to regard the result in the Chertscy division Of
Surrey as significant. There is gain nor loss
Of member on either side. but a Unionist IL
returned by ,s3s majority. which Is within
hundred Of the majority in ss5 and much more
than either side expected IT, therefore. there
be any reaction in the country II FAVOR OF ioH'
Rule. or against the present Government II does
not seem 10 have reached Surrey. Thls IL moral
which il does not suit the Gladstonian organ 10
draw. The organ thinks silence sufficient com
ment.
What is called the GOAL strike now fixed 70
begin next Saturday, has novel points. The effects
of il on some Of them precede the cause Inc
mere expectation OF strike has produced panic
and coal has risen within weeKS2.3o per TON
1t is the public who have given away TO a panic
in which neither miners nor owners nave a" yet
the least reason to Join. The public, with lie I'M
agination stimulated by cold weather became CON
WINGED that there would he no coal after March
10 and flooded dealers with orders Cool head'
have since pointed out thai the Miners federd-
ton which organizes this strike, lncIuoe' VS.
than one-third Of the whole number OF miners
that the remaining two-thirds produce more than
coal enough to supply the whole domestic demand
that exports will cease the moment high prices
rnle that the strike cannot last more than for-
niqht becanse there Will be funds 10 feed "Oo,-
600 men longer and is far more likely
70 collapse in week. Neither period can
cause anv real distress; hut the public III panic
is deaf 10 reason and continues buying coal at
panic prices.
Even more novel than this process Of discount
;ng OWLS in advance is the fact that the men
are without knowing il, striking more In The
interests Of their employers than their own
Their wages have been increased during Ne last
three years 40 per cent. They now earn about
BIZ for four DAYS work To earn inns 'heN
producc more coal than the public wants fTlces
therefore fall Very good Say the miners 10 'he
owners: YOU may get less for your coal, or sell
less but we will submit 10 no reduction In wages
They strike, therefore, in order TO limit produc-
tion and 70 keep up the prices Of coal TO a level
u,1icb will keep up their wages The owners
rean TINS far all the benefit Of these proceed
incs They have sold off their stocks OF coal at
40 per cent advance; they will have no wages 10
nay while the strike lasts, and they Will have
fresh demand when the strike IS over Inv
miners and their families meantime VIII pe l'-
ing on strike pay, which viii not supply theih
with champagne nor pay for cockfights, nor even
feed their children
Lastly. n third set Of men, who are neither
miners nor mine-owners profit more than Doth
these classes They the coal dealers OF Lon
don who form ring against which the public is
pOWcrlc6S. III is, perhaps, Ho bi'"o 'H"'''' NV
the well-to-do public should be feeced to enrich
. corrupt combination Of coal merchants. What
does matter is that the poor robbed, and that
q mint is soon reached in such times as these
where they can be robbed no more because they
have no more. Privation then means suffering
illness. and often death. Graver still IS The
mrnace to great industries, 10 manufacturers rail
WAYS and other concerns Of which coal is the He
Scores Of thousands Of wofkmcn are already under
notice that after next week there may be no work
! for them If the strike were really put IN force
and succeeded traffic would come To an end' the
gas supply would he stopped, and the streets "ouu
Enrn nf all