New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-10
PLATFORM AND PRESS.
MR. JEPHSONS BOOK ON THE FORMER AND
MR. GLADSTONE'S VIEWS ON BOTH.
London. March so

Nineteenth Century" To be reviewed by Mr.
Gladstone is TO be commended to the whole Glad
stonian party and ought to sell at least edition
even of an expensive book in two octave volumes
Mr.. Gladstone's criticism is. as usual more valu
able for the light it throws himself than for il
judgment on the thing criticised Take the first
two sentences.
The title Of this book may attract by its nov
city
"Or it may for moment repel those to whom al
first sight it possibly forms puzzle
Beautiful is the power of balancing on the tor
rail of high fence Then comes this sudden de-
scent to earth
THE Platform. taken literally. includes but a
small portion OF public meeting, and many pub
lie meetings have no platform at all.
Why not be more literal Still and say that a
platform is no part of public meeting at ALL but
of the hall in which the meeting is held? Or
why not add that what Mr. Iephson really has in
view is not the platform which is after all. only
q structure OF wood and iron. but those who speak
from. it their speeches? If we TO be prosaic
let lis be prosaic. 1t is easier than to be meta
phorical. and quite sensible as to say that
" the power Of the platform has grown from a
small tricking brook into a mighty river 1t
requires some boldness to liken platform TO a
tricklng brook.
The truth is. Mr. Gladstone, who is magnificent
on the platform, is less magnificent with pen in
his hand. He almost never writes well; certainly
never well he speaks; and of literary form
he has but a very vague conception Even
journalist might hesitate before saying that the
slaughter of eleven persons at meeting in Man
chester in 1919 denotes the high water mark of
insolent repression. The mixed metaphor has
sometimes been thought to be privilege of the
Irish Mr. Gladstone's use of IT is perhaps meant as
a compliment to his present clients. He would
supplement Mr. Jephson's account Of two agencies
in political progress By adding third. There are
not two Ps but three. and the third is Petition
The philanthropists who abolished the slave trade
by which Mr.. GladstGvbs family had prospered
carried on their agitatis1Qnr ~ by Petition. In
Mr.. Gadstone's involved on ia tnmbrous phrase
THE act Of the emancf ation Of the slaves
carried under the influence Of national senti-
ment which owed it's manifestation to this
medium" Why is it that mon who speaks so
well should write so ill
Mr.. Gladstone shows himself not for the first
time, jealous of the Press The jealousy is migrate
full. No man owes much L. the Press. He Is
disposed TO exalt the Platform above the Press.
That, too is ungrateful. The power Of the Plat
form is dependent in great measure on the Press.
I'~
mility to his own work on the Platform from $40
10 1880. when he overthrow the Beaconsield
Government and to the long agitation Oh the
Irish question from 1886 to 1892, which is TO re-
suit as he hopes in the overthrow of the Salisbury
Government In both of these agitatiOns his own
efforts were prodigious, and nine tenths of the in
f1uence he exerted was due TO the Press which re-
ported his speeches What would il have awaited
him to make progress through Scotland in 1870.
or to thunder away these last six against the
oppression of Ireland which he had formerly prac-
tse1, had the Press refused to report him When he
spoke at Edinburgh or Leeds. some thousands
listened. When the papers came out next morn
sng, millions read him. 1t is amazing he should
be unaware of his obligation TO the Press II he
is aware of it ne does not acknowledge it,
Instead of acknowledging il he measures him.
self. as il were, against his benefactOr He ad-
mits that in 1865, on the Irish Church, and in
1884, on the extension Of the Franchise, he had
the Press with him. In 1876, when he began the
Bulgarian atrocity business, and thence down to
1880, when he drove Lord Beaconsfield from
power, his campaign was opposed by the metro
poitan press he tells us. but had the support of
the chief provincial papers. lie has always hated
the London press lie puts the London press
and the classes in the same category. They are
opposed to him let them be anathema lntelli-
gence, culture, industry, commerce, the profess
sions, literature journalism, all arc against him
in England; civilization itself is against him
and that evil thing called Society
But like the German Emperor he never doubts
for an instant that he is right and that civilZa-
ton is wrong His courage is a splendid thing.
but what shall be said Of the craftsmanship which
would set up autocracy based the arrogant
self-confdence of single masterful mind Ii
does not answer very well just now in Germany
In England it has destroyed the Liberal party
and out of the Liberal majority has evolved a
party of socialistic radcalism. with whose real
aims its nominal leader has sympathy what
ever. He and two three Of his lieutenants
believe that the Home Rule for Ireland, TO which
he has sacrificed everything else. will ultimately
be carried The rest neither believe it nor hope
for it.
IL is of this Home Rule contest from 1886 TO
1892 that Mr. Gladstone now says:
while the Platform has worked predomnantly
on one side, the large majority Of journals having
the widest circulation have taken the other"
And he evidently believes-he is forever say
ing so-that this is case in which the Platform
is going TO triumph the Press. He is,
think, wrong in his facts to begin with Here ~
in his former comparison meant apparently.
to leave out the London papers. They are given
over to the devil. IL is true he has no able sdvo-
cate in the London press and none of the widely
circulated London morning journals is with him
In seeking TO dissolve the Union The only organ
he has among the morning papers is chiefly dis
tinguished by feeble turbulence Of tone, and an
amazing want of judgment and sense But he
has of afternoons the not less amazing sheet
managed by his friend Professor Stuart at half
penny, with circulation supposed to exceed all
the other evening papers put together-a White
chapel circulation, largely. This of course is
excepted from the anathema. True it is. how
ever, that all the London press best representing
the qualities which have made English journalism
what 1t is;-judicious enterprise, good writing
good sense, honesty, and high inteligence-are