Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-31
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.
ENGLAND's COMING POLITICAL TUS-
SIZE A GREAT ONE.
All Eyes Now on the Exeter Meeting-An
Expensive Exhibition for the Tories
Salisbury Forced to BE on Hand-A
Bogus Meeting of Farmers.

Bogus Meeting of Farmers.
| rBY CABLE TO THE DIsPATcH.l
LONDON, Jan. 3O.-Much Importance il
attached to speech which Lord Salisbury
will make at Exeter next Tuesday evening
upon the occasion of great Conservative
demonstration in that city. The local
Tories have been organizing this affair fol
months past, and have built temporary
hall capable Of holding 10000 people.
The meeting was to have been held fort
night ago, but had to be postponed on
| account of the death of the Duke of Clar-
ence. Lord Salisbury had decided to cancel
the engagement altogether, as there was no
particular reason why he should go to
Exeter, but the thought of the good Tory
gold spent in the building of special hall
in his honor touched his heart and he
relented at the last moment.
The Coming Struggle a Great One.
As the Prime Minister was so willing to
forego his visit it is difficult to understand
why so much Importance should now be
attached to it, or why his speech should be
expected to differ from scores that have
been delivered by the Tory leaders
since Parliament was prorogued last
August. An explanation is to be found
in the fact that mems minds
are now occupied with thoughts of the
coming great political struggle, and when
ever a Cabinet Minister is announced to
speak Liberal hopes and Tory fears are
aroused in expectation of hearing some
definite announcement of the date of the
general election and of the issues to be put
before the constituencies. But there is
nothing in the immediate political situation
to encourage the Government to precipitate
a struggle, and the result of the Rossendale
election is not calculated to give the Tories
appetite for electioneering.
Awaiting Their Opportunity.
An opportunity may and probably will
be given the Government in the course of
the coming session, and for that chance
Lord Salisbury and his colleagues are evil
IDENTIFY disposed to wait. Signs accumulate
that the crisis will arise out of the Irish To-
cal government bill. Desperate efforts are
being made to heal, or falling that, TO con-
ceal Tory schism, but SO far without sue
cess. There are scores OF Tory members
who declares they will oppose the Govern
ment scheme, and as most of these mutt
neers don't propose to seek reelection at
the end of the present Parliament, it will
sion in the ordinary way, while they are
too numerous to be bribed by peerages or
baronetcies in the old-fashioned way.
The Ulster Tory members are dissatisfied
with 'the guarantees for protection of the
loyal minority" and their newspaper organ
only Yesterday sounded note of defiance to
the Government. But even if the Govern
ment should manage to quell the revolt in
its own ranks, it will have to reckon with
the Liberal phalanx, eager for fight and
LED by the doughtiest and most skillful of
political warriors.
Gladstone's Simple Plan of Campaign.
Mr.. Gladstone's plan of campaign is SIM
pie enough to be understood by all men. If
the local Government bill should be a fair
and statesmanlike measure, worthy of
Liberal support-which is wildly improba-
ble-he will help the Government to pass
it in the teeth of the opposition OF Tory NAL
contents If, as will almost certainly be the
case, it should prove to be a bill drafted in
the interests of the Irish landlords and
Orangemen, he will oppose it line by line.
Then there will arise q great howl of ''ob-
struction," and upon that battle cry the
Government will appeal to the country.
The Liberal Unionist and Tory leaders
have all sent the customary letters to their
supporters requesting them to be in their
places at the opening of Parliament, and
the other preliminary work referred to in
THE DISPATCH last week is being pushed
along with refreshing vigor.
A Bogus Agricultural Meeting.
The loudly-heralded rural conference"
convened by the Tories as a set-off to the
great demonstration held in London last
month, and addressed by Gladstone, took
place at Ely yesterday. 1t consisted, in the
pithy language of a Liberal critic, of
''Chaplin, refreshments and beer" The
delegates had been carefully selected and
bribed to attend by the promise that all
expenses would be paid, and that there
would be plenty of drink, and $50 attended
and listened with open mouths to
the pompous platitudes of the Minister of
Agriculture.
After Chaplin had spoken a dapper
little man in corduroys rose and delivered a
rattling speech crammed full of theories
and arguments of the most pronounced
Radical character. The Mortified organizers
tried to stop the little man. tongue, but in
vain, and he held forth Just as long as he
cared to do so, while ''the delegates, think |
ing his speech was in the programme, and |
therefore perfectly orthodox. applauded |
Finally the little man sat |
down, and only then was it discovered that |
he was a sturdy Radical to whom ticket |
and invitation to drink beer had been sent |
by some blundering clerk direct from head |
quarters, instead of through the local |
genuine agricultural laborers. The whole |
thing was sham, and so badly carried out |
that its fraudulent character has been clearly |
Sfrated