Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-02-13
THE GLADSTONE MANIFESTO
Synopsis Of the Address to Be Pub
lished Tomorrow.
The Agricultural Laborer Must he Dehv-
cred From the Clutches ofthe Land
lord, the Farmer. ard the Cic--
gyman-PubIic Rights.

LONDON, Feb 4.-The long expected
manifesto of the Right Hon. William
f. Gladstone, as leader of tho liberal
party, to his alherents on the eve OF
the opening of the next series OF par
~liamentary battles which it is expected
will be followed months later 10y n
general election, will appear on Friday
next in the columns of the Weekly
Star. The document referred to makes
n loaded column of the Star, and
is worded in Mr. GladstoDe's usually
effective style. Summed mp briefly
the manifesto may be said to be a re-
hash of parts of the distinguished
statesman's former speeches upon
various subjects of interest TO the vot-
ers of Great Britain and ireland.
Mr.. Gladstone does not advocate any
particular policy. but simply makes
some good points upon which TO bind
the elements of the liberal roll
icy. lie deals particularly with the
history and condition of the rural
population from the time Of severe OPP
preston down 10 the present In sum
ming up this review of the condition of
the agricultural masses, Mr.. Gladstone
says that he considers that the cOndi-
tions of the agricultural classes have
slowly improved, but, he adds, the inn
provement made is not yet sufficient.
and additional legislation for the agri-
cultural population and Ia passage OF
further measures TO enable them TO ac-
quire land are needed.
During the purse OF his remarks
Mr.. Gladstone REFERS to the distressing
incidents which happened ut Manches-
ties in 1919, when 100000 workmen held
a reform meeting and while SO doing
were charged upon by cavalry, VINO
rode the defenseless people down be-
meath their horses hoofs, killing eleven
of them and wounding 600. The vet
eran statesman contrasts that event
with the present right of the people 10
hold public meetings, which right,
he insists, ought not TO be
hampcred in the slightest
10y unnecessary local regulations
or other legislative restrictions. Con-
tinuing, Mr.. Gladstone then deals with
the question of the repeal of the com
bination laws and the effects they have
had upon the immense growth of trade
unionism, which, he explains, has been
q great benefit to people OF ali
kinds and conditions The liberation
of the press, according TO Mr. Glad
stone, is one of the greatest liberal
measures of the century, and has, in
his opinion, been productive of in i'm
mense amount of good.
In former times, within the recollec-
ton of many, Mr.. Gladstone also says.
the highest wages an agricultural
laborer received IN England was .
shiilings tS2 25j per week, while now
the liberal leader says, the same class
of workInen average Is shillings (,3. 1JJ
per week, and, he adds, there are but
few cases where agricultural laborers
are only able to earn 9 s%hillings per
week. In Oxfordshire, Mr.. Gladstone
thinks, some rural laborers may only
be able 10 earn the latter amount; but
these are exceptions, he says, To the
general rule.
Referring TO the commissary law set
Element, by which n pauper is returned
to the parish where he was born, MIR.
Gladstone says hat he believes that il
would be better TO make them charge
able to the poor house in the district
in which they reside. Mr. Gladstone
also declares that the present poor
laws are not sufficiently broad to cope
with the amount of pauperism exist
ing.
The present land laws, and the large
holdings made possible by them are,
Mr.. Gladstone says, the aus Of much
of the pauperism referred to
In another portion of his manifesto
Mr.. Gladstone prays that the rural
workers may be delivered from the
landlord. the clergyman and the far
mer, who, he says, are holding them
selves upon a high plane where they
are unknown and do not care for the
laborers Mr.. Gladstone also declares
that the liberals by the co-franehise
gave the agricultural laborers the
greatest boom possible at the hands of
a political party, and, he explains, ex-
perience showed that the liberals were
justified in adopting this course.
In conclusion Mr.. Gladstone reviews
the work done and the resolutions
passed by the recent meeting in Lon
don Of the liberal delegates from the
agricultural districts just previous to
his departure for the continent, and he
again advocates the establishment of
parish councils as being an i~ndispensa-
BILE complement to local government,
and advises, vaguely, that various Geo.
nomic remedies should be adopted,
which he thinks would bring social
salvation to the tillers of the soil.
The formation of reading clubs for
agricultural and other laborers is one
of the suggestions made by Mr.. Glad.
stone with the view of improving their
social and moral condition.