Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-04-20
Mr.. Gladstone and Local Option.

The attempt made on Saturday by al
organized demonstration to coerce Mr.
Gladstone into a withdrawal of tn
Local Option, or, as he prefers to cal
it, Local Veto bill, proved failure
The liquor dealers of London hat
planned a large number of professions
which were to be headed with bands
and equipped with banners inscribed
sYou shan't rob the poor man of hi
beer,'' a stirring outcry, seeing that th'
proposed measure would not check tn,
sale of intoxicants in rich mems clubs
These professions were all to converge
to the classic forum of popular remon
STRANGE in the British metropolis
Trafalgar square, where from the base
of Nelson's statute harangues were tt
be delivered, followed by resolution.
denouncing the Prime Minister for hi.
attempt to deprive the free-born Brit
on of his right to consume alcoho
wherever and whenever he likes.
The liquor dealers, however, made
the mistake of counting on the indiffer
ence of their opponents. The temper
ance men, who seem to represent il
some sort a survival of the fanatics o
the seventeenth century, made up theil
minds that if an expression of the pop
ular will was asked for, they woult
demonstrate that they were the people
Accordingly, they took possession be
forehand of Trafalgar square, an(
when the Anti-Option professions ar
rived they raised the cry of The
sword of the LORD and of Gideon" ant
smote the champions of alcohol hil
and thigh. They tore their banners t.
rags, silenced their speakers, votet
down their resolutions, and then, seiz
ing tht coign of vantage at the base o
Nelson's column, shouted .'Hallelu
jah!" and passed resolutions applaud
ing the Prime Minister'S intentions AMI
wishing him God speed in his task.
1t cannot be said, therefore, that th'
liquor men sstook much," as Sir Viii
liam Harcourt would say, by their con
certed effort to subject Mr.. Gladston'
to moral pressure. Nor is there, in
deed, any reason to believe that eth
peoples William" has lost friend, or
for that matter, made one, by his Loca
Option bill. 1t is we'll understood tina
every voter whom the liquor interes
could control was arrayed against hin
in last years general election. On tn
other hand, he has not, by the measAf'
Ilstely introduced, won over any of tn
temperance people who supports
Unionist candidates, for they do no
want local option, but some adaptation
of the Gothenburg system. A bill wit
that purpose has been brought forwar
by one of their representatives in tn
House of Lords.
But, although the demonstration i
Trafalgar square took a turn ludicrous
ly different from that which the organ
izers designed, and although Mr.. Glac
stone has in all likelihood neither los
nor gained political strength by hi
Local Option bill, no well-informe
person believes that the measure ha
the slightest chance of becoming a la
in the present Parliament. It was il
ftroduced to certify good intention:
that was all. In no event could it pas
the House of Lords on the first tria
and it cannot even pass the preser
House of Commons, because it will nc
be reached. When the Home Rul
bill is thrown out by the upper House
Mr.. Gladstone will only wait to sen
up the Registration bill and the Paris
ICouncils bill before advising her Ma
esty to dissolve Parliament. At hi
advanced age every hour of time save
is precious, and the Liberals must nc
miss the weight of his personality i
the coming definite and desperate cor
test at the ballot box. So the teetotal
ers will have to wait some time yet fo
even partial fruition of their hopes
but they have the consolation, near
while. of knowing that they have bea1
en- the henchmen of the liquor interes
in a street fight.--N. 7. Sun.