The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-30
True History of England's
Shame.
ONE rlAN'S POWER OF EVIL.
Chamberlain's Maiign Influence Has
Corrupted Every rlan Who Has
Ever Followed His Lead.
Special TO TUE MORNING CALL

NEW YORK. July 29.-HarOld Frederic
cables the Times from London: If the
negotiations over the Siamese question
during the last week had resulted in an
open rupture. and the prospect of great
foreign war had doomed upon these islands,
fancy Engishmen would still be giving
first place in their minds to that astonish-
ing scene on the floor OF their Parliament
on Thursday night.
Outsiders can have literally no concep-
ton OF the profound impression which
that absurd and meaningless fracas made
upon the entire public. The solemn edl-
torial comments with which the press
teens produce the effect that the whole
body polite is aghast and breathless with
CONSERVATION. 1t is 223 years since blow
was last struck in the House Of Commons.
and the offender was then sent by the
Speaker to the Tower of London.
Once or twice previously there were
somewhat similar disturbances. growing
out of social decentralization and partisan
violence which marked the restoration
peri ana the very remoteness of these
presidents makes Thursdays runpus
doubly impressive. With one accord the
commentators treat it as uniquely dis
aThe hundred or more spectators in the
strangers galleries who stood up and
vehemently Kissed and hootad the brawl-
ing legislators below on Thursday even
ing, and the deckloads of passengers on
the penny boats who yesterday drove the
members off tine terrace by jeering shouts
as they steamed past, spoke for all Eng
land.
1t is national vanity which suffers so
cruelty from this publicly inflicted wound
rather than national intelligence or con-
science. The issue is one Of manners, not
of morals. As matter Of fact great
many things have been done In Parliament
In the past seven years in the name of the
gentlemen OF England which were more
shameful and dishonoring than this stupid
lapse into primitive isticuffs.
Now that actual blows have been ex-
changed the English people discover them
selves shocked ana Mortified at the i'm
mensity OF the degradation which has come
over British politics since 1886. 1t had
been better if they had been Mortified early
in the day.
Ever since Chamberlain's memorable
and epoch making treason there has been
steady downward tendency among all
who have followed or have been allied
with him. Chamberlain's character is far
and away the most important factor in tile
story OF British politics during the past
decade. His remarkable energy. capacity
and iron concentration upon = single
purpose have driven. one by one.
all the mere generous and self-respecting
conservative leaders into second place be-
In int h i'm, ND In ic
and rancornus gall have literally rotted
the rank and file lower down. No English
speaking people ever produced parallel
for this narrowing debssemsut of a whole
great national party by the power of one
man.
American readers get. once a week.
pale reflection Of what under this malign
authority the English Unionists have sunk
to thinking and saying about Gladstone
and the Irish race. but one must live here
to comprehend how the Chamberlain
canker has eaten into the bones and hearts
and brains of whole hundreds of thou
sands Of decent. well-meaning men and
women who, by birth aud position, are en-
titled to suppose themselves the better
classes of the country.
You near many other names mentioned
on that sde-Salisbury. Balfour, Devon
shire and so on-but they really matter no
more than Mormon elders mattered while
Brigham Young was alive.
Joseph Cham berlain. Atlas like, bears
the whole great Unonist combination on
his own shoulders. and carries it whittier
he wills. 1t is only by realizing this that
one can understand Thursdays fracas or
much else that happens in Parliament.
OF course. the row centered about Cham
berlain. BY his own arrangement. the
final quarter hour before the closure Of the
home-rule debate was saved for him, and
the seats back Of him were crowded with
serried masses of young Tory Unionist
bloods. bent on mischief. They had been
boasting for weeks that something spec
tacuiar was going to happen, and all knew
it was to be stage-managed by Chamber
lain.
BE began in Jelly N ensured tones, weigh
ing every word. and ut.eriDg no sentence
which was not a covert or direct affront to
Gladstone. His whole speech suggested
NJ idea but to insult the venerable states
man opposite him. and through him to en-
rage the Gladstonian party.
Finally he drew an intolerable parallel
uctWcob uItu duu acTOus Will us sequence
of being stricken by God and eaten by
worms not yet spoken, but in every
body's mind. when the storm which he
had been deliberately stirring up burst.
There was wild yell Of Judas" from
the Irish benches. and then twenty minutes
of furious vocal uproar, eliminating in a
bodily assault by young Tory. Hayes
Fisher. upon an English Gladstonian named
Logan.
After this there was a somewhat general
melee. and a great deal OF pushing and
hauling. but Saunderson was the only one
who tried to use his fists, and got we'll
pummcled in turn.
The earlier reports asoribed a lot of fight
ing to the Irish. especially to Healy. but it
is now admitted that they did nothing but
endeavor TO part the combatants and sup
press the disorder.
This was finally wrought by the appear
ance on the scene OF the speaker. " e had
been sent for by the panic-stricken chair
man. He came in with tho majesty
Of Moses descending from Sinai, and
on the instant the tumnlt cnllansad