St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-28
HAS GLADSTONE RESIGNED?
ALL ENGLAND EXCITED OYER THE
PREMlER'S POSITION.
MANY WILD RUmoRs AFLoAT.
His Great Age, Failing Eyesight,
and Bitter Attacks of the Lib
eral Papers Are Said TO Have
Resulted in the Grand Old
Mans Decision to Retire-EarI
Spencer to Succeed Him.

Resulted in the Grand Old
Mans Decision to Retire-EarI
Spencer to Succeed Him.
LONDON, Feb.27.-The political world
is once more greatly agtated by re.
newed rumOrs to the effect that Mr..
Gladstone intends to retire from office.
OF course the frequency with which
these reports have been circulated of
late has done much to discount any
effect which they might have, but every
time new report concerning Mr.. Glad
stones intention to retire from the
leadership of the Liberal party is put in
circulation there seems to be a positive
panic among his most loyal followers,
and corresponding telling of encour-
agement among the enemies of the
great English statesman and his policy.
The latest scare news is furnished by
the Edinburgh Evening News, which
announces, upon what it classes as reli-
able authority, the fact that Mr.. Glad
stone has resigned the premiership, but,
the Evening News adds, he will
retain his seat in the cabinet and
will also continue to represent
Midlothian in the house Of
commons. Naturally this report, APP
parently based Oh something more than
mere political rumor, has caused the
greatest excitement in political circles,
and is causing great and hurried eX-
change of kilograms between the great
leaders and their intimate advisers.
Strange, to say, after so many denials
and after such number of canards
have been put in circulation in connec-
ton with
THE GRAND OLD MAN,
The present report that he has actually
rendered his resignation, or that he in
tends to take such action during the
| present week, Is obtaining general
credence. Inquiries made hastily in
official circles shortly after the Evening
News, of Edinburgh, circulated its re-
port, shows that there are many people
in official circles who belive that
the report is undoubtedly based
on fact. T. P. O'Connor. NJ. P.
writing to the Sun today, says in
connection with the rumor that Mr..
Gladstone has resigned, aud apparently
some time something like a panic has
existed among his supporters in the
lobbies. Yesterday evening the rumor
| was current that his resignation was to
| be expected during the course of the
week. Competent authority gives his
| eyesight as the actual reason for his
resignation, but the situation is further
| aggravated by the position of certain
to the naval programme. The premier
had to face the possibility of Earl
Spencer's Che. first lord of the admiralty
| resignation. The cataract in the
| prenler's eye is not yet ripe for opera
| ton, but when it occurs he must spend
six weeks in darkness. Nobody knows
what day may bring forth, though my
own opinion is that Mr.. Gladstone will
| refuse to leave the ship"
| The Associated Press correspondent.
| so soon as the rum0r of Mr..
GLADSTONE'S RESIGNATION
became known, placed himself in COM
munlcation with the secretary of the
premier, who informed the Associated
| Press that the statements made by the
| Edinburgh Evening News were entirely
| unauthorized. When questioned as to
their accuracy Mr.. GladstOne's secretary
refused to give direct answer, simply
reiterating his former statement that
the Evening News had no authorization
| to make the statements which have
| caused so much excitement in political
| circles.
1t is now recalled that some astonish-
ment was caused on Saturday last by
the fact that the Earl of RoSebery, Sec
Rotary OF state for foreign affairs, while
OH his way to visit the Prince and
Princess of Wales at Sandringham, was
hurrledly called back to the foreign
| office by dispatch which was handed
to him at Newmarket. The Earl of Rose
berry returned to London by a special
train, and went Immediately to the for
| elgn Office. The excuse given out for
this sudden change of intentions upon
the part OF the secretary was that his
hurried return was due to cabinet
session being necessary in view of the
DEFEATS sustained by the sailors of the
British warshipS Raleigh and Widgeon,
on the Gambia coast of Africa. 1t is
now stated, however, that the return of
the Earl OF RoSebery was due to an i'm
| portant announcement made by Mr..
Gladstone to one of his cabiuet minis
tiers, and it IS said that this announce
inert practically amounted 10 a state
| ment that had decided to forward his
| resignation
TO HER MAJESTY.
| In view of the many previous reports
OF similar nature which have been cir
culated In connection with Mr.. Glad
| stone there are many people 10 believe
| that there is no more truth IN the
| present rumor. than there has been in
| other similar reports. But people are
| reminding each other of Mr.. Gladstone'S
| age, his falling eyesight and the bitter
attacks made upon him by newspapers
which had previously warmly supported
him as result Of his failure to appeal
to the sympathies of those who were
cialnoring for the abolition of the house
OF lords, by making determined at
tack upon that Institution when the
amendments OF the peers to the pop
ular employers liability bill and
to the parish council bill were taken up
IN the house OF commons. An intimate
friend OF MIR. Gladstone has been quoted
as saying that the premier was deeply
aHected at the criticisms leveled at him
by his friends, and that he is apparently
impressed with the belief that the Lib
erals are ungrateful. and that his best
course under all the circumstances of
the case is to resign the premiership.
ms seems to be about the situation of
AFFAIRS. and apparently il Will so remain
until definite announcement is made
by MI. Gladstone himself.
THE QUEEN
is now in London, and therefore is able
to consult with the ministers more
| freely than she would at Osborne, and
| it is expected that something definite in
| regard to Mr.. Giadstone's intentions
will very shortly be known. The Even
ing News this afternoon says the Earl
| of Rosebery has been offered the pre-
miership. and that he has declined it.
The same paper says that the PREMIER
ship was later offered to Earl Spencer,
first lord of the admiralty. and that he
has accepted it. In conclusion, the
| Evening News says that Mir. Gladstone's
resignation goes into effect at Easter. A
| physician visited Mr. Gladstone today,
and remained with him for some time,
/ hut the nrpmipr de voted tha manning 70