The sun., 1894-03-02
who Will Lead the British Libersl.Y

Although It may not be true that Mr..
GLADSTONE has declared an intention OF re-
signing Immediately. IL is certain that the
condition Of his eyesight, and the imminent
necessity OF an operation for cataract. will
soon compel him to withdraw. at least tenn
porarily. from public life. Who will be his
successor in the leadership Of the Liberal
party? The prevailing opinion in London
seems to be that Lord RosEBERY will be
Prime Minister and Sir WILLIAM HABooURr
leader Of the House OF Commons. The ar
rangement is. IL appears. acceptable to
most OF the Radicals, as well as the less pro-
gressive members OF the party. Mr.. La
BoUcHEBE's objection to the plan is that q
Peer can hardly be trusted to conduct the
campaign for the ending or mending Of the
House Of Lords. But the fact Is that Lord
RosEBEBY has long maintained that drastic
changes In the composition or the powers Of
the upper chamber are indispensable.
Whoever succeeds Mr. GLADSTONE will in
herit his policy, and will have to carry it
out with fidelity and zeal. The assertion
made in certain quarters. that the appoint
ment OF new Prime Minister would involve
arepudiation Of the promises made to the
Irish Nationalists. Is entirely unfounded.
Such a statement implies misconception
OF the existing and prospective political
situation. The seventy two McCarthyites.
unless they receive assurances from the
next head OF the British Liberals that he
means to keep faith with them. may forth
with cooperate with the Unionists In voting
q want OF confidence. Then the Prim, Min
lister will have either to resign or to appeal
to the country. In the latter contingency.
the Nationalists will not only hold their
own In Ireland. but they will see that
the Irish vote. which is a decisive factor in
many English and some Scotch constitu-
encies. is cast against the Liberal candidates.
1t is scarcely conceivable that. in such cir
cumstances. the Liberals could return to
the House Of Commons q working majority
over Unionists and Nationalists both.
In a word. the British Liberals cannot
shelve the home rule question. even IL they
wish to do so. and there is no reason to
suppose that q large fraction OF them
cherish any such desire. 1t Is incredible
that the whole body OF Giadstonian mem
bers. with two or three exceptions. should
have voted for a measure Of which but few
Of them approved. The confession OF such
insincerity would require an amount OF
cynicism which no English politician OF
character and influence would venture to
disclose. So committed to home rule is the
Gladstonian party that any attempt to
shuttle out OF its reiterated solemn pledges |
would ruin 1t with the constituencies. and |
bring about it's speedy disintegratio1.
Aside. however. from the moral strength |
OF their position. IL is plain that SO long as |
the McCarthyites can return some seventy |
members TO Parliament. they will. in point |
Of fact. retain the key OF the situation. The |
possession OF the balance OF power should |
tend to make them reasonable and even in |
dulgept toward their allies. rather than ex- |
acting and impracticable. They are scarcely |
likely to insist upon wasting the time Of |
the present moribund Parliament. by COM
pelling the Liberals to pass measures which |
the Lords are certain to throw out. II is more
probable that, for their own sake. they will |
help to assure the victory OF their friends
at the ballot box through reforms OF the
registration laws. which the upper House.
now thoroughly alarmed by the clamor for
Its destruction. will hardly venture to re-
ject. Common sense. in other words. will
shape the course Of the McCarthyites. who
see that home rule will never be attained.
except as a consequence OF the success OF
the Liberals at the next general election.
When Mr. GLADSTONE drove the Home
Rule bill through the House Of Commons by
the almost unanimous vote OF his party. he
performed a work that nothing can undo
except the folly OF Irishmen themselves.
To secure the eventual triumph of his pro-
gramme it is simply requisite that Irish
and British Liberals should
the indubitable fact that they are
necessary 10 each other. and that discord
will be fatal TO both.