The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-04
BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED.
Gladstone Did Not Intend That Rose
berry Should Succeed Him.

NEW YORK, March 3.-Harold Fred eric
cables the Times from London: OF this
astonishing week it may first of all be said
that history will depict Its events in quite
another light from that in which the public
to-day sees them. In this generation there
has not been any other political convulsion
at all like il. In character it is rather a
reversion of the type of those obscure and
treacherous cabinet upheavals of the first
half Of the Victorian reign, with which
we associate the names of Lord John Rus
sell, Palmerston, Derby and Disraeli.
With the passing away of that era Brit
ish politics became comparatively simple.
straightforward and tame, because there
was nothing to do but be for Gladstone or
against him. Now. once more. with his
disappearance the old involved intriguing
of the underground system is pumped
suddenly upon US again. The public and
even the newspapers are trying to fathom
what is going on by modern rules and have
failed to understand it at all, but at last
they are beginning vaguely TO comprebend
that there is something underlying il. Also
1T is growing manifest that next week will
inaugurate a stormy embattled period of
disturbances inside the Liberal factions
which may change the whole face of Brit
ish politics.
These things occupy the popular mind
and when its curiosity at that Immense
individual fact or Gladsone's retire
ment. with all its pathos and vast signi-
fcaDce in national history, is almost lost
to view. For years the people have been
thinking that when this event came they
would have to brace themselves aud not
be overwhelmed by the tremendous
weight of the blow, alike in its personal
and political aspects But now that it has
come they find themselves too mucI;
puzzled by the circumstances surrounding
it aud too much excited by savage portents
of trouble among official mourners to dwell
upon the event itself.
l have been able to get together certain
statements, which are vouched for, and
which put the situation in something like
the shape that history will give it. They
differ widely from the popular notions
current here. because they come from
sources which do not cultivate publicity,
and 1t would not suit the ends of those
who know them TO print them. | can say
no more than that / partly know and
wholly believe them to be true. First,
Gladstone did not really wish to resign,
and up to Thursday be hoped, as all his
family hoped. there would be such a spon-
taneous and united demonstration of the
Liberal members urging him to remain as
would make it possible for him to recon-
slider his wavering project of retirement
and stay. TO his surprise and chagrin no
such powerful appeal came. On Thurs
day he spoke his final and decisive word.
THIS failure OF the Liberals 10 comm and
the situation be lef' so long open TO them
was due largely TO the anger with which his
long and undistnrbed dictatorship and his
intolerant interference as Caesar himself
inspired them. If really never occurred
to them that he was waiting for them to
implore him to change his mind. More
aver there sprang into being at the very