The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-18
KNOW THEIR WEAKNESS.
Even the Tories Have Deserted
Salisbury.
DIsCREDiTED NOW AS A LEADER
Yet Gladstone Must Take Some
Measure TO Deprive the Peers
of Their Power.

NEw YORK, Feb. 17.-Harold Frederic
cables the Times from London: There
has been a very hne and eXhilarating mus
ter of fighting Liberalism during the week.
Not even in 1884 was there better or
more spirited rally round the party STAN
daEd. Alas. these imposing forces having
marched up the hill, in all likelihood will
do nothing more than march down again.
There will be no fight The Lords will
run away. All their amendments in.
tended to smother the parish councils bill
have been dedantly kicked out in the Com
mons. some by majoriteS trebling the or
binary party majority and all by decisive
votes.
Worse still, the Tories in the Commons
have given even the u ost plausible of the
Lords points only half-hearted support.
while the Unionists for the most part are
in open revolt against Salisbury. No other
party leader of our time has ever been SO
fatty discredited by the rank and file of
his OWN party as he. 1t is natural as
sumption that the Lords will, III turn, de-
sert him now when the issue is put 20 the
test. There remains, indeed, a chance
that he may be able 10 appeal to their
amour propre and mulishness to hold them
TO some sort Of defense of themselves and
their order. but l don't think much of it.
Toward the end Of this coming new
session, which is expected to begin next
week, pressure in the Radical party may
be able TO compel from the Cabinet
definite proposition to take away from the
Lords the veto power over bills passed
twice by the Commons. There will be
widespread disaffectiOn if this, or some
thing like this. is not introduced. The
Liberals are sick and tired of being con-
tinually forced 10 work themselves up and
to stir the country by elaborate agitation
and prepare for tremendous national
struggle every time they want to scare the
Lords out OF their opposition TO Liberal
measures. The game is not worth the
candle. Labouchere's amendment to the
Queens address viii afford a fine chap
for the expression of this feeling, and
division of it viii be certain 10 strengthen
Fhe Governments hands for an anti-Lords
crusade.
There has been very little to say for
loDg time about Irish politics. With the
beginning of the new session Irish affairs
will come back again into relative promi-
nenGe. Parnellism as factional force has
been withering steadily during the inter-
regnum. People may remember now
vaIiantly Redmond was talking 3 while
ago about his willingness to see Gladstone
put out Of Office unless this, that, or the
other were done. The value of this
blather was estimated by the fact that this
week, when the Government feared itself
of being in danger through absenteeism,
the PaFnellite members dropped every
thing in Ireland and raced across at break
neck speed TO help swell the Government
majority.
The truth is, of course, that If they
dared endanger in the slightest degree
Giadstone's tenure of power their chance
of a future in Irish politics would be
wiped out In the twinklug of an eye.
John Dillon was almost the only one of
the Irish members who did not take the
trouble to leave home to hold up the hands
of the Liberal Government, his energies
being devoted to arrangements fo1 a fresh
quarrel among the stockholders Of the
unfortunate Freeman's Journal at the an
nual meeting on Easter Tuesday. This
paper, which, few years ago, was earn
ing profits OF $4,000 year, is now prac-
tically bankrupt. The competition between
IL and its Parnellite rival, the independent,
is race toward the grave. 1t is difficult
10 see how either can survive the present
year, since over one-third of the Freeman
shares are now owned by the Parnellite
Alderman, Herman. The amagamation
of the two papers would be as difficult as
formerly, but it is doubtful il even
that event would secure fresh
lease of life. Dillon. however, deems
his position on board this dying concern
of national Importance and thinks of
nothing but plans to oust from the direc
torate the last remaining elements, repre-
senting the ola national press. One hope
ful feature of the situation is that this
coming conflict of March 27 will probably
be the last squabble which the carcass of
the poor old Freeman will provoke.
Ireland itself. learn from John Nor
ley, has passed the quieiest winter known
for thirty years. The police believe that
the pestiferous knot Of ruffians left over
from "invincible" times. which for years
have been terroriZing Dublin by abortve
dynamite demonstrations, has been finally
broken up and cleared out. 1t is not so
pleasant to hear that they are all sup
posed to have gone to America.