New-York tribune., 1894-04-22
THE GLADSTONE MEMORIAL.
ITO s1GNALIzE HIS RETIRDMENT"-BUT
HAS HE REALLY RETIRED?-TWO
SETS OF RADICAL VIEWS.
London, April Q

London April @
Members of the Glads;onian party are dlS-
cussing proposals for setting up memorial 10
that eminent statesman, ION his retirement
But are they sure he has retired? or do they
wish 10 make sure that he shah not return. and
resume the leadership Of the party? This latter
ouest,on will no doubt seem profane II the
American idolater whose view IS that all facts
inconsistent with his theory ought to De sup
pressed But facts are stubborn Things II 'hey
do not come out in one place they are APT 10 u.
heard of in another. Probably the great DonE "i
,be Clsdstonian party was and is loyal to its late
leader. Possibly enough they are ALL IN one
sense loyal. Personal loyalty Is here thoush.
10 be consistent with pretty wide dlNe'se"'Ie' ~
opinion in political matters and especia"E III
questions of policy and of leadership Inc ho1IO"
=, an ar,,ess American admirer that because Mt
Gladstone has gone out OF politics. poiucS "a'
ceased TO be interesting. never gained ground
here. So far as II attracted attention. II was
r.csved with gentle ridicule. and the good Eng
Itch G,adstonian asked why the good American
c,adstonian should wish to be so much pe''e'
than himself.
Pint the view Of the great body Of the party i
one thing. The view of the managers ana es-
pedally Of those who wish to Dc ma"dse'9' "
another have explained many 'inie WHY 49,,
Radicals wanted to get ria of Mr.. Glaus'oH'' i''
kept them to some extent, IN orue'' nv -
IN some extent a Conservative force he WIS
conservative. on whole classes OF queSu'"' W"
which they were radical. He was flrSt anu pei0'.
ALL things Home Ruler. and they are ii'S' a.'N
before all things for DsestapHshi.iV"' ="
o. Mon Ono Vote. or for one or another item OF
the Newcastle Programme OF LOT i"'''' ,i.,
r,mn,overs Liability,-all subjects none oi "hich
10
49, oo,,,,r,, once more 10 give him majority DIX
80, 70 force Home Rule through the house
o.Iords They we're and are convinced that
~,r,.,, e NOT TO be had those terms nut
.nat tho country can only he carried pE PreSV"
,ns N & q programme of British measures pass"
.ne -, ha,oet If the British fraction of the
Irn,,ed kingdom. or proposed. and only ho'
rassed because the Lords rejected 'hel"
W., cap hardly have forgotten, ana 'he luo'"-
,,,,,so,s may remember the Radical summons
e. Mr. Gladstone shortly before he wi'huie"'
.r sad us against the Lords or resign IL was
,,rusual 10 see such explosion as 'ha' III p'i"'
hut a was not at all unusual 10 near 'he H''''
-, vnressed in conversation. Other things
uere expressed. The Radical IS an ou''i
aor ue stood in wholesome awe OF MI
Gladstone for the most part ou' WIZ" no
taskmaker had abdcated. he spoke his mihu
60 -. .ba, before The phrase Of which
r,1nrp
Iord Randolph Churchill was the author an o'o
- D.. . hurry &" came TO his lips as he struggled
.. aoscr,be the dominant fact in his recent po-
,,.,oo, ufe Everything at high pressure
Ioo,s,at,on marty policy, public poncy-all hau
=, ba governed by the necessity or Cro"ulns
Home Rule through Parliament during MT "l"u
.,one.s lifetime I'VE voted and spoke WIN
rome round our nccks.' said one Raolca' oo'u''
IN spirit and in metaphor than the rest ar" ~
.ntimated that he did not care 10 put Ms "''N
again inside that moose 1T rather reii'iiiuV" ''
of the anecdOte which NJ. de Segur 'e"S VI
>-no,aor The great Emperor asked Segur one
aoy what people would say after his death' ana
xvhen the courtier declared that regret ""ulu "e
universal Napoleon broke in, and with an eA-
nressive shrug of his shoulders. excalmed' Oh
no, Everybody will say. our. ana he see''u
ra,,er Z, delight in this feeling of general relief
10 which his disappearance wouiu give iiSe' ''O-
ab,v Mr.. Gladstone would not. for he has none
Of the cynical humor Whlch aioHe H'"N'' "
poleon's view possible
\ wall tho Radical exaggerates. no doubt. II is
h,s nature TO exaggerate. But present him 10
Won as he IS and If l do not reproduce MS WORDS
q is because dare not They would shock YOU
and they would break in upon the harmony OF
those anthems which the deVout American II
ALWAYS chanting in honor OF his Enghsh uNi'li'!'
Do not hold me responsible for the EngIsh haui-
cal or his views, whether about Mr. Gladstone OF
.ho,+ affairs should be very sorry if you did
7 do but impart them 10 you. They are
norton Of the history Of the time. thlnK anu
I have always thought and said. that the hadi-
Gals treated their great chief at times win scaht
courtesy. But that, after ALL is not the nam
question The main question is what their re-
,at,ons are likely 10 be in the future. and how
far they are likely to affect the fortunes oil 'lS
country and the course of events.
So considering it, one has TO say that change
has occurred II the Radical feeling was, in
mart one Of relief at Mr.. Gladstoncs departure.
ana Of toy that he. the Radical, was at last to
have free hand that feeling has been modlfled
nv events and by experience. II IS seldom that
the Radical allows his feelings-Or his opinions
az he thinks them-tO be influenced ny so con-
servative thing as experience, that 1t Is an
act Of Justice TO him to record the fact when one
h.s a chance. He sees that his hand Is not
free He sees-indeed, some OF the Radicals
foresaw-that Lord Rosebery has views OF ms
own about such matters; that he means, so long
as he is Prime Minister. to govern ana so long
as he is leader % lead Mr.. Gladstone Is gone.
hu, even now the tail does not wag the dog.
And So during the last few days he has begun
TO EXPRESS a doubt whether Mr.. Gladstone has
really retired for good from public life. or
whether his departure is out a 'fausse sortie
ANYBODY who read Mr.. Gladstones letter OF
March "a to the City OF London Liberal Associa-
ton. or even the earlier one to Sir John Cowan
and Midlothian. might doubt whether the LIB
eral leader really regarded his retirement as
final and his decision irrevocable. Or go back
10 Lord Rosebery's speech to the party. Did
he not refer 10 Mr.. Gladstone as one who might
resume his leadership at any moment? l said
nj the time that, If Mr. Gladstone had seen his
way TO putting Home Rule on the Statute Book
this year. l did not believe he would have found
the other impossbiliies insurmountable. 1t