The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-11
OUT FOR BLOOD.
GladStOne'S w ar on the
Lords.
HIS FOLLOWERS IN HAND.
Has Them Pledged to Stand To-
gether to the Last.
SALISBURY A POLITICAL BOSS.
With a Grave Doubt as to Whether
He Can Hold His Flock of
Coroneted Sheep.

New YORK. Feb. 10.-Harold Frederic
cables the Times from London: Bloody
news from Timbuctoo must have seemed
relief in Paris. furnishing diversion as it
does from the melancholy Russian prob
lem. There is, of course, a loud shout for
Immediate summary steps to restore the
prestige of the tricolor in Niger Valley,
and equally of course, the Government
will make a show of getting ready to do
go, but it looks as If before these prepara-
tions are finished there might be a revul-
sion against this whole spirit of random
colonial expansion. like that which, in
1885. overwhelmed Ferry lie Tonquiners.
To send out big expedition to emash the
Tuaregs OF the Sahara Desert would be
like setting forth with an army corps to
chase a sapdspout. That stupid Occupa-
ton of TimbuctOo has converted the whole
east desert into a militant hostile country,
which European troops can scarcely
traverse. much less subdue.
Worse even than the underlined. ruinous
responsibilities thus thrust upon France is
the revelation of jealousy and insubordi-
nation among the French officers and the
iDefficiency of the commissariat which
the adventure affords. These were the
two fatal flaws the French army eXhibi ed
in the Franco-German war. and it is start
ling to find them glaringly reproduced
now after twenty-three years of earnest
endeavOr to perfect the army for its great
task. Now, as then. there are also myste-
rous hints of other interests than those of
the nation being considered by those in
command. There is the Traus-Sahara
Railway syndicate with the scheme which
Napoleon Ney described in Scribner's
Magazine some years ago, and which has
money to spend and Partisan papers in its
pGy.
Dark reports are floating about that
there was rivalry between the French
military and naval forces in the Niger
county, which led to the quarrels and
disobedience TO home orders. This syndi-
cate has attractive material for prospec-
fuses with which TO tempt French inves-
tors. but Niger scandal on Panama lines
would swiftly enough knock the French
colonial enthusiast on the head.
1t is said that there Is also q strange
Bazaine scandal in the air. which will
materialize when MacMahon's memoirs
are published.
The allegation Is that these memoirs
will show that BaZaine was innocent and
reveal a conspiracy of French civilian
politicians to head off the possibility of
military dictatorship succeeding to power
by making q criminal scapegoat of Ba-
zaine, thus popularity discrediting all the
imperial generals and the army as whole.
The story goes that this revelation is so
compromising to many persons still alive
and prominent that MRcMahan's widow
-shrlnks from Issuing the memoirs during
her lifetime, but that BaZaine's widow
and son, now an officer in the Spanish
army, are insisting on its immediate pub
,ication.
At last it looks as If a general pitched
battle. with all the available forces on
both side, was going to be fought In Brit
ish politics. Urgent signals are flying and
trumpets are sounding all over the field,
and sharp engagement on Parliamentary
skirmish lines is advertised for Monday
next.
find myself just trif1e skeptical about
the reality of the combat. at least for the
present. There is always a probability
that the Lor0s viii run away at :he last
moment. The bench of Bishops has
shown them the way by crswfishing unan-
imously this week upon their united ac-
tion of last week They have voted solidly
to o revent the parish councils from being
held in taverns.
The Arch bishop of Canterbury has even
gone to the length of writing letter to
the Times, striving to reconcile their two
Numerically opposed attitudes. This has
evoked at best only coDtemptuous notice,
even from the Tory press, and the Radi-
Gals only add the epithet coward" to
the Indictment OF the episcopacy with
which they are placarding the land. Every
thing depends upon the strength and STAY
ing power OF Saisbury's grip on the
Lords. There Is no doubt on earth about
his wish to fight. The question is il he
can hold his flock of coroneted sheen To.
gether. His high spirit ana domineering
methods have reduced the whole situation
TO matter OF bossism. He is the Croker
of an aristocratic and hereditary Tam
many. His mastery only few days ago
seemed supreme and uDauestioned inside
the organization. Who can promise that
a fortnight hence he will not stand practi-
cally alone? Such things have happened
before.
About the solidity of the Gladstonian
ranks there is no question. Here the
difficulty always lies in the fear that the
'OoNNAO ohS NV III SdIHcots III tuc
present cases l believe som ething like
pledges have been given that no part of
the Liberal ground taken up by the Com
mons will be abandoned in compromise,
and that the Parish Councils bill will be
sent again to the Lords with every line of
their amendments brusquely stricken out.
In the n eaDtime all machinery for pro-
ducing the effect of grand indignant
popular uprising will he set in motion. be-
ginning with a meeting of the Liberal
Federation at Portsmouth on Monday. and
we shall see if this once more scares the
Lords into turning tail and scurryipg
away. Ii it fails then there will be fur in
the air.
Gladstone reached home to take charge
of the struggle this evening. The train
was eighty minutes late. owing to the
boisterous condition of the channel. but a
huge throng gathered earlier than the an
nounced time of the trains arrival, and
swelled as the time went oD till ii over
flowed into Trafalgar square, aDd the
Whitehall platform was barred to all but