New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-25

.ives nm the London County Council have alarmed
Ion3on and many thousands Of citizens must
have refrained from voting for men or whose
fundamental views they approved, but whom
they would not support while they bore this OBJ
noXiOus label,
The issue Of the too-famous circular and the
,ttcynpt renewed If not originated by the Cleri-
,als 20 disturb the compromise on the religious
question under which the schools were conducted,
alarmed the friends of free education. Mr.. Riley
alarmed them Mr. Riley is a sort Of Anglo
Catholic or Anglican-perhaps revived Pusey-
tie Nothing is more hateful to community
which Is sincerely Protestant. The old cry mo
Popery'' was heard and not without effect
The clergy showed their usual inabihty 10 I'M
derstand the feelings Of laymen The Archpshop
OF Canterbury published a letter in which ne tod
all Christians that ii was their duty as CHRIS
tians to support the Moderates. and especially
the chairman, who is an immoderate Moderate
lie was sharply answered from lis own side that
it was the duty of Christians to vote according
to conscience and not al the dictation Of any
Bishop Archbishop.
There has been in truth for months past con-
slant wrangle in the School Board on religious
questions The majority were held responsible
and London turned against them. There is no
reason why the religious question should be raised
at all The more it is debated the less likely will
London be to accept Mr. Athelstone Riley with
his mummeries and superstitons as fit leader in
educational issues. Luckily neither he nor Mr..
Lyulph Stanley. who leads the Progressives In
spirit nearly as into,erant as Mr.. Rileys. Will De
In position to carry his policy TO extremes
Lord Rosebery's passionate protest at Glasgow
against the suspicion of insincerity in his Brad
ford speech has not yet convinced his unionist
opponents that he really means business as
against the House of Lords. Mr. Asquiths smart
but not very informing speech at Birmingham
this week has not convinced them. Their ncred-
nifty has been expressed by Mr.. Chamberlain with
his usual clear precision Of phrase. Mr. Caamper-
lain has been struck, as others nave py inc
Inconsistency between Bradford ana Glasgow,
which he thinks worth dwelling on, and so do l.
Founding himself these two speeches, Mr..
Chamberlain has constructed neat logical
dilemma for the Liberal leader He is not
pledged to abolish the veto. because that would
be equivalent to abolishing the House Of Lords;
and ne is not willing to abolish the House Of
Lords because that would be to leave the country
to the tender merces Of a single chamber. III
he is not willing TO abolish the veto or to destroy
the House of Lords. what is the only alternative!
The only alternative is the reform Of the House
of Lords" But Lord ROsebery. who was once the
advocate of reforming the House Of Lords is now
silent on that pon. What then is left of his
policy. or in what form is that tremendous revo-
luton which he announced at Bradford to be car
ried out?
II he Is silent bout reform others are not
Mr.. Asouith. one of the foremost of his col
leagues said at Birmingham he would have moth
ing to do with reform. Even Mr. Asquith, how
ever feels the pressure of the single chamber
difficulty He used declare himself single
chamber man without condition qualification.
He now suggests that some kind OF safeguard
may be devised against the hasty action OF
single chamber in great constitutional questions.
He sees plainly enough that the country Will
never be content with a legislative constitution
under which the constitution is absolutely al The
mercy OF d majority of one in the House Of Com.
mons. but he has no scheme any more than Lord
Rosebery has.
This also the country is beginning to see ana
beginning to resent. Thinking people d. not IN
derstand why a Prime Minister should be the one
> man in this kingdom to lead a revolution. They
- DO not understand his announcing and advocating
a revolution the steps and consequences of which
he has not thought out. They do not understand
Minister and his Cabinet being at odds on
question vital as that Of a second Chamber.
"He proposes said Mr. Chamberlain. without
any mandate from the people, to deal with TINS
great constitutional issue while at variance with
many of his supporters and some Of his col
leagues: and he proposes, as the browning act and
glory of his administration. at time which he
refuses to fix to bring in a resolution the terms
of which he refuses to disclose.
In that respect is no doubt Initiating Mr.
Gladstone Nothing would ever induce Mr. Glad
stone to take the country into his confidence
about Home Rule. The nature of both Il e two
Home Rule bills he introduced was kept pro-
found secret till they had been introduced. The
country resented that. There signs that 1t re-
sents still more the application Of that precedent
by his successor to an issue on which the country
thinks itself entitled 10 the earliest anc FULLEST
light Thus far they get little, and thus far LORD
Rosebery gets in return little Of that support for
which he appealed. Revolutions comm only be-
gin from below. A revolution which begins from
above leaves the people wondering why ,ney
should have failed to discover their own griev-
snce and whether after all the grievance is very
serious.
Mr. Chamberlain moreover, is as READY with
constructive policy OF his own AS with the de-
structive criticism in which he excels. He has
large schemes Of social reform, az he has always
had He would enable poor men to BUY tneir
houses provide pensions for old age. keep out
pauper immi era ton, regulate the liquor trade on
the Gothenburg plan, insure workmen against
accident, set UP boards of arbitration. and much
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