New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-27
liberalism which an American might not have

liberalism which an American might not nave
uttered:
Ny notion OF Liberal politics Is this-that we
should always be- on the lookout for every new
idea and for every old idea with new applica-
Ntion which may tend TO meet the growing re-
auirements of society. Hitherto, have seen the
leaders OF the Liberal party like men standing on
a watch-tower te whom others would Apply s anu 20
say not What OF the nght?" but. "What OF
the morning and the coming day.?
Ia not that American? Could you express IL
better or more wildly? II is not necessary 10
20 with him In his invective against Liberals
Of the present day. or 10 regard tnem all as oae"
siders. Yet. II we could free our minds from
purely political prepossessons. and transfer 'ne
subject matter to the South Seas. we might sun
apree with him and with others who see In GER
tain modern legislation by the successors OF the
old Liberals n melancholy departure from the
true Liberalism OF those DAYS. We might ask
with him:
Where did the LIBERIA, party ger tnis No" rove
for secret arbitrary. irresponsible tribunals. deal
ing with the lives. liberties ana properties VI INC
people?
Tns massage on the Chancellor OF the Ex-
ch.ouer ,s another example Of the Dukes taste
for personalities;
should be sorry to say anything against
Cir william Harcourt. lie Is an old friend or
mine an old colleague and in private HE ne ~
a most estima BILE person. confess have always
rrra rded him as an opportunist Of the most per-
feet transparency. did In regard to the act or
1881 that which Sir William Harcourt could not
conceive any man doirv: I sacrificed place. po-
lticai position. and political friends rather than
agree 10 sacrifice that which believed to be
essentially principle Sir william Harcourt
could not conceive that.
What the Duke says Of his own conduct IL
perfectly true He did sacrifice to, principle,
or to political scruple. place and position
which he held dear. What ne says OF Sir William
Harcourt would perhaps seem to that very fexi-
bic politician eulogy.
No doubt the Duke Is at times perfervid. Most
orators are. 1t ia almost condition OF good
or of great oratory that there should be more
steam In the boilers than Is absolutely necessary
for driving the engines. There is exaggeration
in oratory as there is In poetry Thus the Duke
Is not content say that the title OF the BILL the
Tenants Arbitration bill, Is false; he must ada
that n ia absolutely false" This ne justifes by
alleging that the court which the Dill sets up
"a not Court Of Arbitration: 1T is revolution
AIRY tribunal before which both parties can De
dragged by one Of them In his own interest
alone" The remark Is true Of most Courts OF
Law He would substitute a title OF his own:
"An act TO empower certain persons TO reinstate
in their former holdings any or all rural tenants
in Ireland, or their heirs. who have lost their
holdings during the last fifteen years. either ny
bankruptcy. dishonesty, or criminal coll
spiracy or any other cause" That may or may
not be too strong a description OF the Dill put
surely II Is rather strong to say that the oe-
merits OF 1t are absolutely MISUNDERSTANDING
Duke Is fond tf the word absoutely-and that'
III every member Of this House were TO speak
for a month we should still ma some ne"
,oonstrosity TO expose" There Is, II not sxag-
Reration wit in his summary OF the whole situa-
t,on "You will have two Commissions In Ireland,
foir
anstate or compensate men who do not pay
them
Tho landlords OF Ireland have been held up
IN the execration Of the civilized world. Some OF
them deserve that harsh things should be said OF
them but a law Is not passed for rev eXcep-
tional cases: II Is passed to deal justly with the
average condition OF things. And the average
may surprise TIE american reader II he VIII ac-
cept the Duke of Argylrs figures, which thhK
are not disputed Lord Spencer gave the to'a'
number Of evicted tenants since 1873 as oi'VVo'
The Duke thinks there were 3S.ooo ana assumes
that the total who have gone off the land In
one way or another may be 10000. The total
number Of tenants In Ireland is 100000 The evic-
ton. are spread over fifteen years and the aver
age Is a fraction over VI per cent per annum'
The average OF evictions In England and Scotland
IA far greater, but from England or Scotland you
seldom hear a complaint. They are countries
where a man understands that II he does not pay
his rent he must go. tenant does not eHpec' u
have another mans land for nothing
will not pursue that. wish to avoid the
ouestion at issue and to consider only the orator
who discusses It, and the general principles on
which, In this and In every other speech OF his
which ever heard read and In every act OF
q long and honorable career. he has founded
himself. That It is which enables you to take the
measure of mar truly There is or there Is moi
a standard, a principle, conviction which are
the threads running through his lfe II he has
those. YOU can Judge him from the beginning tc
the end. II he have themnot you can only judge
parts of him, and form an opinion upon par
ticular, isolated acts. and not upon the Whole
man. His life divides II ne be not true to some
thing all through. The Duke OF Argyll. think
has been true and that is one reason why M
ia not only an interesting but a venerable and al
mirable figure In public life. He has scornec
concessions In principle and has kept principe
and policy wide apart For statesman that Is
no far as morals go. sufficient euogy.