New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-26
BRITISH POLITICAL PROSPECTS.

The great British egg dance continues. led ny
the most polite of peers and the most dex'rous' II
most ponderous. Of commoners. Again ana again
there have been rumors OF Immediate ulssoiu
ton. with no fulflment. Steadily the Ministerial
majority has diminished. without yet reaching
the vanishing point There have been dlscords III
Cabinet councils, but none serious enough 10 pro-
woke crisis. So the Rosebery Cabinet still re-
mains in office powerless TO execute the WORK 10
which it stands pledged. or to stay the risihs
tide of opposition which seems certain, sooner OF
LATER. to overwhem It. Voluntary resignation or
dissolution may. of course come al any moment
But il now seems more probable that the Mih's-
try will hold on until the slow attritlon OF events
has worn its slender majority wholly away.
Then. pcrforce it will step down and out, or APP
neal to the country, which probably means the
same thing.
For the set of public sentiment assuredly
seems to be against the Radical-lberalNiiad-
stonian party By-elcctions are not whoiiy
trustworthy criterion. Yet II Is scarcely possioie
TO misinterpret the meaning of those when nave
been held during the existence OF the present
House There has been net loss to the Govern
ment and a net gain to the Opposition' OF se'cra
seats More significant still has been the result
rcckoncd by popular majorities Government
candidates. where successful have gcneraii! hau
decreased majoritics. while the conservatives
elected have had increased ma1orities. Inc
change in the popular vote mus in"ic'''"
amounts in those few constituencies 10 Ihan!
thousands If carried in equal ratio through al
the Kingdom It would amount 10 what III 'h's
country we call tidal wave of Conservatism.
There have been. moreover. several ac'uai ucScl
tions Sitting members have left the Govern
ment benches and gone over To the opposi''on'
apparently with the sanction OF their consult
uents Altogether. the outlook for the Govern
ment party is depressing. II not entirely nopeiesS'
What are Ministers doing meanwhile! Ihey
are supposed to be engaged in the exercise OF
"flnc the cup That Is TO say. they are pass
ing measures which the House Of Lords VIII re-
iect hoping thus TO increase popular ahlhos'!
toward that House To such an extent as 10 hiahe
IFS abolition or radical reformation Winning
issue on which to appeal to the electorate. lhat
is so far as we can see. the only important rea
son for postponing dissolution IL IS lhcreu'pie
that the present Ministry should hold on 10 us
place indefinitely for the mere sake OF power
and salaries: and il can have no possible nope
under present circumstances. OF carrying out 'he
famous Newcastle Programme. The sole eA
cuse for It's continued existence, then Is 10 Hi
to overlooking the cup Of popular wrath against
the House Of Lords for blocking the way to Kad
ical reform
II is difficult to Judge Of such things at this
distonco hut II does seem as though there were
q ,eak In that interesting vessel They have been
filling 1t long time but it Is not yet overflow
ing There is no indication that it Is any nearer
full than it was when they began the process
As we have said the people have been steadily
returning to Westminster men who are friendly
10 the Upper House One looks in vain IN 'he
reports Of by-elections for any indication or an
overwhelming popular wrath against the Peers
II really looks as though down with the Peers.
would prove no more effcctual as campaign
battle-cry than Down with the Akhoond OF
Swat BY this we do not mean to express ap-
nroyal. or to say the British people approve, or
the House Of Lords as at present constituted
II ,s an anachronism. 1t is a relic Of barbarisn
or Of unenghened and illibcral ages. IL should
he radically reformed But we believe. and we
think the great mass Of the British people be-
Ueve In a second chamber of some kind, and
not In the single chamber absolutsm OF the
French Convention.
There Is. in all probability, another and a
stronger reason for the Conservative reaction
which seems to be IN progress In Great Britain.
That is nothing less than the excuses or Radical
ism. Ii is not necessary TO look to the avowed
Socialism or Anarchism Of Mr.. Keir Hardie ana
his followers for a cause for fear, though 1t Is
om,nous enough: nor even TO the milder though
enual,v ayowed Socialism Of Mr.. John Burns and
his stu more numerous followers. Sir William
Harcourt himself, with his Socialist Budget OF
last year, and his Ministerial and Parliamentary
colleagues, with their more or less open trucking
to the Socialist vote, have given John Bull ample
cause to wonder II he has not Deen going on too
fast And the old gentleman appears to have
decided to cry halt and look about him and see
where he is and how he Is, before taking another
leap forward. II, therefore, the great party
which Mr.. Gladstone once led. to the good OF the
people presently finds itself discredited and dis
missed. for time from the public service. 1t will
have its own Radical wing expecting all things
| in an hour" to thank for it.