St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-17
GA CONSERVATIVE NATIoN.v

There is great joy among the
s'classes' in England over the we'll
assured triumph of the Conservative
and Liberal Union party in the pend
ing election. Nothing can now stay
them in their success The Liberals
themselves have given up all hope
of carrying the country, and the
probability is that the Conservatives
will have a good majority over all
other parties and factions combined.
The satisfaction which this awakens
in many quarters in England is not
based so much on political as on So
cial considerations. We, in this coun-
try, hardly appreciate how deeply
the distinction of classes is ingrained
in the English mind and character.
The existence of the house of lords,
holding political power by hered-
itary title, is a visible sign of it;
but it runs all through English life
and modes of thought. While demo-
cratic principles have made great
progress in the political development
of the country, the great majority
if its people still retain their rever-
ence for title, for birth, and for
wealth, which is one sure passport
to the higher ranks.
These people, who have inherited
as a religion the belief in inherent
iGiSfinntinnc
welcome the return to power of that
party which has always particularly
represented the ideas of class and
privilege. They thronged about the
bulletin boards in London, and filed
the air with shouts of England is
now Conservative nation" If any
one will take the trouble to examine
the proposed policies of the Con-
sentative party, he will quickly see
that this cry has only a social mean
ing. AS far as political action is con-
cerned, it means nothing at all. The
Conservative party has already
agreed to go as far as the Liberals.
If not farther, in the direction of
radical legislation. Of the two par
ties today, as far as they are to be
Judged by their platforms, it is the
Conservatives, rather than the Lib
erals, who have yielded most ground
to the demands of socialism.
The presence in their ranks in an
important cabinet place of Mr.. Jo-
seph Chamberlain is one of the
proofs of this. Mr.. Chamberlain is
essentially a Radical. He and his as
soclates are already on record in
favor of measures to which a Liberal
ministry would not give it's assent.
Some, or all of them, demand COM
pulsory insurance for the employed
Some, or all Of them, are determined
to establish a system of universal
old age pensions, which is the farthest
advance toward the socialistic state
that has been attempted by any
government. A part of the platform
OF this ministry is said to be a gen
eral provision by the state to assist
49, III Pun lne1c
own homes. There is, as a matter of
fact, no sop which the Conservative
party is not willing to throw to the
laboring man in exchange for his
vote.
Its objection to home rule was not
because it was move in the direc-
ton Of self-government, so much as
it was directed agaist the Irish as
a people. The average Conservative
holds the Irish to be an inferior race.
He does not deny home rule because
1T would be politically undesirable,
but because it would elevate the in
habitants Of Ireland to that equal
ity with himself which he cannot
for a moment, admit or accept. This
distinction runs through all grades
and exhibitions of English political
life and struggle If England is "a
Conservative nation" it does not
mean that the progress toward de-
mocracy has been stopped or stayed.
Point after point has been given up,
and others will be yielded by the