New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-04

| deprecating the alliance Of the Church with
the enemies Of temperance. or the Cnionist Jour-
nal be justified in appauding the zeal OF 'he
clergy in defending the Establishment 1t cannot
be denied that Welsh abandonment eXclteo
strong antagonism against the Liberal party
throughout England The clergy. for once, went
! into notifies in England as well as in Ireland,
and by their influence over Their parlshioncrs
and with the help of the women were RESPONSE
! bic for the defeat of not few Liperal cahui-
/ dates The disestablishment policy was email
lenge which was accepted by English Church
men They defended their Church with all the
resources at their command subscribing nberaIly
70 campaigr funds and working fervently for
the Unonist cause. With the priests In Ire
land. the Presbyterian ministers in Scotland and
the Wears curates and Nonconformist preach
ers in England all in the field, the clergy were
actively emnloved in electioneerng throughout
the United Kingdom
| The Unionists made, moreover, free use OF
the Local Veto bill in the canvass They encour-
aged the working classes to vote against the
| Liberals because the saloon which was the poor
mans club was to be closed against him, ana
he might be compelled to walk several miles Tor
glass of beer instead of getting II around the
corner They warned the farmers that their best
| customers. the brewers. were menaced win rum
by class legislation. They described the Local.
Veto bill. which was nothing more man local
ontion measure as a wanton assault upon the
PRINCIPLES Of constitutional liberty To clap
trap was added hard cash The brewers and
saloonkeepers subscribed heavily to the cam
| pa.gn funds. and their influence and the weight
! Of their money were strongly felt In the canvass.
There was no lack either Of money or OF can
ddates the Unionist side, while the Liberals
were crippled and embarrassed in both respects.
The statisticians estimate that the election ex-
penditures for the United Kingdom aggregate
| something less than 100000 even with act
| on the statute books which was designed 10
abolish corrupt practices and to reduce the cost
| Of an appeal to the country at least one-half.
The bulk of the money expended by the
Unionsts They had a marked advantage In
resources tactics and leadership. Their victory
| was triumph Of superior organization over
faction-rent and demoralized camp.
| The elections have been singuarly free from
| excitement and have been conducted with good
| nature and without bitterness. The mobbing OF
two or three candidates and the fantastic siege
10 which Mr. Rider Haggari was exposed IN
country inn were exceptions when proved the
| rule The result a foregone conclusion
| after the defeat Of Sir William Harcourt in
| constituency which was considered impregnaDle'
| and the cluhhouses were filed night after night
with politicians who languidly exchanged con-
lectures upon the probable volume OF the Union
ist majority The most interesting election
scenes were enacted at night In Fleet-st, where
The Daily News displayed remarkable enter
prise in entertaining crowds Of Liberal support
ers with fash-Mght bulletins Of bad news varied
with occasional cartoons. The elections. as
whole. offered very little that was interesting
or instructive to the great throng q American
tourists in England The game Of politics is
| played in the same way in America and Eng
land. There are differences Of election methods
the spirit Of partsanship broods over the pup
| lie life Of both countries.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
What is really the most important study in
English public life and the that deserves the
most serious attention. especially from Amer-
| cans is local government. The first thing that
| attracts the notice Of a newcomer in an Eng
| lish city is the condition of the streets. the
| pavements are laid in deep foundations Of con-
| crete and are everywhere in good repair The
streets are constantly swept and sprinked and
are always clean and free from dust The high
ways in the country so we'll made that they
| need little repairing and they kept In the
| best order possible. These are superficial indi-
| cations Of an order Of local COVE. nment more
| Efficient practical and thorough than anything
| Americans know anything about closer ex-
| animation will be needed In order to convince a
visitor that a great development of municipal
| functions on essentially new lines has followed
| the progress Of modern English ana scotch
| towns.
Here are cities which own their own gas
| works and electric-lighting plants. as well as
| their water supply They have constructed and
| in many instances are operating their tramways,
rapid transit and electric lines as municipal
| works They have introduced improved sewage
| farms and the most scientific drainage plants
| They have not only repaved the streets In the
most durable way. improved the water fronts
| and opened pleasure grounds Tor the people on
large scale. but they have also established at
the expense Of the taxpayers free baths, free
libraries. free technical schools and even free art
| galleries. and they have revolutionized the con-
| ditions Of the housing Of the working classes
and transformed the tenement sections ana
| rendered them wholesome and habitable. Mu-
ncipalizat.on has been applied in England and
| Scotland In a dozen ways which are unknown
| In America and invariably for the sake Of cheap
| ening the cost Of living and increasing the com
| fort Of the poorer classes. IL Is one OF the
| anomalies Of English politics that 50 much
| should be said about Radical fads" and the
vagar.es Of Socialism, when in the government
| Of the towns there IL overwhelming evidence
| Of the rapid progress Of municipalizaton or
| collectivism. which are only awkward synonymeS
| for State Socialism
1t is In municipal administration and the local
| government OF parishes and villages that The
| English genius for orga nization Is most
| spicuous What effect the Unionst triumph
| will have upon this progressive movement Tor
| improving the condition Of the masses and for
| rendering the administration Of cites and VII
| lagos more democratic II would be premature
for any observer to forecast. The Increased cost
| of local government and the dissatisfaction or
| working people and agricultural laborers with
| the benefits derived from larger representation
| In municipal and village councils are referred to
| among the many causes of Liberal defeat; but
| II would be more reasonable to assume that the
| skill OF leaders like Mr.. Chamberlain in advo-
| eating new schemes Of relief for the working
| classes, such reform Ct the poor laws. an ex-
| tension OF employers liabilities the adoption OF
a system Of old-age pensions and the payment
| OF State subsidies by which working people and
| agricultural labOrers may be encouraged to pur-
| chase and own their own homes. had not