The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28

consent of all the Continental powers to
plan for neutralizing the Kbeoive's terri
tory, which would have the effect of drlv-
ing England out. What basis the story
has there is no means of judging, but 1t
does not sound unlikely.
One of the incest things about the
Prince of Wales has always been his pub
lie attitude of admiration and affection for
Gladstone. Even in the hottest stage OF
the swell mob's fury against that states
man when they called Gladstone "the
murderer of Gordon" and "a traitor to the
union," the Prince kept his head and
found numerous graceful little ways to let
it be seen that he had no sympathy with
this violent discourtesy. There used to be
stories afloat of his sharply rebuking the
men of his set, who imagined that he would
be pleased to hear them insult the &c.
o. M"
OF course, this was always open to the
explanation that the Prince merely obeyed
the law, which impels heirs to thrones to
be in opposition to the crown, and that he
made a show of a great liking for Glad
stone chiefly because his royal mother
made no secret of her loathing and hatred
of the Liberal leader, but those who know
best always insist that the Princes ex-
pressions of feeling on this subject are
genuine and profound, and certainly his
feryent eulogy of Gladstone and his wife,
made in their presence at the great Welsh
university gathering at Aberystwith yester-
day seemed to come from the heart. 1t
was greeted with wild and prolonged
cheering by the Welshmen, and every
where to-day, even in the Tory papers, it
is alluded to as very timely and popular
performance on the part of the Prince.
Gladstone himself appeared with his right
eye covered and leaning heavily on
stick, but he spoke fuently and with much
of his old voice.
The statement from Washington that
the British ambassador had asked Secre-
tary Olneys Intervention to secure Harri-
sons release by the Venezuelans was re-
ceived here with quite general approba-
ton. I have seen no adverse comment
in any quarter, but on the other hand
many expressions of the opinion that this
is the way matters should stand between
the two great English-speaKing peoples
when the affairs of the New World are in
volved. This is practical proof of what
these dispatches always insisted on: that
nothing would delight the English more
than formally to concede our primacy in
the Western Hemisphere if they could be
sure that they would then be treated like
blood relations and friends, instead of as
hated rivals.
Nobody here is really sorry for the
smashup of the old Conservative gang in
Canada. Some of the more Jealous Tory
journals profess conventional regret, but
it is palpably perfunctory. Canada for
long time has been source of much dis
appointment to Englishmen.
They have resented its narrowness, its
mental sterility and its ingrained provin-
cialism all the more because comparisons
with the States suggested themselves con-
tinually and almost invariably to the pre-
judices of the Dominion. Hence Laurier's
triumph is hopefully laid hold upon as a
promise of new blood and new ideas in
Canada. The average Briton would really
prefer, believe, restive or even a mutt
nous Canada, which produced the effect of
animation and brain power than the kind
of apathetic, backward, Orange-rdden
community he fances the real Cancda to
be.
The success of the deceased wife's sister |
bill on second reading in the House of |
Lords possesses only an abstract interest. |
1t cannot possibly get to a vote in the |
Commons, even if the Bishops do not sue
ceed in drumming up majority to kill it |
in the House of Lords on third reading. |
The debate on it this year was much less |
entertaining than usual, and the reason |
ing of its opponents certainly much more |
difficult to understand.
After reading carefully all their speeches |
ones mind remains quite blank as to why |
they really object to the change. The |
nearest approach to practical argument |
continues to be the old point: if the pro-
hibition is lifted single women will come |
to live with their married sisters and |
poison them in order to secure the hus-
bands for themselves. This theory is
stated now with less bluntness than for
merly. But it is evidently still enter
tanned, and even the Arch bishop of Can
terbury allows it to be understood that he
holds it.
Many interesting reports are coming by
mail from Russia about the big strike in
the cotton and wooden mills in and about
St. Petersburg. At one time it is said
10000 workmen were out, and apparently
Dau LDdJ numOeT are BG1ll ODQQr3tely ;Qle.
The censorship will allow nothing to be
telegraphed about it or to be printed in
the Russian papers, which fact, perhaps,
prompts the correspondents and others to
exaggerate the Importance of the thing.
1t seems, however, that many secret proc
amations of nihiIistIc orders have been
circulated among the strikers, and that
this discovery OF way by which the police
can be defed by the organized proletariat
has created great impression in Russia.
The strikers simply by keeping away
from the mills and even declining to go
and get the wages due them, have baffied
the authorities. The latter would have
known well enough how to deal with any
assemblage Of the people by turning loose
on it the mounted Cossacks with their
whips, but they are powerless to deal with
a mouiik who merely stays at home. The
plan is to send all the strikers back to
their native villages with their personal
right to travel in the empire abridged,
but this will only spread the story of a
labor demonstration all over