New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-13
uNIONIST BLUNDERS.
.,ro1rR.S UNSKILFUL LEADER
sHrP-LoRD SALISBURY ALSO
At FAULT

he
100 has got out Of the slough in which he
=. HE marty had been fouudering in their III
...t a..cmp, to enact n revolutionary Edu-
- MIL and he has smiled with childiike IN
-. and made light - his misadventure.
~. - has not been n graceful exit. Bunderins
,..a.rship cannot he condoned by amiabiiity
.s candor. He has led the House like a nov
=. when the courage. judgment and concia-
- .eroner Of an experienced Parliamentary
80 rere Indispensable The abandonment or
40. rsuca,icn bill, is confession of failure o:
.,.s and Ceneralshp and leader Of the
r,,,on~ can make such q failure without COM
.rr,s,nS his reputation. The Ministry were
..rorsihle for The measure. but Mr.. Bafour IS
..,urally held accountable for the misrnanase-
,.r. ~ the business OF the session. which mas
s,-ced the Government to withdraw the bill after
..-rv,ns the second reading by an immense
majority His prestige has been irreparapiy
Asnagpd by the proceedings OF the last TORT
,,rbt and the effect cannot he counteracteo py
.nv display OF cynical indifference on his part
a. nunlic opinion. The Chronicle Is perhaps
srtonIy cruel but at least It is entirely reason
aha when Il suggests that the sooner MI Bal
,ou- adorns the upper house. where the ma
<or,tv Is not $50 but 400. the better II VIII De
sor the electoral prospects Of CoAservatism
MS probable that the nephew in this instance
has been sacrificed 10 the uncle. The Prime Min
ister has taken a deeper interest In the Educa-
,on hill than any other member Of his Cabinet
has done He is the highes' churchman In the
government Of the day and has been more Sc
r.ously impressed than any OF his colleagues with
me necessity for redeeming the obligations OF
the Ministry and the party respecting the volun-
tarv schools He has been the ally Of the Anglican
hsbons and the Roman Catholic preates. He
mad insisted upon making the Education bill
,hs nr,ncipal measure Of the session. The Caoi-
no, WAS divided upon the question six months
sro and II was only after sharp controversy
and arduous effort that a compromise was el-
fected
Sir John Gorst instead Of presenting . simple
measure designed TO extend financial aid TO the
voluntary or UNCONVENTIONAL schools Drought
4, @ comnromise scheme for notwithstanding the
educational system His idea seemed to DO to
o,sarm a powerless minority by anticipating
their objections and meeting them on their own
ground by subjecting all the schools IN England
and Wales to local control He neglected. 10
consider the effect of such a measure upon an
unmanageable majority The result was dsas-
trous. When the bill had passed the second read
ing and reached the committee stage II was
loaded down with hundreds Of amendments ana
~, AGROUND Its passage was impracticable
without a prolonged autumn session. from wnich
Ministers naturally recoed with apprehension
and alarm Every one except Lord Salisbury
perceived the hopelessness Of the situation In
order 10 satisfy him a futile compromise was
proposed by which the bill would be discussed
for fortnight and then deferred until January
IN adjourned session At the END OF announcer
week when the futility Of this policy was dis
closed the measure was withdrawn altogether
LORD SALISBURY AT FAULT.
Lord Salisbury was primarily at fault in al
,ou.,rg his religious synpathie. to influence his
Judgment as a practical politician. but Mr.. Bal
four suffers vicariously. He 1t is who is charged
with Incompetence in leading the House, when,
IN reality It is the Prime Minister who has In
sisted upon Mquidating political Indebtedness 10
the patrons Of the voluntary schools. and has
heen unwilling TO he convinced that the Union
Isl ma ority were Indifferent to the policy OF re-
v,s,ne the Education act Of 1870 for the sake Of
easing the financial burdens OF churchmen Ro-
man Catholics and Wesleyans Mr.. Balfour
loses prestige as leader and gains an unenviable
reputation for ineptitude. when he is simply
,ovsl TO the Prime Minister who happens to be
his uncle and his patron In politics He Is accused
OF leading the Inionists into a ditch, when he has
only been holding on with unaffected devotion
and simplicity to the skirts Of his powerful rela-
tives coat. Under compulson he mas turned
about and scuttled away IN full retreat under
opposition IRE. and he has made the most plausi-
bic defence which he could present. namely that
the Liberals were INSCRIPTIONS and had para
USED the functions Of the Commons and COM !
pletsly blocked legislation.
That does not deceive anybody. The Unionists
With the Irish party voting with them, could
have passed the measure II they had been united
IN favor Of IT, The Unionists were divided re-
spect,ng this bill Many OF them condemned II
q concession 10 "Puseyism and Homanism'
others dislikec II as a radical measure OF DE-
Capitalization which would unsettle the wnoie
system Of education. The Government was a /
house divided against itself. The Opposition did
not compel It to abandon the measure. The
vntonists defeated themselves but they have
held Mr. Balfour responsible They charge him
with absentins himself from debates anc WIN
beinE out Of touch with his followers and uncon-
cii!atory n dealing with the Opposition They
describe him as a bad tactician. who lacks skill
In mastering the details Of a complex measure
and !nnexible courage in forcing an insignificant
minority 10 yield 70 the decisions OF an over
whelrn.ng majority.
The general results or this collapse OF legisia-
ton may readily be forecast The Government
VIII endeavor 70 much as possible from
the wreckage o. the session. Closure VIII be ap-
piled more vigorously and as many small meas
ures passed as possible. with the Irish land Dill
subject 10 a compromise with the Nationalists
Parliament will rise In August. and next years
session VIII open early IN January with more
carefully selected budget Of proposals than was
announced IN the last Queens speech. More
over the procedure Of the Commons VIII be
amended That IS the unfang resource OF
Government which If confronted with record
= unfulflled promises The Opposition inVaria-
5ly Is held accountable for every legislative
block The power OF the Unionist Government