New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-29
UNIONIST POLICIES.
FRESH SOURCES OF POLITICAL DISTURB
ANCE AFTER A REVEL OF LIB
ERAL AGITATION-A NEW
PANDORA'S BOX.

| ago the Tnionis:s I'm Opposition were condemn
ing the Liberal Government for plotting against
established interests in Church and State. and
for unsettling public opinion and morals by
revolutionary policies They are now themselves
, intrenched in the stronghods Of power, and the
I Liberals In Opposition arc denounclng the
! party of Revolutionary and reckless change"
| Allowance must be made for partfan bitterness
and exaggeration in one case in the other;
yet 1t remains true that the Unionists in their
turn are exposed to the same order OF criticism
which they themselves used against their OPP
ponents There is, however, one essential line
! Of cleavage between the positions Of the Liberal
| end Unionist governments The Liberal Min
! istry proposed many radical reforms. but by the
! confession OF Lord Ro5ebery it could do nothing
unless the Lords were put down--a policy which
| he lacked the courage to proclaim with earnest
ness and power. The Liberals proposed. but the
| Tory Lords disposed. The Unionst Ministry
has also a varied programme of unsettling legis-
| lation but whatever II undertakes II can carry
| out
The Salisbury Government. assuming that the
| country needed rest after long period OF pOlit-
cal disturbance. entered upon It's career after the
| general elections with a great majority and a
job lot Of small policies With Irish Home Rule.
| Church disestabshment. temperance reform
six years and possibly for generation. the
! country seemed 10 have passed into Il transition
stage OF legislative torpor and political inaction
! The Illusion was quickly dispelled. A powerful
Government could not restrict its energies to the
| expenditure OF one big surplus after another in
/ prosperous time OF peace.
The Ministry began with a project for the
| financial relief OF voluntary schools. and this
| was speedily enlarged into a revo!utio nary edu-
| cation bin bristling with controversial points
| and profoundly unsettlng In its tendencies. In
stead of being a new concordat reconciling con-
| fctng denominaticncl interests 1t was "A wan
| ton challenge for the renewal Of the bitter ie-
! ligous strife which had been settled in 1870 by
| Mr.. Forsters- compromise measurc-that great
| landmark OF English progress. The Conserve
| tives themselves revolted against this neT bill.
and the Government was finally compelled to
substitute for II a series Of financial grants; but
the religious question remains a burning one IN
English school politics. Il is the issue that Is
| uppermOst In the exciting school canvass in
| London which will be brought to close next
| week
Next came the bill for providing workmen's
compensation for accidents on the basis Of uni
| versal liability OF employers for injuries under
| all circumstances and without recourse TO law
In due time Lord Salisbury defended the meas
| ure in the Upper House. Not as one that WAS
revolutionary in principle, but as logical sequel
to the law Of compensation established in the
| courts and q practical expedient for com
| Polling employers TO exercise vigilance and to
| multiply safeguards against accidents. 1t
| enacted, with the consent OF the same House OF
Lords which had rejected less radical meas
ure sent up by the Liberal Commons; but there
is deep resentment among coal barons and large
| or,lo ~ lohn pn hoy,
Weigh against 1t as sociaistc law At the
conference Of Conservative associations this
| week not one word was said in favor oft The
| system is not socialistic In the sense In which
| workmen's insurance Is regulated IN Germany
! under Government supervision. with Contribu-
tons from masters and men; but It is soclallstc
| in spirit, since the State intervenes between
| classes and compels employers in certain trades
| to protect their workmen against liability to ac-
cident.
IRISH AND LONDON QUESTIONS
The Irish policy, which IS to be carried out
| next year. was announced by Mr.. Bafour as
| long ago as May. There will be two measures
| one providing for a lerge subvention from the
imperial Treasury for the benefit Of the land
| lords and tenant farmers. and the other for the
| reorganization OF local government on a popular
basis There may also he a university bill. This
| ]
| which will be certain to undermine the authority
| OF Castle government and to transfer power il,
local administration from landowners TO the
| tenant class 1t will bring Irish Questions again
| into the foreground. and will have an unsettlne
| effect upon the politics Of the island What ia
| aimed at Is nothing less than a complete and
| radical revolution in the conditions OF local
| government; and II will he brought about by an
adroit use OF financial subventions. which are
| rendered practicable by Sir William Harcourt's
so-called socialstic budget.
| The Irish programme might reasonably have
| been considered as adequate for the legislative
| requirements Of single session: but Lord Sails
| bury In his address this week at Albert Hall has
| enlarged it by adding startling proposal re-
specting the government Of the metropolis The
| bill. when It is presented to Parliament, may
| prove TO be a simple measure for removing legal
| obstacles to the incorporation OF certain Sec
| tons OF London as separate cities rather than
| a comprehensive scheme for the establishment
| Of e. new administrative system. But what
may be It's precise scope. the tone and spirit
| OF Lord Salisburys caustc denunciation Of the
| London County Council are unmlstakable He
| has declared war upon the municipal parliament
| which was created nine years ago by Conserva-
| tive legislation. He proposes to break up the
| existing system OF representative municipal gov
| eminent with central legislative body and 20
create twenty more independent cities with
councils and administrations of their own. Any
| thing more unsettling and revolutionary than
| this new policy Of decentralization II would be
| difficult. for staid and sober Conservative to
| imagine
| Old Tories have never ceased to regard Mr.
| Ritchie's act for the creation OF the London
| County Council as a political blunder. Lord
Salisbury's destructive criticism Of the local par
lament received with every sign Of favor
and delight by the vast audience of party work
ers. The sober judgment Of the party press
has . higher value than the infectious en-