The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-19

attention to the dry light Gladstone shed
on his subject and the excess Of his pas
sions and prejudices. HE has one gift"
said The Edinburgh neview, most dan
gerous to speculator, vast command
of kind of language grave and majestic,
but of vague and uncertain import"
Pausing q moment TO contemplate
Gladstone abreast of the great Whig vic
tory of Harrison in America in 1910, we
see shifty Scotchman's son reared
amid the associations Of the African and
American slave trades, as desirous as
Sir Walter Scott to improve his aristo-
cratic surroundings. The plain brick
house in Liverpool, with its door in the
middle, copy Of thousands of such
houses, is now exchanged for the batt.e-
ments and towers OF Hawarden castle,
with its battlemented courtyard and
park of ancient trees. His intimate
friend is nobleman, the son of duke,
and the privileged classes look with fa-
vor upon their rising champion, who has
fecundity of thought and luxurious
ness of language they cannot initiate and
must fain admire.
1t is all the more interesting from this
feudal outset to note the changes which
have come over Gladstone's views and
character. The pictures of Cole are sug-
gested to us, of the knight riding forth
from his castle in the morning armed
from head to foot and coming back at
night to the same drawbridge rigid In
death. So Gladstone must needs leave
the high class surroundings into which
he had made his way to tilt his lance at
every appearance of modern reform, but
in the evening of his DAYS he returns dis
mantied of his armor and dead to the
doctrine of privileges.
The times had taught the man.
He began fulminator and theologian
and ended by becoming an impressible
reporter and pupil Of the day.
During this same reform agitation
which Gladstone opposed old Sir Walter
Scott, when hooted by his neighbors in
spite Of the romances he had written for
their delectation and the worlds, called
out to them, ~ care no more for you
than for so many geese on the green"
1t was both the fashion and the interest
in those days of ambitious young politi-
clans to rise through the aid of aristo-
cratic patrons instead of by the modern
methods of expanding the suffrage.
Gladstone, though successful, was but
minor influence at that time Of his
life, when he elected to be a reactionary.
He is forgiven because his performances
t<x. <1,o< a.. Il. <.E =. n.
aud eyanescent
He wrote another dreary book about
the Established church, coincident with
The controversy between Pusey, New
man and others Meantime the people
of England were starving, and in 1642
100000 Of them were subject to chari-
table relief. Another Scotchman, Adam
Smith, who had taken up trade subjects
at the period of the American Revolu-
tion, was now being studied throughout
the realp, and cry arose for free trade.
particularly in food.
A young manufacturer at Manchester,
Richard Golden, came in abreast of
Gladstone. Meantime what were called
the Chartists or Republicans were loudly
agitating. India was distressed from the
Afghan war.
Young Disraeh now appeared as a
rival Of young Gladstone and young
Golden. Gladstone opposed free trade
and wanted home grown corn or wheat
protected. The agricultural interest was
Of course that Of the aristocracy. The
prime minister, Sir Robert Peel, began
to waver at the distresses, which were
too palpable in the land.
The customs list was cut down from
1900 articles to nearly one-half, and
Gladstones easy mastery of trade details
caused him to be followed with close in
terest by the oppressed trades and classes.
He still held out, however, and made
speeches against free corn, but the atti-
tude Of the press, the poets and the cities
was too threatening not to be felt.
AS president of the board of trade un-
der Peel, Gladstone introduced bill
in 1643 to abolish the restrictions on the
expectation Of machinery. 1t was then
supposed that to let British machinery
be sent to other countries would be to
teach them the manufacturing arts and
injure British woolens and cottons. He
also assisted to pass liberal railway act.
Nevertheless his Scottish and Liver
pool bigotry prompted him to tender his
resignation when Peel granted money to
Roman Catholic college in Ireland. OF
course there was a Protestant accession
to his popularity thereupon. Too much
Of an Englishman, however, not to fol-
low the changed channels Of opinion,
Gladstone published a book in his thirty
sixth year intimating that the hberali-
zation of trade had always disappointed
those who opposed it and improved the
public condition.
1t has been supposed that Sir Robert
Peel read this book and changed his own
views suddenly, but 1t is probable that
Golden and his young manufacturing
school had altogether more influence over
Peel than Mr.. Gladstonc's essays.
Peel offended the Tories, but no min
istry could be formed without him, and
when he reconstructed his cabinet he
gave Gladstone the colonial secretary
e1, xx.h,,L La1 t.I ~.