New-York tribune., 1900-10-14
THE CHURCH IN POLITICS.
CRUSADE CUT LIT
TIE FIGURE IN THE BRITISH
ELECTIONS-AN ARMY
INCIDENT
ICopyrisht: 1900: BY The New~York Tribune.I
[BY CABLE TO THE 1RIBUNEl

IBY CABLE TO THE 1RIBUNE.l
London Oct II, l a.. m.-Relgious questions
have been virtually excluded from the elections
The Church Association which was we'll sup
piled with money for canvass in the interest
of Protestant principles. has pledged more or
less directly a large number Of candidates to
act in conformity with its ideas of discipline
in the English Church. But, except in two in
stances, it has not thrown its influence with de-
cisive effect against the men who refused to
commit themselves. 1t has driven several can
didates from one seat to another and It has
helped to defeat one Liberal, in Sunderland, and
one Conservative, in Torquay. Its secretary
serts that its work had been highly successful
but practical politicians have not been seriously
impressed with the results Of the anti-Ritualist
agitation. The chief Ritualistic Liberal George
Russell has not been a candidate for Parlia-
ment, so that there has been prominent tar
get for Protestant agitators.
1t is asserted that the first test vote on the
religious question will reveal a great accession
to the Protestant strength in the new Para-
ment. more reasonable view is that the
Bishops will be allowed long interval in which
to exert their personal influence over the ex-
tremsts, and that both parties in Parliament
will keep Ritualism out of politics as long as
possible.
three days conference on Ritualism has
ended in Fulham Palace after a prolonged dis
cussion OF the doctrine of the Holy Communion
1t has been round table conference in the in
terest of peace in the Church. and Lord Hall
fax has been the chief representative of the
English Church Union, with it's thirty thousand
members. Fourteen churchmen. more or less
representative Of the different schools OF
thought, have attended its sessions, and an i'm
portant report Of the points Of agreement
reached viii be prepared AS the extremists on
both sides favor Disestabshment, the general
trend of religious agitation in the English
Church is unmistakable. Politicians assert that
Disestablishment cannot be made a burning
question in England until it has been taken up
In Scotland, and that the latter result has been
deferred for ten years by the fusion of the Free
and United Presbyterian Churches, which will
be Dreoccupied for a long period by the details
Of their new organization.
The few Liberals in sight in the empty clubs
at midnight were not disposed to believe that
the remaining elections would disclose gains
for their party Three seats have been won in
cluding Inverness-shire and one lost on deferred
announcements Of Fridays polling. and all but
of the districts polling on Saturday were
liberal at the last election The Unionists will
probably win at least one additional seat next
week, and they already have a margin of one
over their majority Of the last Parliament.
The necessity for military reform on a small
scale has been illustrated by a veritable Adelphi
drama upon which the curtain has fallen at
Dover Lieutenant Beckett, of the Royal Gar
rison Artillery, arrested a month ago, and
subsequently kept under guard OF his younger
brother to stand trial for embezzling or stealing
two half-crowns from the regimental canteen
He was searched when accused OF the theft and
two marked coins were found in his pockets
The military trial has occupied several days and
attracted much attention. There was a strong
circumstantial case against him, for two sub
alterns of the regimental canteen testified
against him, and his superior officers had found
the coins when he was searched The defence
was a countercharge of conspiracy. to destroy
his reputation by convctng him OF theft. This
defence was accepted by the court and the
young officer honorably acquitted. The
bent figure Of a wnite-haired man lent pathos
to the scene in court. This the young ar
tilery officers father. whose joy was unre-
strained when acquittal announced.
There are clear accounts Of the nature OF
Empress Frederck's malady the gravity OF
the case. but there is general agreement that
her condition is critical, and that the aged
Gueen is destined to have another great family