The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-03
ttcnIation sta elnent.
Decadence of British Liberalism,

The weak and disorSanized condition
of the Liberal party Of England has, Of
late, been made the subject Of much
newspaper comment, and The Times
may have done its full share of the
commenting. But the subject Is an in
teresung one because. of the character
OF the public questions that are now
agitatIng the British mind, and to
which the great American public can
not possibly be Indifferent.
Since the retirement Of Mr. Gladstone
the Liberal party has been literally
without policy save that Of mere ne
cation, and even in the objections II mas
urged TO the conservative policy there
has been total lack OF conference
among its members, and consistency IN
its course. Several times of late il has
come very near defeating the Govern
ment on test votes. but they have been
on minor points It has been stated
that Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Cham
berlain would gladly welcome an
adverse Parliamentary vote, which
would give them a chance to make an
other appeal to the country. Conserva-
tives generally believe that such an
appeal would not only increase their
numerical majority, but improve its
character This seems not unlikely for
in some respects the conservative ma
jority as it now stands has been d very
uncertain quantity. The leaders Of tie
party are relying more upon the utter
weakness and deerepitude Of Liberal
ism than upon the real strength
OF conservatism-Which makes q curl
Gus political situation.
Recently the demoraIizat ton Of the
Liberal party was made painfully man
fest Upon the question Of sustaining
the Governments policy Of concenTat-
ing the non-combatant Beers in camps,
where they could neither till the soil
nor give direct aid to the fighting
Beers. the opposition broke badly, and
fifty OF the Liberals under the lead Of
Mr. Asquith voted with the Govern
ment If the Salisbury Government
has done anything wrong in the actual
conduct of the South African war, il
is in adopting the concentration meth
DDS employed by Wey1er in Cuba, which
aroused the Indignation of all Christen-
dom. IT is not to be believed that the
:,
fendish cruelty which marked the
course of Weyler, but the method itself
is a harsh one, and it was admitted by
Mr. BaIfour and others that at times
the mortality in these camps was very
great But the Liberals failed to re-
bUEe il by anything like a unanimous
vote, and by many the break has been
regarded as the beginning Of a COM
pIeJe disruption of the party.
Now Sir Henry Campbell annerman
has decided TO appeal to the party for
an endorsement of his leadership. His
speech at Southampton is almost
pathetic in the picture 1t presents Of
the decentralization now pervading the
once grand party of England's Grand
Old Man" Sir Henry speaks Of the
difficulties of his position resulting
from the personal jeaIousies and antip-
athIes OF members, and Of his efforts
10 keep between the extremists of the
party This, II itself, shows that the
party has no policy, and It Is TO be OBJ
served that the nominal leader Of Lib
eraiism, in an address TO the British
public, completely fails TO give the
faintest suggestion Of what the policy
of the party is or should be IN fact,
he does not refer to principles at all
He merely appeals to all true Liberals
for support to put down disorder and
restore the efficiency Of the party
The world at large is not particular
y interested in the personal antipathies
and jealousies Of the Individual Liber-
ais, but 1t really would Ike TO learn Of
some one. real, definite, and tangible
principle for which the Liberal party
stands. If it IS opposed to the war it
should say so; II 1t is in favor Of con
cessions, it should outline them; if it
objects TO concentration camps, it
should SO declare It should do some
thing besides nag at the Government
merely for the purpose Of irritation.