The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-20

startling. He also has something interest,"
Ing to tell about the commercial condi-
lions prevailing In the Empire. But Mr..
Jones saw also that John Bull Is slowly
waking up, and that when he gets tho
roughly aroused he will take command
ing place again. The Richmond minis
ter expresses great confidence In the
Englishman. and believes that 1t Is a SUI
perficial view that sees only disintegra-
ton and retrogression In the signs Of
the times.
THE COMMERCIAL. CONDITIONS.
In speaking of his trip a few days ago,
Mr.. Jones gave an interesting account
of some Of his observati tons. He said In
effect:
1--WE were away about two months and
\ half. Our entire time was spent III
England and Scotland, and most pleasant
ly spent. Edinburgh Is the most beautiful
city I have ever seen and it has the
reputation of being the garden spot Of
Europe. My brother and preached every
Sunday in London. with the exception Of
once when we went to Bristol. The
churches we filled were Kingsgate and
Regents Park. The latter is the old
charge Of tho Rev. f. B. Meyer, who was
n Baptist before he became Congrega-
tionallst.
Eve visited all of the points of interest
and enjoyed exceptional opportunities of
understanding and discovering the sem
timents OF the people OH the great issues
before them. There are at this time two
such paramount issues the education
question and the tariff question as pro-
posed by Mr.. Chamberlain. Both OF these
questions may be brought under large
issues. The education movement is m
timately bound up wits n widespread
Democratic movement against tho social
caste that still exists in Democratic Eng
land, and that creates n social presump-
ton against any young man not born to
n certain station in life On the other
hand the tariff question Is the direct out
growth OF the awakening Of John Bull
to the commercial supremacy OF the
United States
1T was my observations that the
great British public Is becoming daily
moro impressed with the fact that it is
being left behind In the march Of COM
merce. The nation Is watching America
closely and Is learning from her soma
valuable lessons which Will be put TO
good part later on. 1t takes long time
to get the dull Englishman stirred up.
but when he Is once aroused no outstrips
nearly everybody else in the race. He i9
aroused now and tho great public are in
together by rope of sand and some
thing radical Ia needed. Chamberlain has
| touched the sore spot and has proposed n
| remedy in his preferential tariff. Whether
! this remedy Is a good one or not Is an
| other question. AT all events the Colonial
| Secretary was great man enough TO
| see the evil and point 1t out. The question
! has not as yet been made governmental
| issue, My personal opinion Is that II 1t
ever is the Balfour ministry will go down
| and out. We visited Parliament and were
| fortunate enough to be there a a time
| when tho big speakers were on tho floor.
| BaIfour was speaking, Campbell Banner
| man, Dixie and others, and 1t proved a
treat that we enjoyed much. We saw
| Chamberlain there. but he kept quiet.
Balfour Is one of the handsomest men I
| ever saw, graceful and easy In his ges-
| lures, He Is fine speaker, but affects the
| parliamentary hesitation, an affectatlon
| quite common In England. All of them do
| 1t except the Scotchmen. Parliament Il
| decidedly the most noisy and undignlfied
body OF its kind eyer saw. There Is no
| hand clapping, but tho 'hcar. hear" from
| the advocates of measure and tho
| groans from the opposition made the air
resound. Compared with Parliament our
American Congress 10 as quiet and sub
| dued as tho Supreme Court.
SCHOOLS ARE INFERIOR,
1 One thing struck me very forciby while
In England, ana that is the decided in
| ferority of the schools of England U
those Of the United States. 1t is mis-
take TO believe. as so many do, that TN
hoary English system Is better than ours
In this respect Great Britain Is fift'
years behind the tines. oxford Is liYlnl
off continent Ny brother and l at