New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-13
MIR. Gladstone's Midlothian
cENcEs OF GREAT DAYS AND A GREAT LEADER.
copyright. 1912, by g. W. smallsy.,
London, September 13.

Latham mas
an, Tory-to Parliament. But
mae have too great an ascen-
7 do not mean Mr.. Gladstone s.
chose party labels which are SO
wi, go applied to men who are ABOVE
''.-y outside Of II, or, at least, inde-
par. - q To predict what Mr.
r,ad.tope might do in any particular
o''1I circumstances was generally I'M
w. ~ and always hazardous. he
"a "a been Of every party. He ended oy
n' Gladstonian. 1t is quite true
v''ae :. once said. with a fash OF hu-
INC 20 rarely his, that he was not a
n,V' ,..o,ian but IT was psychologically
-.,s,hle that he should be anything
un p ue had Gladstonized he great
, ~, party. and during at least two
Ne four Prime Ministerships-the
.onra and third-the party existed
.nly 10 register the DEGREES OF Its srea'
Va" No doubt he believed what ne
u,s mower of convincing himself
~. own sincerity knew no limits. l
80 even Mr.. Roosevelt believes
$3.50 sincere when ne tells US that
- , of public interest and not per-
va, ambition induced him to oetray
4. Marty. He, also. has limitleSs
..nselty Of belief in his own goodness
intend no comparison between Mr.
GLADSTONE and Mr.. Roosevelt TheS
-. not in the same class.
pu, what wish to point out is that
n references TO Mr.. Gladstone in con-
..o,,on with the contest in Midlothian
=. misleading. The so-called Lioerai
..mra,Vn in Mr.. Gladstone's old con-
.,,,usncy has been conducted on prln-
.,nl4s which Mr.. Gladstone abhorred'
o. was never a Radical, never So
o,s,,st never a Revolutionary OF any
~, Mr.. shaw. the Liberal candidate
was all three. On the one issue whlch
,ns real leader Of the Radicals means,
- a,a mean to make the chief issue OF
-. ,ssr polltical future, Mr.. Shaw put
,,s nol,tIcal conscience in the keeping
:, nv cultivate and Of Mr.. LLOYD
nsorgs. Mr.. Cultivate won notoriety
:. The land taxer who carried Hanley.
Ys vas the new Evangel Of the new
gospel Of plumber. He is one of the
sgsn.s NJ that vast scheme Of confisca-
,,on which, IL Mr.. Lloyd George has his
xay. the Radicalized Liberal party is
% nut in the forefront Of its pro-
gramme. He outlined 1t long ago. He
has been educating his followers up TO
It ever since
Tax the landlords out Of existence, y
vas the cry of a Newcastle supporter.
81 have already made beginning,
was Mr.. Lloyd Georges answer. That
was more than a year ago, and. OF
course, after the too famous Budget.
Mr.. Cultivate from q Liberal platform
in Midlothian put it in more concrete
and crude form:
81 will drive the Duke Of Buccleuch
into bankruptcy"
Why? Because the Duke Of Buccleuch
is a great land owner. He is a venera-
bic figure, eighty-ono years old. He
owns 100000 acres, of which, or part
II which, says Mr.. Cultivate, he robbed
the Church and robbed the rightful
owners. Invited by Lord Henry Scott,
the Dukes son, TO say Of what lands
the Church or other owners had been
robbed, Mr.. Cultivate could not; but
he did not withdraw his threat nor
apologize. on that basis this Midlo-
than campaign was conducted. Mr..
Shaw was a consenting party. He in
yited Mr.. Cultivate TO come down and
speak for him. He allowed him to take
charge Of the campaign, to frame a
new platform, and 10 make land confis-
cation the chief plank in it. 1t is not
probable that Mr.. Shaw approved OF
the attack on the Duke of Buccleuch,
who is known in Midlothian as good
landlord; popular and respected. though
rich, and with a farreaching influence.
The Duke holds his land by inheritance
and purchase. He is, / suppose, tenant
Tor life only, in respect OF the greater
PORTION; as most great land owners are.
II any title in the United Kingdom is
good. his is good. But If this predatory
policy is TO prevail no title is good;
whether to land or, ultimately to any
other kind Of property.
The result of this appeal to covet-
eusness you know. The Liberal vote
decreased by 2.s4S. The Labor vote,
openly hostile to land stealing, was
siiS. The Unionist vote increased by
Al, and the Unionist candidate, Major
Hope was elected by 80 majority in
constituency which the Liberals, in the
pe-confscation days, held by S,1S7.
Other causes contributed to this huge
turnover notably the unpopularity OF
Ar. Lloyd Georges insurance act and
Oh Home Rule. But It seems clear that
NE deciding factor was hostility to land
conhscation.
is a tremendous business to COM
vert Liberal majority Of 3,1S7 in an
electorate polling about $4,000 into a
onionist majority OF 3d. Midlothian
was banner constituency. If any
Liberal seat was safe, this was safe.
ne giant shadow Of Mr.. Gladstone
oserhung 1t, protected it, consecrated
" The magic Of his name cast spell
UPON the rnlrds Of rner. more In Mil