^ ''«fc^'"^ap m W>^^ h- i- i^->*'i ^v^- :-v m '{ -: 'i0^ LETTERS TO WORKING MEN. No. 2. BY AN OLD LIBERAL. ^'RADICAL, LIBERAL, OR CONSERVATIVE?" The political party that shall prevail in the immediate future, which shall it be ? This is a thought which is exercising many minds. I hope my fellow working-men will bear with me if I address to them a few suggestions which may help them to decide upon it. Government by party is identified with all free institutions. It has advantages and disadvantages, but probably most of us agree that the former prevail. Three political parties now appeal for our sympathy. Which of the three shall we support ? A few words first touching the Radicals. Radicalism is tolerably easy to form our judgment upon. It evidently means to uproot and sweep away the old institutions and the long-cherished policies of the past, institu- tions and policies by means of which our country has flourished for centuries, and to establish in their pl»ce others that have been tried and have failed elsewhere. Radicalism means change, change, all change, sensational legislation, and this at headlong speed. Radicalism means Disestablishment and Disendowment of the English Church. We working men don't want this, and I should like in a futurti paper to say why we don't want it. Radicalism means a purely secular education for our children. We working men: don't want this. Perhaps we don't know or value the Bible half as well as we ought to do, but we do wish that our children should know it, and that it should be the very foundation of all their education. Radicalism means a system of tyranny, as many of us know right well, and we don't want this. Radicalism means giving way to the demands for Home Rule in Ireland. Negotiation with obstructionists is to be used as a means of helping the Liberal party. Not long ago we had an instance of this at Bristol. Now we working-men don't want this ; we love our country too well to wish it thus rent asunder, but we can look a little further, and we can see what Radicalism is, and is doing, in other countries. Some of us know a little about the avowed principles of Nihilism, the Radicalism of Russia. Do we want this in old England ? Fellow working-men, just read a few of the manifestoes of foreign Radicalism, of the Russian Nihilists, of the Grerman Socialists, of the French Communists, and I shall be greatly surprised if, as thorough Englishmen, you do not oppose Radicalism with all your might and main. Radicalism means " noise and bluster" and abuse, arousing passions, but not convincing judgments. We have the highest authority for this statement. As evidence need I specify, out of many instances, Mr. Chamberlain's address at Gloucester ? Are not many of us deeply pained to see Mr. Gladstone himself thoroughly carried away by this line of proceeding ? How we formerly honoured and admired him as a great statesman ; how proud we were of his gigantic intellect and unrivalled powers of oratory ; how we wondered that any single man could speak and write with such immense ability on almost every subject. Yes, we were proud of him, and we are all the more deeply pained when we now see that he allows Radicalism to distort his views and warp his judgment. The thousands of little minds that just touch great questions, and can do no more, we do not wonder at their distorted views, but this one we do mourn over; and we say, a mind so influenced and a judgment so warped is not fit to guide again the helm of state, or rule the destinies of this great empire. Read his utterances, from the celebrated speech at Oxford, when he disclosed his nightmare and told us how " by night and by day " he set before him one object, to oppose and to thwart the present Prime Minister, down to the latest article in the Nineteenth Century, it is all the same. What- ever Lord Beaconsfield has done, and can do, is, according to Mr. Gladstone, black and vile ; while everything that he, Mr. Gladstone, could do must be noble and honourable; at one time violently abusing the Government for their determined opposi- tion to Russian ambition ; yes, and in such terms as to be enough r\ almost to rouse from the tomb in the Abbey the dust of Lord Palmerston, a genuine old Liberal ; at another time as violently abusing them for their not checking the same Eussian schemes. Singular inconsistency, and we working-men are supposed to be too weak and ignorant to discover it. Many another instance could I give of a similar kind to show that Mr. Gladstone's policy has degenerated into personal bitterness and abuse, but this is enough. We judge from what we read and hear and see, and we see men, in other things calm and prudent, become in politics fierce and even savage. We notice how th's Radicalism blinds the minds of men ; sways and agitates their feelings ; even influences their religion, and the observing this has driven many, as it has myself, into the other camp. Well, many may be saying, all this is correct enough; but this is Radicalism. This is not the Liberalism we have been taught to cherish. Very true; but this Radicalism has got Liberalism in its trail. It has superseded and set aside the steady progress, the grand old traditions of Liberalism; all these are utterly discarded. The old Liberal Flag meant a steady, effective progress, and on its folds you might see " St. George and the Dragon." The Radical Flag means change and speed and noise, and on its folds maybe "St. George," but most certainly without the drag- -on. The old Liberal coach ran smoothly and steadily. It was well weighted with great policies, great principles, and the welfare of a great kingdom. The Radical coach must run in' incessant agitation ^jiid excite- ment; and, like all empty vehicles, is sure to make most noise. But is it not a fact that Liberalism is being discarded and superseded by the Radicals? Do not most of us know places where Liberal Candidates, of true honest Liberal principles, have been rudely thrust aside because they do not go far enough, or fast enough for these men of noise? And where others too have been compelled to swallow principles and pledges to which they have been hitherto opposed, in order to obtain Radical supj)ort? What respect can we entertain for such? No, Liberalism is gradually becoming extinct. It must ere long be merged into the other two great parties, we are not so densely stupid that we cannot see this. A future Government might be formed in the names of Lord Hartington and Lord Granville, but the men in real power would be Mr. Gladstone, Sir C. Dilke, Mr. Chamberlain, and Mr. Parnell. Most of us working men are not Radicals. Many of us are Liberals, but we are beginning to see very distinctly that true Liberalism is much more nearly allied to modern Conservative principles than it is to Radicalism; and we are considerably astonished that many of our old Leaders cannot see this also. To the Conservatives therefore we now turn, and when the smoke and noise of all the Radical tumult has passed away, we can plainly hear and see that the Conservative policy is one for upholding the honour of our country abroad, and steadily main- taining Constitutional progress at home. As to the former we have abundant testimony given in the press of all the European nations. The Liberal papers of even Republican France have given the fullest testimony to this. I only regret I have not the space here to give some extracts from the many I have read on this point. They would indeed show how thoroughly our old England is now honoured and trusted abroad, and they would thoroughly refute Mr. Grladstone's random utterances upon this question — while as to the latter, surely we can observe and ap- preciate the honest efforts made by the present G-overnment to advance the welfare and prosperity of all classes amongst us; efforts that would have been far more successful, had they not been foiled by the Obstructionists, who, in a recent article, were excused and therefore encouraged by Mr. G-ladstone. To my own mind it becomes plainer every day that we old Liberals ought, all of us, to support the Conservative Government at the present time. We are thought to be a small and unimportant body, because we do not make much noise. A few of our num- ber, like Lord Hartington, may go over to strengthen the Radical cause, but depend upon it, the greater number by far, the thoughtful men among our working classes will remain, and will prove quite sufficient to turn the scale at the coming crisis ; either by abstaining, as they did at the last election — or, more likely still, by giving their hearty support to the Conservative policy. Fellow working men, weigh well what I have written — judge for yourselves — and I for one shall be greatly surprised if this is not the conclusion you come to: — a Radical Grovemment, as far as we can help it, old England shall not have — a purely Liberal Government, it is plain, she cannot have — a Liberal- Conservative Government she ought to have — and, God helping us, she shall. A WORKING MAN. ^: \ "'^^ §i '"^^^ . 1 "^^ ■i