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Church;—a scheme which simply means, that all useful legislation must be impeded until Mr. Gladstone is back again in office!
In this race for popularity each must advance and outstrip his fellow if he would not be left behind, and representatives of the old style have hard work to keep up with those of the new. Earl Russell adopted the wise idea of issuing a Commission upon the Irish Church to find out what was wrong and then to remedy it—rather a common sense way of doing things. Meanwhile he published a pamphlet advocating what his followers contemptuously call—'Levelling up.' Lo! Mr. Gladstone went in for a clean sweep. Down came Earl Russell, swallowed his pamphlet, and actually found himself on a platform surrounded by Beales, Potter & Co. whilst his poor Commission was working away in Ireland! When his son Lord Amberley went as a Candidate to Leeds, the rapidity of his political growth in 24 hours was most astonishing!
- Its contempt of experience.
The love of novelty arising from the race for popularity, leads these guides of the people to prefer experiment to experience, and to ignore the salutary lessons it would teach them. The tone of many articles of the press, and of many election addresses, induces the inference that the triumph of Democracy among us ought to be a subject of the warmest congratulations![1]
- ↑ Mr. T. Hughes the member for Lambeth seems especially jubilant in anticipation of the strong government it will give us! Englishmen will find out what this means by and by.
