FORTY FACTS ABOUT MR GLADSTONE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2325, 10 January 1890, Page 2

FORTY FACTS ABOUT MR GLADSTONE.

A correspondent of an English newspaper writss:— •'Let as follow steadily the lights of experience and be convinced that He who preserved us daring the past will also be sufficient to sustain as daring all the laagers of the future," So spoke M ' Gladstone In the Commons, when advocating a measure he had previously and earnestly oppoeed, It is this lanoti. monious stylo, combined with bis' vondroni word-spinning powers, uhlcb has prodaoad so ntupefylDg »a lnfatutatlon in tbe minds of Englishmen—su <nf»tata tion which lalis the conscience and daadena It, tha wblie it blinds its victims to the comeqaencea of its ao's. A Bradhugh may *revi c religion snd morality—he causes tbe ennscieuo to shrink ia horro from hla doot'ines A Chamberlain m«y proposo bluntly nobemes of oonfisontlon and theft—the proposal forocs tho oon science iDt) aotloa against them; bat a Gladstone, with crafty sophistries, cmql ■doal special pleadings, and Invertebrate qua I6oitions, be^nlles Vbe rearoo, beiumbs tbe Qcmclecots, and gains his point by the aid of a subtlety like onto that of tbe Serpent In Eden. I will adop 1. tbe maxim I b»ve quoted, and by It oondemn htm as nrjfi't to be trusted by Überty.--lovlng EngUehmen. If the " lights of exp9rleaoe" are to guide ob, the following forty faota nil nolde as Into tho opinion that Mi Ultdatone U not .a_ n»an of principle, bat a m*o of principle!— prlnolpfes mtde to order, as and when nquired:— 1 He oi p^acd the admission of Jews to Parliament.

2. And admitted tbpm. 3. He opposed grants to Maynootb College. 4 And granted them.

5. He opposed the admission of Dissenter* to universities, 6. And admitted them.

7. He opp .eed tha "on-Ohrlstisnlslng" of Parllement. 8 And strove to admit Bradtaogh. 9. He opposed tbe repeal of tbe Corn Laws.

10. And supported repeal. 11. He advocated retention of duties on imported mana'acutes, 12. And opposed them. 13 H j opposed the loterfeienee of the State wl'h OTurcb property. 14 And himself afterwards litetfered therewl.b.

15. He opposed Disestablishment In Iceland.

16, And h'tmelf disestablished. 17. He favoured freedom of oontraot. - 18. And destroyed freedom of ooHtiaofc. 19. He opposed the ''Three F's," 20. Aid adopted the v Three Fa." 21. He advocated coercion. 22. And opposed it. , 23. He promised Gordon assistance i wJ;eo wanted. 24. And wi:bheldit. I 25. He has decried household suffrage. 26. And has voted for it. 27. fle pledged himself to protect loyal j natives in Africa. 28. And deserted them t 29 He pledged himsalf to maintain tbe Queen's supremacy in the Transvaal, 30. And sacrificed her supremacy. 31 He deolured church property " sacred" to purposes of religion 32. Aad appropriated it to other uses.

33 He pronouno id the appropriation of church property to be "desecration " 34. And " deseorated " it, 35 He bianded Parnell as a traitor.

36 And employed him to pat down disorder in Ireland.

37. H« opposed the repeal of tho null tax

38. And repeaUd it. 39 Pc promts, d to appoint impartial men as fixers of fair rents in Ireland, 40. And appointed, amongst others, Land Leaguers and eleotion agents.