ENGLISH POLITICAL PARTIES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2672, 12 October 1881, Page 2

ENGLISH POLITICAL PARTIES.

There are three prominent political parties in England—the Conservatives (Tories), the Liberals and the Radicals., An Englishman, Mr Holyoake, has defined their principles briefly aslollows: —'“The Conservatives keep from the people all they can. The Liberals give to the people all they think practicable. The Radicals demand all they think right.” To this grand division of parties the London “ Times ” adds another, the Whigs, of whom it says:—“They contain two classes—one leaning towards the Liberals, the other towards the Conservatives.” But Whiggery in England, as in the United States, no longer constitutes a distinct political party. The conservative Whigs have become Tories and the liberal Whigs are Liberals. The issue between the Conservatives and Liberals is described by the “Times” in a few words—“ The real struggle going on quietly in England is to decide whether the people shall control their own affairs through the direct action of a truly representative Parliament, or suffer themselves to be controlled by a small aristocracy of wealth and title and by royal prerogative working in the dark.” Those who support the aristocracy are the friends to extension of royal prerogative, and work hand-in-hand with the Crown. The “ Times” thinks there is no doubt as to the final result, and that is the Liberal party will prevail, unless the Conservatives educate themselves up to the requirements of the popular standard, and that also would be a victory for the Liberals. Like the old slavery Democracy of America, the English Conservative party is unscrupulous in the use of methods to strengthen itself. The Crown can make war, and war is generally popular. The Parliament cannot help itself against such methods* The Tories are responsible for the Crimean war, the Abyssinian war, the war against Ashantee, the Afghan war, and the war against the South African Boers. The pro-slavery Americans are responsible for the Mexican war and the late civil war. These English Tory wars all had a certain degree of popularity ; for military glory □ever fails to take the heart of a nation by storm. They also strengthen the royal prerogative. But they vastly augmented the national debt and the expenses of government; and this again operates in the interest of the Crown and the aristocracy, but against the common people—the merchant and the manufacturing classes possess the wealth and pay the taxes to support the splendour of Royalty and an aggressive nobility.—Californian paper.