SIR JOHN GORST ON TORY DEMOCRACY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 66, 18 March 1907, Page 5

SIR JOHN GORST ON TORY DEMOCRACY.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LOXDON, Februaiy 8. Sir John Gorst, who returned from his trip to N ny Zealand last week, has an interesting letter in Wednesday's "Times" on the question "What is Tory Democracy?" raised by Lord Rosebery in his recent monograph on Lord Randolph Churchill. Since the death of Disraeli, says, Sir John Gorst, the orthodox Tory leaders have drifted far away from his principles; they have availed themselves of the popular enthusiasms which he created, to promote, not the general good of the mass of the people, but the interests of their own class; thy have gradually become the champions of vested interests and the protectors of monopoly and privilege. To this change of policy Lord Randolph Churchill offer : ed a vehement opposition. In the days of the Fourth Party, he stuck steadfastly to the principles of Mr. Disraeli. In his late official career he never renounced tne principles of Tory Democracy; and he fell, as Lord Rosebery shows, because his colleagues had made up their minds to reject measures founded upon the principles with, which the people credited them, and upon the faith of which their power had been obtained. Had it been possible for Lord Randolph in 1886 to have appealed from the orthodox leaders to the rank and file of the Tory party, the result would probably have been different. But, though he had captured the party "machine" two years before, he had unfortunately thrown it away. "The 'machine' crushed him." says Lord Rosebery, "as easily as a parched pen." "After the disappearance of Lord Randolph," adds Sir John £Jorst, the orthodox Tory leaders drifted further and further away from Tory Democracy. The celfishness of the wealthier section of the party in their pursuit of the interests of the 'classes,' against which Lord Randolph always lifted up his voice, and the constant failure of the Government to carry out the pledges given at election times to the 'masses' produced their inevitable result. The aoortive attempt of the Liberal party to establish Home Rule in Ireland, and the martial spirit evoked by the South African war, delayed the catastrophe; but in January, 1906, it came. It then became manifest that the Conservative working men, sick of the deferred hopes raised by Tory promises, had gone over in troops to the Labour party; and that Tory Democrats had become Social Democrats instead. The Tory party then fell, perhaps never to rise again."