The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1894. MR. GLADSTONE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8731, 1 March 1894, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1894. MR. GLADSTONE.

The announcement a few days ago that Mr. Gladstone is threatened with total blindness from cataract, having already completely lost the sight of one eve and a cataract- ia forming on the other, will no doubt be received with j extreme .egret throoghdut the Empire. j The venerable statesman is now in his 84th year, and it can be easily understood why his medical attendants refuse to perform au operation, notwithstanding the fact that ie is desired by the Prime Minister himself. This terrible affliction must be keenly felt by the sufferer, and must have caused something like consternation in the ranks of the party he leads. Mr. Gladstone has always been a great student, and, in the House, he has insisted oa attending to every detail of ' any measure in which he took a keen interest. The loss or sight must, therefore, be to him a Bad affliction. Even were his health otherwise good, his capacity to attend to public business will be greatly impaired. A. his advanced age ie could not loexpected that, under any circumstances, Mr. Gladstone could very much longer remain in public life. But the announcement that his eight had failed has revived the reports of his almost immediate resignation. These reports were denied. To-day* cable news, however, again informs us that he will retire in a few weeks. "

I lb is quite impossible to forecast the consequences which will follow Mr. j Gladstone's disappearance from public life. It is not too much to say that the. party he leads is held together alone by the influence of his great personality. His influence over the constituencies has even been greater than upon the' members of the party in the Houm of Comfoons itself. The result has .been that his followers have been kept together far more by the force ol public opinion than hy the strength of conviction. When'that influence disappears many unlooked for results will happen First of all a leader has to be found who is likely to be acceptable to tbe great majority, and it is difficult to see who that leader is. Sir William Habcourt, no doubt, expects to be selected, but he has too many conspicuous disqualifications for the position to render him generally acceptable. Lord Rosebery is, no doubt, the ablest member of the Liberal party in the Gladstonian ranks, but his attitude towards Home Rule, when the Bill was before the House of Lords, has not made him popular with the Irish members of the House of Commons. What would happen were he called to the head of affairs it would be difficult to predict. The firm hand he has held in bis dealings with foreign powers baa no doubt given a large amount of satisfaction in Great Britain. But we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that there is an active, if not very ! numerous section of the party, who I are bitterly opposed to bis policy, and > who have only been kept from open rebellion through the influence of Mr. Gladstone himself. Even now it is reported that an acute difference of 1 opinion prevails in the Cabinet over the question of strengthening the Navy, and were Mkuater forced immediately to retire, the result might be an open rupture. Lord Roskbbry, as Secretary for Foreign Affairs, has no doubt strong views on the question. He must feel the vital importance of placing pur first line of defence in such a position as to ensure the national safety, aud a Government of which he waa the head would, we pmume, place

;• the strengthening of the navy in j the front. Such a Ministry could j only be maintained in oflice by the j assistance of some of thosw who aro I now in opposition, for it is almost certain that the RadicaU would deoline : . any longer to support it. But it is I useless to speoulate. One thing, how- : sver, will inevitably happen. Mr. . Gladstone's retirement will bring : about a great change in the aspect of j British politics.