The Indianapolis Journal

WILL TRY TO STEAL MIDLOTHIAN

When Gladstone Resigns His Seat Balfour May Be Put Up as the Tory Candidate.

LONDON, July 17.-The movement to induce Mr. Balfour to contest Midlothian against Mr. Gladstone when the latter resigns his seat on accepting office is quite a persistent one. It has two pretexts, first, Mr. Balfour's prominence making him a fit antagonist of the Liberal leaders; second, that Balfour owns estates contiguous to Midlothian and has various interests in that district, thus giving him some excuse for asking the suffrages of the people there. It is not considered probable, however, that Mr. Balfour will consent to fight Mr. Gladstone in this way. He is on very friendly personal terms with his great political opponent. Failing to obtain Mr. Balfour's consent to run, the Tories will probably put Colonel Wauchope up again. The whole machinery of the party will be brought into play, and it is thought by the leaders that there is a good chance to overcome Mr. Gladstone's first majority of only about 700. Mr. Gladstone's friends regret his recent boasting language in regard to the church vote in Devon. They point to the fact that 60 per cent. of the electors of Midlothian are churchmen, many of whom will perhaps sink their ideas in favor of Irish autonomy for the sake of demonstrating their loyalty to the established kirk.

The Scotch Tories will hold a banquet in honor of Colonel Wauchope in Edinburgh, to-morrow, at which the prospects for the second contest will be discussed. It is expected that Mr. Schnadhorst, the Liberal caucus manager, will personally engineer the contest in Midlothian and New Castle, the latter being John Morley's division. The result in the first will hinge upon the church vote and in the second on the labor vote and the eight-hour question.

A conference of Mr. Gladstone and his colleagues is expected to take place on Thursday. The difficulties of working the House with a majority dependent on the Irish members are fully appreciated at the Liberal headquarters.

Among the troubles menacing the new government is the habit the Irish members have of irregular attendance. Many of them have had business affairs in Ireland to look after hitherto, and only appeared in the House when they were summoned there by the exigency of Irish affairs. The special business being finished, they vanished again. If this practice is continued under the new government, the absence of some forty Irish members will render the government liable to defeat at any moment. Parnell kept his men together when the party purse was full by personal payments at regular intervals, enabling them to disregard the claims of private affairs. The Liberals might have recourse to subsidizing the McCarthyites, but this would place the party under obligations which it is almost impossible to accept.

If the American subscriptions freely continue during the final crisis, the home-rule party will be wonderfully strengthened. All sides recognize the fact that the present elections, costing as they have, about £2,500,000, are only the prelude to a more decisive electoral campaign, when more money must be expected and the local organizations everywhere must be maintained in full vigor. The resources of the Unionists are inexhaustible as compared with those of the Liberals, though since last reverting to the financial position of the party it has been learned that assurances have been obtained that wealthy Gladstonians are ready to respond to demands.