LETTERS TO . THE EDITOR.
SHALL FIFTY OUTVOTE THREE HUNDRED ?
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." I Stn,—Yoe have urged repeatedly that Lord Hartington should. be Premier of a Coalition Government; but you have very care- fully evaded the question,—Why ? I venture to think that you are prudent in so doing.
(1.) Lord Hartington has fifty followers in the Commons,. Lord Salisbury, 316. Lord Hartington has never been Prime Minister; Lord. Salisbury has. Lord Hartington has never held other than second rank, even in Opposition.
(2.) I admit that we need Lord Hartington. I admit that the Queen's Government must be carried on, and that to this end all personal claims must be secondary. I admit that Lord Hartington and Mr. Goschen are only less necessary to that end than Lord Salisbury. But I venture to say that it is for the leaders of an insignificant minority, not for those of the largest party in the House, to waive their claims, if they had any to waiv e.
(3.) Lord Hartington is offered all that he ever had or could. expect from his own party, ho leadership of the Commons.
Let hias keep or resume that, and Lord Salisbury keep his rank.
We cannot accept Lord Hartington as our chief. He never agreed with us—or if he did, he went against his conscience in opposing us—till now. His fifty followers may be very well eoutentif their leader holds the second place in the Cabinet.
We have always been very nearly half the nation, and three- fourths of the classes from whom Bishops, Deans, Judges, high officials, and other receivers of Government patronage are drawn. We have never had anything like our fair share of patronage. It is monstrous to ask us to give up the patronage of the next Government to the party which has always had two " lion's shares" thereof.
Scarcely one of our men has been returned by Unionist votes. The figures show that wherever a Conservative stood against a Parnellite, the Unionists abstained. On the other band, not a dozen Unionists would have got in but for Conservative support.
It would, therefore, be most unreasonable and disloyal of Lord Hartington to refuse to accept the second. place under the chief of more than six-sevenths of the Unionist Party. It would be Quixotic in Lord Salisbury to waive his own claims. I doubt not he would do it ; bat he has no right to waive those of his party. The Premier, as any candid man must admit, should be a Tory.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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