LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE POLITICAL SCHOOLMASTER
LTO THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTITOR:'] SIE,—AS a general rule, the Masters of our great Public Schools have, I think wisely, abstained from mixing themselves up with party politics. I doubt whether the departure from this salu- tary rule which I observe chronicled in the Harrow Gazelle of last Saturday will afford satisfaction to any considerable body of Harrovians, whatever may be their political creed. It appears that on the 15th inst. a meeting of the Harrow Conservative Association was held at the Public Hall. The chair was taken by Mr. Cecil F. Holmes, an Assistant-Master in the School, and a J.P. for the county of Middlesex. The chairman commenced the proceedings by saying that the object of such meetings as the present wan to give sound information to the working-men of Harrow on the leading political topics of the day, and after commenting, in the customary Tory style, upon some of those topics, he proceeded to deal with a speech delivered some days previously by the President of the Harrow Liberal Union, as follows:— "He would now expose what the President called an instance of Tory misrepresentation, viz., that the Government were entering into contract with atheists and assassins,' which was the fact. Had not Mr. Gladstone given every sort of moral support to Mr. Brad- laugh, even to leaving the House sooner than to vote for his expul- sion; and as to assassins—thanks to Mr. Forster—the infamous Kilmainham Treaty had been at last brought to light, by which Mr. Gladstone made terms, notably with one Sheridan, whom he knew was steeped to the lips in murder And how was this so-called 'misrepresentation' received by the Liberal Union involving as it did such grave matter ?—with laughter. 'Had the Liberal Union forgotten,' the chairman continued, 'the agony that Ireland had gone through ever since the Government came into power ? Had any class or sex been spared—peer or peasant, farmer or labourer, land- lord or tenant ? Had not delicate ladies of rank been brought to the verge of starvation and the workhouse ? Even dumb animals bad been grossly maimed and ill-treated by savages, virtually hounded on by the Government. This was hardly a subject for merriment. For as sure as there was a God in Heaven, the blood of these murdered innocent people lay on the heads of the Government,—let them look to it The chairman concluded by saying:.—The times, ladies and gentle- men, are very serious, and when in the Harrow Chapel I hear the prayer read for the High Court of Parliament, the words seem to fall with but little meaning on my ears, that the honour and welliare of our Sovereign and her dominions should be maintained, and that 'truth and justice, religion and piety, be established amongst us for all generations.' Could this be said to be the case under the present Government ? It, therefore, the more behoved not only every Con- servative, but every lover of his country, to be up and doing, and show what good stuff true and loyal Englishmen were really made of.'
It is with considerable astonishment that I observe that this language was not only listened to without protest by a General Officer in her Majesty's Service, but that a vote of thanks to- the chairman was moved by that gentleman, "in his usual. polished and courtly style."—I am, Sir, &c., STET FORTUNA. Domus.
[A schoolmaster is a citizen, and has a right to his opinion.. If, as in this case, it is a nonsensical one, that affects his repu- tation for efficiency, not his rights. Mr. Holmes, however, is fortunate not to live under a Liberal Dr. Hornby.—En... Spectator.]
Previous page
