Mr. Gladstone's letter to the electors of Midlothian, thanking them
for their magnificent support, does not quite strike the key we should have wished. It breathes the spirit of an elec- tion contest rather than the spirit of high statesmanship. Mr. Gladstone shows clearly enough that our losses are in a very great measure due to the Parnellite vote, and to the folly of sending more than one Liberal candidate to the poll, thereby
letting in the Tory. But he refers, as we think unfortunately, to Lord Salisbury's rash statement that there is no reality in Moderate Liberalism, and asks how, in the face of that state- ment, Lord Salisbury can propose to lean on the Moderate Liberals. We should reply that, in the face of that statement, Lord Salisbury can do nothing of the kind, but that it was a statement which we ought to help Lord Salisbury to forget, and which we believe that Mr. Gladstone will be the first to ignore so soon as he sees that Lord Salisbury is very likely to stand in the most urgent need of his help.
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