In the course of the Conference, a curious assertion was
made by the Rev. George Reany Warrington, that in politics "grati- tude was grossly immoral,"—the bearing of which was, that gratitude to Mr. Gladstone or any other leader should not pre- vent any man from throwing him over the moment he refused to accept any principle like' Disestablishment, which seems essential to a particular elector. If that view had been acted upon con- sistently at the polling-booths and in Parliament, Parliament would long ago have been swept away as a mere chaos of individual self-wills. Leadership is organisation. And who would be leader, if his followers never showed him any gratitude for right and wise guidance, by deferring to his judgment when they did not personally agree with it? The Rev. George Reany Warrington's principle would disestablish and disendow a great many institutions besides the Established Church.
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