The MAKING OF ‘The PEOPLE’S WilliAm’ William Ewart he high esteem – even adu- and drove me off my natural and lation – in which Glad- previous bias’.2 However, there is Gladstone (1809–98) Tstone was held in the last nothing to suggest that Gladstone attracted massive two or more decades of his life earlier had been a crypto–Liberal, was witnessed by the huge quan- even though in 1894 he wrote, ‘I political support among tity of Gladstone memorabilia do not think the general tenden- that was kept in many working cies of my mind were in the time large sectors of the people’s homes. In terms both of of my youth illiberal’.3 Indeed, working class, especially the volume sold and of the span of there is much to the contrary. The the social groups who bought the Gladstone of 1886 would not have in the north of England plaques, mugs and plates produced warmed to the two anti-Reform in his memory, Gladstone’s appeal handbills he paid for in 1831, one of (outside of Lancashire), is reminiscent of that of Napoleon which read: Wales and Scotland. Bonaparte in France and Abraham Lincoln in the United States. Such People of England! That Gladstone became admiration was also marked by the Your Parliament is dissolved, for day-trippers who went by train having voted on Tuesday night ‘The People’s William’ to Hawarden Castle (Gladstone’s that the Papists of Ireland should was a surprising marital home in North Wales) in not be permitted to return a the hope of glimpsing the Grand larger proportion of Members development for one Old Man and his wife Catherine. of Parliament, than that which Gladstone’s appeal crossed class was solemnly established at the who had been a stern and religious lines. One example Union between the two coun- of a Nonconformist day trip to tries. We add no comment: young Conservative and Hawarden was in May 1890, when nor is any needed. Do not for a a person alarmed by the there was a mass political pilgrim- moment believe it to be an act of age from Caernarfon. Organised your beloved King. popular campaigns for by the Engedi Calvinist Meth- You are called on to exercise odist Chapel, a thousand people your suffrages in favour of men parliamentary reform, went by rail. The Liberal MP J. who wish to establish a NEW which was achieved in Hugh Edwards wrote of the jour- CONSTITUTION. ney, ‘After the customary man- Before you vote, ask yourselves 1832, and for the People’s ner of Welsh people, when ecstatic the following questions and let in mood, they gave vent to their no man Charter, between 1838 feelings by singing their favourite DIVERT YOUR ATTEN- and 1848, which was hymns’.1 TION FROM THEM. Gladstone’s emergence as a 1. What has South America gained not achieved. Chris highly popular politician was a by new constitutions? complex process that was not as Confusion. Wrigley charts the straightforward as he liked to 2. What has France gained by a making of ‘The People’s suggest in his old age. In 1865 he new constitution? observed of his early politics, ‘the Disorganisation. William’. Reform Bill frightened me in 1831, 3. What has Belgium gained by a 14 Journal of Liberal History 75 Summer 2012 Journal of Liberal History 75 Summer 2012 15 the MAKING OF ‘the peOple’S williAM’ new constitution? Starvation. the thought of his course of con- While the of Lords taking fright at working 4. What is ‘Old England’ to gain duct now, or at any other time, hav- people gaining access to cheaper by a new constitution? ing been warped by ambition, to diaries books and newspapers. Gladstone And diminish the lustre and the power observed in his budget speech, ‘On 5. What am I to gain by a new of his name?’.5 have made dear books, which are published constitution? Not only do Gladstone’s diaries for the wealthy, it is a very light Answer these for yourselves: reinforce the reader’s understand- Gladstone duty; on books brought out in large vote for men who are solemnly ing of the importance of religion quantities by enterprising publish- pledged to Gladstone, they also repeatedly appear less ers for the middle and lower classes, 1. To redress every grievance. show Gladstone’s concern about Olympian, it is a very heavy and oppressive 2. To remove every blemish. economical and orthodox finan- duty’.9 He was successful in remov- 3. TO RESIST cial behaviour. The son of a very they also ing the paper duty in his 1861 REVOLUTIONS TO THE wealthy Liverpool merchant, Glad- budget, as well as reducing income DEATH. stone had instilled in him from an have made tax by a penny in the pound. And may God send a happy early age the sanctity of commer- Throughout this period, issue! cial contracts and of sound finance. him more Gladstone continued to extol Briton. In 1859 he wrote to his brother frugality in public finance. He Robertson, ‘Economy is the first human and commented during his 1861 budget, Gladstone thus travelled a long way and great article … in my financial ‘I am deeply convinced that all from the sentiments of ‘Briton’ to creed’.6 Financial concerns often even more excess in the public expenditure being a friend of nationalism and, underlay Gladstone’s attitude to beyond the legitimate wants of the more generally, to being ‘The Peo- other issues. For instance, even complex. country is not only a pecuniary ple’s William’. Looking back, Glad- with something as close to his heart waste … but a great political, and, stone attributed his illiberal views as his home rule proposals, one The reader above all, a great moral evil’. He to his ‘narrow Churchmanship’, finds Gladstone very anxious lest also spoke of free trade finance and resulting in the fact that his ‘poli- the Irish beneficiaries of home rule of the pub- tax cuts as lessening class bitterness tics … were tinged with religious should escape their share of naval and binding the country together. fanaticism’. 4 and other imperial costs.7 lished diaries He was insistent that income tax Gladstone’s religious faith was Gladstone’s skills as Chancellor should impact uniformly on all the bedrock of his career. He would of the Exchequer in preparing and is hard put who could afford to pay. In his 1860 have liked to have been an Angli- presenting the 1853 budget firmly budget speech, he spoke of ‘laws can clergyman and often appeared established him at the forefront of to believe which do not sap in any respect the to think that he had a special rela- British politics. It was a major step Gladstone to foundations of duty, but which tionship with God, much to the in the emergence of ‘Gladstonian strike away the shackles from the irritation of many political oppo- finance’ as the dominant finan- be a brazen arm of industry, which give new nents. However, earlier depictions cial force in the second half of the incentives and new rewards to toil, by biographers of Gladstone as a nineteenth century, in its devotion opportunist and which win more and more for far-sighted Christian statesman to frugal state expenditure and to the Throne and for the institutions with clear-cut long term aims have free trade, with a strong desire to and humbug, of the country’.10 been undercut by the publication avoid expensive foreign involve- While Gladstone admired entre- (between 1968 and 1994) of his dia- ment. His 1853 budget brought although preneurs, being himself a scion of ries and by much scholarly research more people within the bounds of a prosperous mercantile family, he often involving the diaries of Glad- income tax, but explicitly excluded this does not also had growing respect for labour, stone’s contemporaries in parlia- ‘what I would call the territory of especially skilled labour. In his 1863 ment. While the diaries have made labour’ – in other words, those exclude him budget, Gladstone was most enthu- Gladstone appear less Olympian, earning £100 or less per annum. siastic about the behaviour of the they also have made him more One widely attractive aspect of his being a skil- Lancashire working class during human and even more complex. budget was the reduction of duty the cotton famine brought about The reader of the published diaries on thirteen foodstuffs, most nota- ful political by the US Civil War, which saw is hard put to believe Gladstone to bly on tea. A French commentator ‘one of the wealthiest portions of be a brazen opportunist and hum- observed of this budget, ‘The bulk operator, the country, and perhaps the very bug, although this does not exclude of the English feel that Gladstone wealthiest portion of its labouring him being a skilful political opera- is their champion against certain attuned to population, in a condition of unex- tor, attuned to exploit short-term privileged classes. They wonder at exploit short- ampled prostration and of grievous favourable political openings. Dur- his courage, admire his skill and suffering’.11 Together with his wife, ing his lifetime, those who had the are determined that he shall not be term favour- Gladstone ran and funded a small- opportunity of discussion with beaten’.8 scale relief operation at Hawarden, him were similarly impressed by Gladstone’s budgets of 1860–6 able political where some young Lancashire his character. This was famously so strengthened his reputation as women were trained for domestic with John Ruskin who, after long a financier and consolidated his openings.