New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-06
NOTES FROM LONDON
SIR CHARLES DILKE-LORD HoUGHT0N IN
FRANCE MR. RUSKIN.

Association with reference 10 Sir Charles Dixie is
| no more than was expected by his friends 1t is
howevera case of the right thing done in the wrong
way. The question the council had to consider was
whether the known ability of the borough to return
| Liberal candidate would be imperied by the
charge against their former member lie had.
very properly offered to withdraw as candidate II
il should be thought BEST and bad left the matter
in the hands Of the Liberal Association No doubt.
they have looked into the question, talked it over
with leading Liberals of all classes in Chelsea. and
made up their minds that they can still elect Sir
| Charles Dixie All they had to do was to pass
resolution returning him as candidate, with a
proper expression of confidence.
/ But tho council are not content with this. They
resolve, in bad English, to accept fully and COM
pletely and without reservation his statement that
the charge brought against him is untrue. And
| they add. in terms which the gravity OF tho
occasion does not make less comic, that bearing In
mind his long services to the country and his party
they do not attach any Importance whatever to
vague. improved charge It hardly follows that
| because man has been an excellent President OF
the Local Government Board. he may not have been
intimate with his neghbor's wife, Nor is ii pre-
cisely the duty OF the council Of tho Chelsea Liberal
Association. which has not heard word of the
evidence. to forestal the Divorce Court. and send
| forth the correspondent without stain on his
character.
In this as in other parts of this case Sir Charles
| bikes friends show moro zeal than good sense.
think, as said last week. that the public are dis
posed to accept his denial. But they will not ac-
cepthe verdict of partisan association on an issue
not before them and not tried. The attempt pro
duces slight reaction. The London daily press.
as heretofore abstans for tho most part from dis
cussing the matter. Debate on 1t must be sought,
-. rna1o
which consider the matter from a point of view
| peculiarly their own so far rs this side OF tho
water Is concerned. One of then declares that
| had Chelsea any chvalry, any gratitude. any self
| respect. it would rise one man and-whatf
| Proclaim Sir Charles innocentY That would not
| be enough. The Chelsea householders ought
| TO "donounce and overwhelm the persons who
have dared to cast a shadow upon the fair fame of
| their member This can only that Mr..
| Crawford is 10 be denounced and overwhelmed
because he believed his vito when she told him that
her relations with tho member for Chelsea had been
what they should not be. Nor, it woud seem, does
| IL much matter whether the accusations against the
chosen Of Chelsea be trne or false. The indictment
against him The has not been indicted, and this
must DO figure of speech is of purely private
nature. II is. moreover. one that seven on the
assumption it could be proved. would not. If the
| plain truth is to DO spoken show him to have fallen
| grievously below the moral standard of his time"
| Well, IL we are to accept tho moral standard OF
society journalism. perhaps not Elsewhere, the
moral standard is kept tolerably pure Whatever
the immoral practice may be. There is more. much
more. OF such doctrine this. but one sample will
perhaps be much rs you care for.
A fresh turn was given 20 the talk By the an
nouncement OF Sir Charles bikes engagement TO
Mrs Mark Pattison, widow of ths ato Rector OF
| q oI,., Il, Madr rha he oh
against her future husband first made public.
She had been for some time on visit to the Lieu
tenaut-Goyernor OF that Presidency. Mr.. Grant
Dua. and his wife. She appears 10 have tcle
| eraphed home at once. desiring IL should be made
| known that she was starting for England 20 marry
Sir Charles Dixie. This set at rest all doubts,-for
| some had been expressed-whether marriage be-
tween them was really agreed on. Tho publication
was Of course meant 10 influence English opinion In
favor Of The accused and did 20. People naturally
said TINT IL Mrs Mark Pattson were ready to marry
! Sir Charles there could not be much in The rumors
against him. And they thought It. as tho phrase
goes hero very nice OF her to do as she did. Some
DAYS Inter the papers not many OF which printed
| Mrs Pattison's telegram were requested to an
| nounco Officially tho forthcoming marriage
| and with this request most Of them complied.
Neither this nor anything else can check she flood
OF greasy gossip which oOzcs through the baser sort
OF papers, sheets that now take fresh courage and
| loosor license from tho liberation accorded by
| timid o1icinls to The Pail Mall GG.eitc. You can
not wink the most central streets OF the West End
without stumbling upon piacards in huge letters:
| - All about Sir Charles Dixie and Mrs Crawford
| Women and girls arc importuned to buy these
| papers exactly rs they are inportunod TO buy the
nastiness which Mr.. Stead prints and reprints and
vends in every thoroIghfare. Not pleasant for Sir
1 l.. f~fa,, IL I,,f IL
| seem is henccforward TO he city where any out
| rage on public decency may be committed with
! IMMUNITY. 49,,
| the attitude which certain leading Torres adopted.
| There was moment when they thought It doubt
| fnl whether his Liberal friends would stand by
| him III Chelsea had thrown Sir Charles over it is
| bv no means certain that no would not have been
asked 20 east in his lot with the Tories. or II yon
| choose with the Tory Democracy OF the future.
| There il n leaven Of cOnscrS atism in him which. as
| they thought, might make Tory companonship IN
| noIitics not distasteful % him. IL IL improbable
| HAT such ovortnres If made would have been well
coined but the fact that they were thought of is
Testimony to tho value which his opponents set on
his abilities aud on tho services ne may DO expected
10 render TO any political party which could reckon
on him as leader.
Most of the articles devoted to Lord Houghton In
the English papers have been adequate or at least
| svmpafhetio, and written with knowledge. Not so
much can be said of the Continental journals IL
| Is but seldom that any French or German writer
dscourses with intelligence OF things English or OF
| the few Fronchrnen who hay some knowledge of
| England. He has written paper on Lord Hough;;
| TON in tho Journal ies Dobas He know Lord
| Uouqhton personally but what he has to say Of
| him p cold meagre aud inaccurate lilo speaks of
him thrice as Lord Hoqghtoni better known for
merlv IA NouktonD Mines. lilo assigns HIM 10 the
q rpnantic school; as II English literature must
submit to tho classification which has been &c,
cepted in France since 1880, between romantic and
classic 70 makes the strangest mixture of the re-
| lations between Oxford and Byron. Cambridge and
Shelley, but thinks 1t less strange because Oxford
L 10 natr llama n
| diaerent kind, having "blaokballod" Mr. Glad
| stone In the Parliamentary elections The gem OF
this production may be found in the statement that
Lord HouQhton had lavishod every care on the last
| davs OF GRAY author of poem which NJ. Lemoinne