The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-24
PREMIER GLADSTONE.
GOLFERS IMPRESSIONS OF THE
GREAT ENGLISH STATESMAN.
How He Looks, Dresses, Writes and Speaks
"A PrOdigality of VIII and Vim Per-
fect1y ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Un-Eng1ish OratOry.
Robert Laird Collier.l

Gladstone has enormous grip upon Eng
iish domestic affairs and upon the Lib
eral politicians and voters, and. here are
some Of the reasons of this tight and
magnetic orator. He is gifted with a
glowing vocabulary. He has an easy way
20 the peoples Imagination and heart
His eloquence is classic. He ranges over
ell fields of learning and into all realms
Of illustration. He is scholarly. He
reads, he writes, he spsaks with prodi-
gality of will and vim perfectly astound
ing. Then he has the supreme virtue Of
public life. His integrity is above suspi-
cion. He is transparency honest. His
political opponents know this. His mind
may be cratic, but his conscience is con-
centric. His conscience has never had
by-play. His conscience has known none
Of the charms and delight of coquetry
and stolen kisses. And it has known
none of their pains and penalties.
Mr. Gladstone is an imposing figure
physically. He stands six feet in his
boots, and, although he will be rs years
of age the 29th of the current De
cember, he is straight and alert He is
broad -shouldered, well made, and has all
the signs about him of we'll preserved
constitution. He is man who would
attract notice anywhere. He is dis
tinguished and unusual in appearance and
monty large head and high, broad fore
head. His eyes are mysterious. They
are set far back in his head, and yet they
are great orbs, rolling restlessly and with
intense piercing outgo at times. l saw
him in the house of commons, one night,
listening to Lord Randolph Churchill on
the vote of censure when he was piling up
accusations and damaging facts against
Gladstone for his conduct of affairs
in Egypt. He was on a high horse and
was pouring hot shot into the prime min
lister, and Gladstones eyes had the fire
of he'll in them. His eyes were in q
frenzy of indignation and anger. never
saw such eyes as are in this mans head.
At times they are the eyes of devil: L
have often wondered why Mr.. Glad
stone is so difficult a man to converse
with. He is always pre- occupied and yet
he is affable. He is seldom with you
when he is talking to you. His mind is
off elsewhere. / have noticed him in con-
versatiOn with important and perhaps IL
lustrious people, and still his mind
seemed absent But his eyes are a terror.
They are so unearthly that they give one
sometimes the impression of being pre-
ternatural Mr.. Gladstone's face is large,
bony, swarthy, and full of crows feet
But head and face and features are all
massive and majestic.
He dresses like a gentleman In the
commons he is frequently in flu evening
dress, and when he is intending to speak
he is very nattily gotten up and always
wears on such occasions a button-hole
bouquet. On the streets and before the
dinner hour in the commons he wears-as
do most elderly English gentlemen-a
double breasted, high-cut frock coat, and
lightish trousers. OF course he always
wears a stovepipe silk hat, and is one of
the first in the spring to don white hat
and white waistcoat There are two we'll
known gentlemen in England who are
very noted for the monstTous sails or acres
of white linen they wear about their neckS
namely, Mr. Gladstone and Mr.. Henry
Irving I saw Mr.. Gladstone in the com
mons one night, at the opening OF the sea-
son, when he was outlining the policy and
programme of the ministry. He was in full
evening dress and had huge button hole
of lilies, which stuck up under his ear and
was no end Of annoyance to him. 1t is
said-in a Whisper-that Gladstone hates
this big bunch of flowers in his button
hole when he is speaking, but that his
adoring and considerate wife insists upon
It Added to the misunderstanding nose
gay Was-what seemed to me-the further
bother of an immense collar. This collar
stands high up and is rigidly stiff, touch
ing the lower points of his ears
Mr.. Gladstone speaks like most men OF
one time he is brilliant and rarid in his
speech, ut another he is Commonplace and
hesitating. Now he glowingly discourses
and again his fire is all out and there is
nothing but dull ashes repaining.
In public discourse he is equally un
certain of himself, and his audience:
never know quite what to expect. He has
o gigantic, Overmastering will, and this l:
brought to his aid on all great occasions
when he is always great He whips uT
his forces, pulls together his tagging
energies, and makes a powerful, rafting
speech whenever there is critical o.
supreme necessity. When chancellor Of
the exchequer, if he was under the
national pressure to put little more ta1
upon the rate payers, he could make
budget speech Of compact figures glow
and glisten like fire or jewels. Parliamen
would vote any measure of taxation after
listening to Gladstone state figures anC
schedules as though he were showerin!
diamonds all over the house.
His speech is both thoroughly Englisl
Qand thoroughly un-English. 1t is Eng
lish in its caution and prudence. No maj
living so qualities and hedges every state
ment he makes. He uses infinite VERDI
age. His sentences are long, but neve
involved His use of words is precise
academic, and forceful. He has no rag
gedness of construction. He never lose
the track of his nominative verb. Hi
speech is clearly a sincere expression o
his mind and heart. This you feel whel
you you listen to him. He may say ur
tenable things, and he may arouse III you
antagonism to his theories, but never t
himself. During a campaign he vii
speak daily twice on an average, and vii
speak from one to two hours at a stretch
His illustrations are drawn from CLASH
literature, from analogies of history, an
from contemporary life. He has littl
humor l never heard him but ono
when he really succeeded in downright
fun, and then did not seem like himselt
but was caught out of himself. He Sc
dom uses climax in the structure of hi
speeches, but keeps up an even interes
and eloquenee, which are only fairl
cumulative to the end.
To Gain NOtOriety.