Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30
dixie AND LADY dixie
Issues Involved In the Crawford nj
vorce Trfal-Ies Political side.

London Correspondents Of the Philadelphia Pres1
More depends upon the issue OF Crawford VS.
Dixie than is generally supposed. should Sir
Charles fail 10 viudicate his character by mega
living satisfactorily the aspersions of an hys-
terical woman his retirement from the political
arena must naturally be the consequence.
since his marriage the salon of Lady Dixie has
revived the memories of the days when titled
ladies' were even more active politicians than
tneir husbands In Lady Dilkes drawing.
rooms In the somewhat dingy-looking man.,
sion In Sloane street. Chelsea, may be
seen gathered, particularly on Sundays, the
radical camps. AS Mrs. Mark Paitison. The
gifted and beautiful hostess occupied n subor-
G Gina.e position, but her courage in raising Sir
SaiIes from the dust In which, without due
reason, ne had abased himself, has reflected
iiasoraoly upon herself In a word, she has
Saip ihto notoriety: From the breath OF scan
G 80 sue mas dlligently protected her husband
rom the moment she telegraphed from Nice
ausnorizlng the publication OF their engage
ment' ana she consented 10 the marriage TAX ing
place Just before the general election by which
sue oo,alned the right TO assist him, as the first
xass Uke had done, personally in his can
'ess. No uouDt She saved his seat.
since then she has found the columns of re-
views open to her, and she has aspired TO the
amI,i,ion . t ., o woman who can talk. In this
Snares himself takes pride in having cast off
ms s former laoored style of public speaking i'm
FAVOR OF the debating method: that is to saw he
now speaks, except on set occasions extem nore
instead OF reciting carefully prepared harran,
cues. 1t is the latter system, however, that he
recommends TO his wife. Her speeches are
Ihougntiully composed, written and then COM
mitteo TO memory. 1t does not matter much
whether the lady adheres to her brief for the
manuscript is handed to the reporters and the
puoiic Is duly furnished with the neatly turned
PERIODS Lady Dixie meant TO deliver, ii she did
hot actually utter them. Sir Charles has
already found 1t convenient to use her as his
mouthpiece for n declaration of his religious
.s the necessity of which the turn OF cleo
and l,a 20 -l,,
as TO keep silent himself on an occasion when
ms wife is talking. for he knows very well that
n newspapers concern themselves with consider
The attitude of Sir Char.es and Lady Dixie
inaicates that they do not mean lightly to give
up the struggle The right honorable baronet
is clear-headed man. lie has the reputation.
shared oy the Prince of Wales, OF never forget
ing name he has once heard or the face of
any Individual TO whom he has been introduced
ne moves amongst his cons tituents, and as an
example OF the attention he considers their due,
since the elections. journalists have been very
active In interviewing the leaders of both par
ties with respect to the Irish question. When
they have been inaccessible TO callers these
politicians have been bombarded with cir
culars. Sir Charles has been proof against
both attacks, and he will not be drawn into
his public speeches he has lightly skipped
over the Irish problem. The reason
for all this is his desire not to offend
the Parneliites, tor he knows that were they in
possession OF his views they would at once be
alienated In proof of this assertion an instance
OF his courtesy TO his constituents NAV be
clted: A day or two ago he was present at a
strictly private ward meeting composed OF
hardly fifty nobodies To them he expressed a
Iull exposition of his opinions on the Irish
difficulty, speaking with a freedom and direct
ness of speech which is quite unusual to him.
ESpying solitary reporter taking notes, he
asked him to desist, saying that Ii his senti-
ments were to be printed he would not reveal
them. In honor bound the reporter laid down
his pencil, and has ever since been bitterly re-
pentant, for Sir Charles gave a magnificent
speech.
In brief, he declared himself utterly opposed
10 nome rule, and expressed a belief that it
next door neighbor than an Ireland under such
government. He indicated the scope of a con-
clilatory measure for elective boards which he
had submitted when In office to his colleagues
but which they declined to approve and from
other hints it was clear to his auditory that in
TINS ana other matters Sir Charles is at direct
variance with liberal leaders. In fact III he
outllves the obloquy which adverse verdict
In the coming cause cete5re Will bring Sir
from the heads of his party. Gladstone gone
the leadership will be secured either by Har.
tlngton, hamberlain or Dixie. Harrington SO
the last-named considers is not sufficiently en-
ergetlc, Chamberlain is rather too advanced
ana there only remains Dixie himself TO lead
the liberal hosts. This is his aspiration, and in
TINS purpose Lady Dixie Is rendering good SER
vice. There Is a vein OF sentiment in this cam
paign, tor are not the lady and gentleman first
better late than never. BY the way il is not
generally known that Sir Charles is a much.
Travelled man. He has been twice round the
world, and has visited Russia five times