Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-02
DAILY POST.INTELuGENcER



Probably there has never been more
perfec. ersnpsiAsasiou Of the poser Of
a gle great raioc, Of the tsnsciiJ OF
the hold Of single great nss upon TIE
affections Of people. than toe recall
Of Mr.. Gladstone TO kis old place a. tie
real ruler Of the British Empire. II is
only a fes days more than one year
sipcs the fail Of KbsrtouD. and the
unnecessary and useless death OF Cor
don. II Il scarcely nine months since
the bitter humiliation 10 Afgnznistan-
IL ia Scarcely 20 long since the British
,yoeps evacuated the Sopdan and the
Esslish people we're compelled 20 &c
knox.edgs that the h1zer Of thsir army
had been Jsatsn By q rab5is OF half
naked, half starved Arshs- IL 10 not
Yet eight months since Gladstone IVES
hurled from pover by q disgossed Par
lament and disappeared from the
political arena, a. At seemed, forever.
Yet already are all thess things for
get. Lsss than year ago Gladssons
was the mos. unpopular public mao Ia
England. Today his journey to rece We
onss more the symbols Of power 10 8
continuous ovation. CroSds cheer him
on she streets. he ia the mos. popular
man 10 England. Ia the minds OF the
people no task IL too great for hin TO
accomplish, no problem too difficult for
him 70 solve. Yet since last Surrender
ing power he has done nothing to raise
himself in the pablo esteem. He has
not proved his abilities anew. de has
made no stroke OF statesmansbip-has
achieved no triumph Of Oratory. His
opponents have made no grave mistake.
They have brought upon the nation no
disaster to induce the people 70 turn IN
panic 10 lbe old rejected leader. Moth
ing has secured to obiiterats the mem
ory Of past mistakes; nothing giving
promise OF greater wisdom In the
future.
Why, then, il there such change!
Probably in part because the mob is
nckle. because people are equally ready
TO strike a man down or to lift him up.
10 throw up their oaps and shout zith
deiieh, az be mounts soaffold or as be
mounts throne. We" and IA bas"
are not 80 different that the mob cannot
shout both in the same day. A word
added or taken away, an accent
changed, pause before q syllable
iastea d Of after It. may change 9 bless
ing into q curse or curse into bless
ing. Aud With curses or bles inQs the
people are equally free. AZ the crowd
cheers Gladstone today. he must re-
member how 10 jsered aim yesterday.
The wheel Of fortune has turned too
sften In his long career for this triumph
TO dazzle him. lie has seen cheers turn
10 issrs and iesrs to cheers upon the
lips of the people many time before
this. He has been stoned Ia the streets
OF London by the same people Who
hine their caps in cir as be passes TO
day. He Ia too great a philosophers and
too wise man not 10 know that in an
other twelvemonth the same hands that
today are seeking flowers to cast In hi'
path may be seeking stones to huri upor
him.
There is only one thing In Gladstone
popularity different from that Of man,
another st ,tesman and leader Who hai
heard both the curses and the blessing
Of the people be souRht to serve. Tia
one thing is its persistence. One day 1
receives blow which seems to crush !,
but almost before be who has strnol
the blow can recover hinself. il is a
greet and sironR as ever. II weather.
all storms IL lie cast down only TO b
lifted up. Il is lost only to be found
II IL wonderful. IL Ia like magic.