Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-25
The English Leaders Motive.

the EnEitrh LenuerH MOTIVE.
Mr.. Gladstone deserves his title of
"Grand Old Man" He is now in his
seventy ninth year. 1t is a great drain
OF strength, physical and mental, for a
man of robust middle age even to stand
for two and half hours and deliver be-
fore an hostile and cxacting parlismen
tary assemblage, whether we look at
either wing thereof or survey it as a
body, u speech which can hold and com,
mand attention for that long period.
Mr.. Gladstone has just done this, ex-
acting, as the suns London correspon-
dent says, from the oldest reporter in the
commons gallery the statement tina. in
his forty years of such experiences he had
never witnessed such an exhibition Of in-
telectual capacity.
The liberal leader is neither cold nor
quiet speaker. He is indeed, and has al
ways been unusually demonstrative with
his gestures and other aids to emotional
expression. In this last effort he is re.
ported to have been unusually demon
strative. Bismarck as a speaker cannot
be compared With him, and whatever dis
play of power or exhaustion may accom-
pany Bismarck's delivery or follow his
forensic efforts is due entirely to the
weight of his unique position as a states,
man or to his own physical disabilities NJ.
Theirs, another and great old man, held
in his day as unique place as relates to
France, as Mr.. Gladstone does to the
British nation and empire,
There is, however, special signifi,
canoe attached to Mr.. Gladstone and his
oratorical efforts, which are always per
sonal triumphs and have generally be-
come events in the history of British
parliamentary government. Apart from
the present conflict for nome rule in Ire
land. IN which Mr.. Gladstone gives proofs
of the severest test to his honor and sim
certy, history will esteem Gladstone's
career and actions as presemuentlY typi
cal of the underlying motive of repre-
sentative government, as English liberals
ism has developed during the past cen
tury and half.
That idea is one of growth, 1t recog>
nizes the right of the people in their sev>
eral grades, interests or classes, to be
considered and included within the body
polite, Just so far and fast as they make
themselves felt in the matter of demand
and desire. AT least this has been Mr.
Gladstone Interpretation of parliamen
tary institutions during the whole of his
long evolution from Tory dreamer in his
Young manhood to the wonderful place
he now holds of almost democratic lead
ership, in the glowing sunset of his pow
erful old age.
The real lesson of Mr. Gladstone's' pub.
lie life is seen in his faithful acceptance,
within the lines of parliamentary evOlu>
tion and representative government. of
the right of the people to rule, when they
prove their intention so to do.
Surely, no one willsconslder Mr.. Glad
stone as in haste to do justice to Ireland.
for he has not been. But he is in haste
to prove his unimpeachable fidelity to the
fundamental. tho primal necessities of
such a system of free government and
representative institutions as the mother
branch of the British race have slowly
and laborously worked out For that
history will crown Mr.. Gladstone with
her most undying laurels.