The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-16
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.

A Melrose, Mass. woman who presented
herself at town meeting to vote for school
committee voted the entire ticket before 1t
was discovered.
w. II. II. Murray is going to the northern
extremity OF British America where no
white mans foot has ever trod, to hunt up
an UNEMPLOYED lake of which he has learned.
In England a coach journey is regarded as
one of the most charming and delightful
methods of locomotion, given good roads and
summer weather. of course A gentleman
was in the company Of some Australian
friends the other day. A Queenslander was
Boosting that his district was far ahead
of any other known place In the accommoda-
ton, comfort, and variety Of its coach-tra
cling. Variety, certainly" replied Vic
torian. "This was the variety when trav-
elled there lately. You could book first, Sec
deep and awkward, first-class passengers
had the privilege of walking on ahead, sec
ond-class kept by the horses to beat them up
with long saplings. whilst the third pushed
the coach from behind"
The French papers, with the gallantry of
their nation, attribute the rise of the EN-
peror William to the influence Of his wife,
the Empress Augusta. They declare that
previous to the marriage which was one for
state reasons, Prince William, as he was
then called, was content to perform his mill
tary duties quietly, and had no higher ideal
than that of an ambitious subaltein eager to
perfect himself In the routine of his profess
sion. lie was very cOntented bachel0r;
but mai ied 0bediently to his brothers COM
mand the Princess Augusta of Saxe-W eimar
a patron of Goethe and Schiller. The Prin-
cess Augusta was then called very blue"
that is, strong-minded and learned. She in
herited the literary tastes from her family,
and is a scholar of no mean rank.
London correspondent of the Boston
Post falls In with the estimate which Lord
Randolph Churchill has more than once
made of the position of the Gladstonian par
ty should its great leader be taken away. 1t
is said that there is good deal of discomfort
under the surface with all the Liberal lead
ers save Mr. Gladstone. They have no
pluck, no energy, no self-devotion. Sir
Charles Russell is to some extent an excep-
ton, and Mr.. Shaw Lefevre and Lord Rip0n
are good men, though not Intellectually pow.
erful. But the rest are, as Disraeli said OF
the front opposition bench many years ago,
s'extinct volcanoes" Mr.. j. Morleyis timid,
hesitating, positively frightened at any bold
policy. Sir w. Harcnurt is bold enough
when others have led the way and it Is made
quite safe for him. Men like Granville and
Childers and Mundella are mere ciphers.
Courage and energy are needed, aud are not
forthcoming. This the Tories and Unionists
know perfectly well; and they care little Tor
the liberal leaders. They reckon that II
they can only manage to carry on until old
age compels Mr.. Gladstone's retirement, they
can easily smash the other Liberal leaders
Consequently the people have to fall back on
their local leaders, or the energetic Radicals
like Labouchere, and 1.-THE Irish members,
for whom there Is now far greater demand
than for any English Liberals, with two or
three exceptions. 1t is William O'Brien,
John Dillon and Michael Davitt who, under
Mr.. Gladstone, are the real leaders OF Eng
fish Radicalism