The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-17
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN.
The Radical Tredesman who Has Come
ever for an American Bride.

narties is reversed. AS usual, it is union
ot blood and Doodle. But the blood is
American and the Doodle English. Usually
the money comes from this side of the
water and ancestry and social position
from the other. A fair trade is made be-
tween the two and nobody has cause to
complain If the principals are satisfied. In
deed there is nothing anomalous in we'd
djngs of this kind to a social philosopher in
London, who rises to point out that
when title is purchased in this
way. it is nothing more nor less
than union of superior mortals In the
olden days, says this Individual, strong men
won titles. In these DAYS they win wealth
The aristocracy, therefore, he says, is re-
cruited from the vigorous families of the
nresent day and constantly improved by
his infusion of new blood, and it is this
process going on steadily from year to year
that preserves the British aristocracy and
keeps it up above the ordinary human level
from which it would quickly fall if obliged
TO consume itself and intermarry. The
whole scheme, it is said, was contemplated
by the originators of the aristocratic sys-
tenn, and il is eminently proper from every
noint of view that impoverished noblemen
should replenish their Golfers and improve
their stock by marriage with American
girls.
But there is nothing of this kind involved
in the Chamberlain Endicott wedding
There is a great deal of ignorance mani
tested by the newspapers as TO the real
status of Mr. Chamberlain in England.
One of them constantly refers to him as
Sir Joseph Chamberlain" Another says
that by marrying him Miss Endicott Twill
take at once the front rank in London
society. ''She won't take any rank at all
Mr. Chamberlain is nothing but COM
moner, and a very ordinary one at that,
who has no family position, no ancestry
and no hereditary standing. He is nothing
but a radical tradesman, than which moth
ing is more odious and representative of
all that is hateful in the eyes Of the
aristocracy, the old Tories and all that goes
to make up London society. Mr.. Chamber
lain may, perhaps, have some position
among his fellow manufa cturers CT Birm-
ingham and in the world of trade, but even
an English shopkeeper whose father was
somebody, or amounted to as much as him
self, looks with contempt upon one whose
father twas nobody" This, unfortunately
is the position of Mr.. Chamberlain His
father was an ignorant mechanic, who
saved up few pounds and went into the
screwmaking business in a small way when
gimlet-pointed screws were invented
by Sir Joseph Whitworth. 1t is even said
that the elder Chamberlain could neither
read nor write, and he is well remembered
at Birmingham in his later years as vul-
gar and purse-proud politician, whose only
amusement was to rail and sheer at gentle
men and people of education and social po-
sitlon. 1t was under these influences that
the future member of parliament was
brought up. He was fairly well educated.
but when, as young man, he endeavored
to force his way into the society
of Birmingham, he was quickly sat
upon. These early snubs are said TO have
embittered his spirit. At any rate his
father, who was always Boosting of his
''order"-i. e., mechanics and social out
casts-encouraged the political aspirations
of Joseph. Birmingham is a hot-bed of
radicalism, socialism, communism, and
every other ism that seeks to destroy the
prevailing order of things, and Chamber
lain, by reason of bis money and attitude of
antagonism toward all that EngIishmen
hold dear, was elected to parliament from
this constituency without any trouble.
When he first entered the House of Com
mons Joseph Chamberlain was, as the re-
porters say, 1.-THE cynosure CT all eyes" A
great deal had been printed about this new
radical in the British press, and society re-
garded him as a curiosity, somewhat as it
looked upon Bradlaugh and the Tichborne
claimant. He was hashiy dressed when he
first came into the House and was very
nervous, which Disraeli attributed to
natural excitement upon finding himself
in the society OF gentlemen for the first
time" During the first years of his
parliamentary career London society
was not aware of the existence of Mr..
Chamberlain, in spite of his strenuous
efforts to gain a foothold. But he had
common sense enough to appreciate the
strength of the preiudice against him, and
made no effort to gain entrance to any of
the clubs. Outside of the House of Commons
the liberal members cut him dead. The
conservatives professed not to know that
such a man existed. Chamberlain had
meanwhile invented a thing called the Biz
mingham caucus, adopting some Of the
worst political methods of this country in
an effort to make that pocket borough so
as to re-elect himself indefinitely.
This succeeded for time, and through it
he forced himself into Gladstone's cabinet.
He was endeavoring to initiate the example
OF John Bright, the only difference being
that John Bright was a strong man who
rose to his natural level, whereas Chamber
lain tried to rise by political tricks in the
absence of commanding intellect Neces-
sarily as cabinet minister he was accorded
some social recognition, but this was only
at liberal houses in London and for political
reasons. The same people would never
receive him in the privacy OF their
country seats. This is the case at present.
The liberal hostesses have shut their doors
upon him, but the conservative entertainers
are obliged to tolerate the man because
Lord Salisbury needs his vote. Were he
not in Parliament, Chamberlain would lit
orally be nobody i'll the social world. This
Is contingency that is not unlikely to
arise. Like the demon of Frankenstein,
which German student created, the Biz
mingham caucus now threatens the politi-
cal life of the man who brought it into ex-
lstenee. A Gladstonian candidate now run
nlng in Birmingham would defeat Cham
berlain, and one will be put in the field at
the next election. He will have no show
outside. The conservatives hate him, and
all other radicals. He has no individual
strength to give in return for
seat, and the conservative whips have
700 many clever young men Of their
own to provide for, even supposing that a
conservative constituency would return
nm, which is extremely improbable. 1t is,
therefore, difficult to see what worldly at
traction there can be for an American girl
IN thls middle-aged man who has buried
TWO wives and has two grown up families,
aside from his great wealth, unless she were
Wiling to trust to luck in the hope that
ttle might happen to come his way. Ger
tam II is that Chamberlain could never
have married into such n good family as
tle Endicotts in London, and it is not I'M
Hkely that n disagreeable surprise may
await our fair country woman when she
nhds what is his real social position, or lack
OF position, in London.