New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-12
THE RIVALS.
LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL AND MIR,
CHAMBERLAIN IN BIRMINGHAM.

]
| crbed as n drama or as duel. Or, say thar
| there are two leading characters in the drama
/ and that the duel is between them. Another ach
has been played tonight, and another shot fred.
! The two leading characters are none other than
Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr. Chamberlain.
! They were once friends like others who have
! fought dues. They still the forms OF friend
! ship, and write public letters 10 each other be-
| ginning :" My dear Chamberlain and Ny dear
| Churchill" in which every exclamation point
| is dagger. or personal relations / say nothing
! but their political friendship is n thing Of the
! past Mr.. Cham bcrain has long looked UPON
! Birmingham political preserve. lie brooked
| but i'll The asccndancy Of Mr. Bright though Mr..
! Bright never dreamed of interfering with Mr..
| Chamberlalns municipal authority any moro than
Lord Randolph does Parochal affairs were not
10 Mr.. Brghts tastes. Mr.. Cbamberlains earliest
fame was gained by his dispatch OF porochal
| business, and he would, / imagine, find no rival
| IN Lord Randolph if h. cared TO revert 10 them,
! ana again 10 cXpend his energies upon then.
! pom Mr.. Bright's death Mr.. Chamberlain looked
forward TO an unchacnged control over the
| politics Of the city, for one division of which, tho
! Western. he sits in Parliament. True there was
| a split in the Liberal party. and there was not
entire harmony even thel between the Tories
and the Liberal Unionsts But there was no
man of any party who could be thou ght rival
TO the Radical cx-liayor
The Birmingham Tories however long FESTIVE
under the autocracy established BIZ Mr. Chamber
! lain. long in a minority long excluded BIZ clever
| bossmg' from what they thought their fair
/ share Of municipal and parliamentary representa-
/ ton, resolved on an effort to recover their free
! dom and TO select leader Of their own; and upon
| Mr.. Brights death they asked Lord Randolph
! Churchill TO stand for the Central Division Of
Birmingham. Ihore were Complications with
| the l.bcra.-U nonisis. 1t was Liberal Unionst
seat, and TO nominate Tory was in their vew
violation of the compact by which each section
Of the Unionist party all over the Kingdom was TO
keep what it held The Birmingham Tories in.
sisted that they were no parties to that compact:
it had always been understood, they said, that
their claim to this particular seat 10 be
respected they were the majority, and they meant
70 give the seat 10 Lord Randolph. lie put him.
self in the hands of his friends, one OF these
friends being Mr.. Chamberlain himself, and
they advised him to decline 1t
well understood at the time that 10 was
Mr. Chamberans voice which had been thu
deciding one and people who do not like him sad
| That he was resolved NJ all costs 10 keep LORD
Randolph out Of Birmingham. II that was his
purpose, he has clearly failed. Lord Rlndolph
is in Birmingham, and has come to stay. His
friends think he ought 10 have accepted the first
| proposal but their fidelity is proof against re-
| fusn He has again been offered, and tins time
has accepted the Tory nomination for Central
! Birmingham, the nomination to take ehect as
soon as there shall be vacancy probably at the
| next general election, since Mr.. D. a. Bright j.
not likely TO resign before that the seat which ne
| may be said to have inherited from his father
! If Mr. Chamberlain had been as wise as ne IL
| adroit he would have foresecn TINS state OK
things, and have said TO Lord Randolph when ths
scat was offered him: All right, you and I are
old friends; come down TO Birmingham ana wa
viii divide the kingdom between US lie an
not. and now there bids fair to be a division even
less to his mind than he might then have elected
COMPULSORY instead of amicable; and his share
less These birmingham Tories tremendously
in earnest both in their loves and their hates
am afraid they do hate-politically speaklns-Mr.
Chamberlain whose iron sceptre has so long peeh
welded over them--and there Is no DOUBT they
lave Lord Randolph. Their affection for nm ~
almost pathetic, and their ADMINISTRATORS
of it are overwhelming They follower
him through the streets after the meet
ing. still cheering. lie IS president OK
the Midland Conservative Club, an ehergeud
and well directed organization. and 1t was as
president of that club that he spoke tonight.
As | happened 10 be here. OH my way to Liver
pool heard him; for the second
time only on any other platform tnah
such as the House of Commons affords. lie lS IN
fact making few days visit TO tie Mdands. ana
speaking all the time.
To-nights meeting was in the Town Hail. long
the central spot of English political activity IN
tbe Liberal sense The place is full of echoes;
aho oil
Brioht's. 1t is impossible to enter the hall without
being reminded of him-nay, without hearing again
the ring Of those deep, magnificent tones. That
majestic presence is once again before your eyes;
an abiding vision and a lifelong influence upon
everybody who ever met him listened 10 MN
in the great city where he so long supreme.
Between him and those who now stand in his place
I enter upon no comparisons; they would not DC
odious but they are out of place. Let us deal
with events as we find them and take things as
they are and think of no transitions Inc nal.
is AS full as ever. and | should almost say luh
of the same people. There are the same Keen.
eager faces: the stamp on them OF the lroh anu
steel in which their hands have wrought; haru'
shrewd cautious. and thoughtful Are the Llo-
erals of Birmingham turning Tories? III they
are il is because the Tories are themselves urn
ing Democrats. and here tonight Is the Iory
Democrat in person. he who created the name anu
who impersonates the idea.
They greet him with war of cheers: cheers
which had risen before his coming. in homage
70 Lady Randolph who walked in before him
on the arm of the chairman Mr.. Rowlands. This
brilliant appartion seemed surprise TO the audi
ence. There is mistahing the enthusiasm.
The meeting is an open one-LiberalS free TO come
if they choose. and some of them have chosen
as they prove presently by cheers for Mr.. Glad
stone and otherwise dissenting from the orator
Of the evening There is brass band in one
corner Of the platform. and the band. he enters.
strikes into some triumphant tune ending with
the inevtabe " For he's q Jolly good fellow.'