New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-11
PERSONALITIES.
MIR. BALFOUR ION THE WANE"-MR. CHAM
BERLAIN AGAIN-MR. SALA AND
MIR. HARRY FURNlSS.

give YOU. as Nine de Sevigne would say "h
Cuesses Not perhaps in ten times Ten "oulu "
occur to YOU that it is Mr. Baltour "ho'n WI,
Wemyss Reid thus describes lie Is hinsei
.,vare and he admits. that his dictum will seem
ridiculous to his readers lie perhaps is not aware
that the reason he alleges for 1t Is more RIDICULOUS
still Mr. Balfour. it seems was doing very we"
until he entered upon contest with MI Wlinahn
ORr;cn ON the subject of Mr.. William OBnens
brceches The breeches beat him, or, as MI
Wemyss Reid oddly puts it. the homeN garment
bccame a weapon fatal to Mr.. Balfour. Into what
kind of a weapon can a pair of brceches be con-
xertedp The sentence suggests an IRISH author
Whatever it be- II from the day when Mr.. " Brleh
was allowed to wear his own clothes III prison. the
Irish members had passed the sharpest corner 10
their long struggle with the Cocrcionist Ministry
and Mr.. Balfour was beaten man!
The journal in which this nonsense appears is
not avowedly comic paper III is Only
partisan paper. Its study OF MI. baiIouI
Is merely a piece of invectlve. ana OF poor
invective, against the Coercion Act; written ny
somebody who is very angry MI "emHsS hei'
is the editor of the journal in question: not per-
haps the actual writer of the article IL Is coi-
ceiyable. as said, that the writer is an lrishman
trained perhaps in the school Of Mr.. . Bren MN
self He attacks Mr.. Balfour more bitterly
than MIR. OBrien attacked Earl Spencer or sir
George Trevelyan: and the attack. though as mt
for is less vulgar and brutal than that when MI
OBriens paper for years directed against his pres
ent allies The method is in each case the same
Say of your opponent what YOU would IKE 10 DE-
ljeye and like others believe. to he true; accuse
him of offences you think him capable OF commit
ting and reduce him to that level of public hatred
and contempt which you think his proper place,
You may persuade those who wish to nc pefsiaue"
that he has really sunk to this level: or that lie
is really on the wane in the phrase Of the hour
This is not very scrupulous journalism. but II
serves purpose.
The other Politician on the Wane NO. OF
the series. Mr. Chambcrlain-was once more told
this week by the London organ of Gladstonlsm
that he is an impossible person. Neither Mr..
Gladstone. nor Mr.. Parnell, nor their principal
colleagues nor any of them, can he expected 10
enter into any further negotiations with Mr.. Cham
berlain" Why? because he has stlgmatlzed
the Irish members as little better than murderers;
he has accused the Liberal party. which he de-
serted. Of active and intelligent SYM
pathy with crime; he has referred 10
Mr. Gladstone in language which Mr. Gladstone
followers resent. though Mr. Gladstone hlmsen
does not What pity that people VINO wrlc
in this way have short memories and so imperfect
a sense of humor! Suppose il were all true. Mr..
horrible about Mr.. Gladstone or his colleagues or
tbe Liberal Marty as Mr. OBricn and bis colleagues
have said Yet it has been found possible for
nolitical ends 10 forgive Mr.. O'Bren, 10 enter
into negotiations with him. TO espousc his cause,
20 defend his widest exploits. The calumnies-
he admits them 10 be calumnies-.wite which ne
once despatched Earl Spencer. for example, are
now directed AGAINST Mr.. Balfour. They are
kaown to nave no foundation now than they
had then. But the men who resented and de-
nounced them wien Earl Spencer was the victim
accept them and echo them when IL Is Mi Ballour
who is reviled
The Gladstonian article have quoted against
Mr. Chamberlain appeared on Monday. IN Tues
day the impossible further negotiations had al
really begun. and him whom The Daily News
was ready 10 burn on Monday ii Is almost pre-
pared TO adore on Tuesday. One reads in kind
CT stupor that Mr. Chamberlain IN the House on
Monday was very able and powerful, that his
sentiments were sound and constitutional, that
his commercial and financial capacity would not
be denied Oy his bitcTeSt opponent, that his pro-
posal was generous proposal; and much more
in the same tone The explanation is that Mr..
Chamberlain had made speech on the Land Pur
chase Dill Of kind which his critic of yesterday
and eulogist of to-day thought might be damaging
10 tie Government 1t may be, and 1T may not,
but. whether IL lie or not, dOcS IL HOt oCcuI "
this not very wise journalist that it is bad policy
20 burn your bridges to-day If you have TO re-
build them tomorrow? The interval is very short.
Mr.. Harry Furnisss libel on Mr.. George Au-
gusus Sala consisted i'll three separate statements
o. That Mr.. Sala offered sketches " the late Mr..
Charles Dickens which Ir. Dickens refused; "
that he sent in drawings as candidate Tor The
Roval Academy schools, one Of which foot
hot lao had netn Mod
mixtures on the walls of an eating-saloon, and 50
acquired taste for cookery. All these state
ments. said Mr. Saa's counsel in court, were un-
truc and were calculated TO degrade and insult
Mr.. Sala. To relieve himself from this degrade
ton and insult lie brought an action for libel, and
this action was tried last Friday, and resulted III
"a verdict fer Mr.. Saa for the sum OF 80. mat
in the opinion Of British jury, was an adequate
solatium for the degradation and insult which Mr.
Sala had suffered at the hands Of Mr. Harry
Furnss.
Whether Mr.. Sala be of the same opinion as hi'
jury ! know not, but think most Journalistic
with some regard for their profession regret ina
so miserable q squabble as this should have bceI
fought out In court. No doubt Mr.. Furniss
statements untrue, for Mr.. Sala has denlet
them all on oath. True false, they could d'
him no harm not, in any case tenth part
the harm he has done himself by perscNcIlhS VIII
this action. Mr.. Furniss was ready enough u
make amends for his error. He offered TO apollo
gize and to pay Mr.. Saias costs. An apology wa
drawn up The friends OF both thought IL
sufficient apology, but Mr.. Sala would none o
4, and framed another, of an abject kind with
stimulation that it should be advertised in TN
papers: such an apology, said one of Mr.. Sala'
friends as no man of honorable feeling coulC
sign. So the fight went on, ending with Thu
sos verdict Mr.. Furniss had paid $40 int
court. The jury gave Sl5 more; but there is NJ
apology.
The ISLANDERS, said Mr.. Saa, vehemently. arr
absolutely false; adding still more vchcmentlN
that they were "absurdly and wlckedly false