The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-29
A GREAT MANS FAILURE.
How William NJ. Thackeray Ran for
Parliament.

Parliament.
From the L. ndon Illustrated Ne,cs.
The great Thsckeray in himself furnished
an illustration Of the saying that few men
are satisfied with their callings. No matter
how famous a man may be in his own walk
of life, he is apt to cherish ambitions extra
neous to it. In spite Of all the novelist had
written about snobs, he was a snob Of q
kind himself, political snob; it was the
hight of his ambition to become a member
of parliament. His knowledge of the sci
ence Of government and his information
about public affairs vas of the shallowest,
but he dreamed fondly of sitting on the
beaches at Westminster among men most
of whom would be pigmies in intellect to
him. The opportunity came when his friend,
Mr.. Charles Neate, who had been unseated
on petitio proposed Thackeray's name to
the liberal leaders who were contesting the
city Of Oxford with the Right Hon. Edward
Cardwell, the question au issue being the
Chinese war. The plan was to have Thack-
cray nominated as surprise to the electors
1t was thought that the prestige of his great
name as q literary mau would swamp the
conservative candidate. The novelist was
brought down to the Mitre hotel, the liberal
headquarters. Two or three hours before
his arrival the town was placarded with the
name of Thackeray, every wall, window and
public vehicle being called into requisition
for the purpose.
The civic burgesses who we're assembled
financially and politically had never heard
of him. They denounced him in stock
phrases OF electioneering ribaldry and OPP
probrium. Expecting at least a cotton
lord, q millionaire trade lord, or O Roths-
child. they found him a mockery, snare
and a delusionl No man could conjure with
his name. They adjourned to the street.
Their discomfort increased outside the
hotel. When Thackeray with his escort
arrived they formed a crowd singularly
dumb, dull, depressed and undemonstra-
tive. The little handbook bus drew up; the
solemnity Of funeral prevailed; the males
tic form of Thackeray alighted and walked
into the hotel with the demeanor of chief
mourner. Evidently there was something
wrong in the proceeding; the unexpected
happening To make matters worse, the
head waiter, installing Thsckeray for a
private guest, Ishered him into the coffee
room instead of his committee room. He
had barely time to select chair before the
crowd of malcontents rushed into the apart
ment, upsetting and laundering upon
chairs and tables. making a babel Of de-
mands for information and a speech.
He could not mako speech. Again and
again he rose, gestioulated or bowed and
sat down. His escort, consisting of three
persons, endeavored to exblain on his behalf
that he desired time to consider-to consult
his friends who had not arrived-to issue
his address before speaking. All in vain.
Deafening simultaneous shouts of who
are your what are your obtaining no
response, q well-kpown amateur reciter
from the back of the room in his most
melancholy melodramstio manner shouted,
Hes the babyp'
The uproar following this sally gave the
first intimation Of 1hackeray's arrival to
the Neate party awaiting him in the COM
mittee room, and brought them upon the
scene. Grasping Thaokersy's hand with
some difficulty over a couch and fallen
chairs, Mr.. Neate introduced him as "a
friend come down to fight their battle and
win the lost seat" 81 willin said Thacke-
ray, radiant with Joy and choking with
emotion. II will will"
Extremes In language met. A radical
publican named Scone or Scown, the mall
content ringleader, in explosive billings
gat, told the great author to cut out his
tongue, to come without speeches, political
opinions, or anything else So long as he
came the friend of Charles Neate they
would vote for him.
The sentiment OF the publican put every
one in fighting trim, became the "cry" Of
the contest, and SO obliterated every other
consideration as to make Thackeray's ad-
dress. when 1t appeared. superhuous. Ex-
cept to himself, from that moment Thack-
cray, as a politician, disappeared; he
dropped out OF the political world when he
stepped into il.
At his first public meeting Thackeray's
weakness was exposed. Called upon for a
speech, he rose amid a pandemonium Of
cries and stammered out: when l dined
with nay friend, Lord ---, after dinner
my health was proposed. ! rose to make a
speech. / had to do then what do now.n
He then sat down. Neate again came TO
his assistance, making a stirring speech on
the questions of the day, and the meeting
ended with an uproar Of Neate- Tkackeray
enthusiasm.
Then the great man began house-to
house canvass He looked in on a Chart
ist cohbler to solicit his support.
you are q shoemaker" said Thackeray,
conciliatingly, only to receive this brusque
retort: Horses wear shoes; l don't shoe
horses. You will see what am when you
get outside. Thacl.eray went out, looked
up, and on the signboard read, Boot
maker"
Canvassing very soon proved no Vanity
Purgatory. After a short experience he
wrote to Charles Dickens that only about
SIX persons in the place knew him, while all
knew Dickens, who would help him out of
a bottomless pit by coming down to speak
for him at public meeting. Dickens de-
clined.
At meeting few days later ThaclIeray
was paralyzsd with fright at the prospect Of
having to make speech, and the fiction Of
sudden call by telegram to London was re-
sorted to by the chairman to get the author
of VANITY Fairn out of the room.
A constantly recurring reference while
canvassing to his attack Of "ague in Romen
became the cue for leaving him behind.
When "aguen was mentioned he became
severe. Sometimes he would follow up with
restored congeuiality; generally, he was lost
for the day, to be found when wanted re-
clining on his bed with a book.
This Oxford is beautiful place." he OBJ
served one moonlight night, hating at the
corner of All Souls College, in the High
street, to look up at the spire Of St Mary's
church. "When / was in America. In the
newest and most remote villages, even the
children ran out as l passed. recognizing
and calling me by name; here, nobody
knows me.'
Win or lose, he determined that his OPP
portunity Of making q speech should not be
lost Acting upon tue advice OF a friend,
"Have something to say and say it, he
went into the seclusion Of his bedroom for