New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-11


STONES SPEECH - SIR WILLIAM
HARcoURT-THE sTmKE-THE
MASTER OF BALLIoL.
,pY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.1
con,o,,ob,. 1891 ; Bv The Tribune Assoctation
Iordon. Oct. 1o-Thc death of Mr.. w. Fl.
S,,i,h is n real misfortune for Lord Salisbury's
Covcrnment. He was one of those men OF whomi'
anring their lifetime, some evil was spoken from
uursv nolitical motives and after his death
notbin0 but good The final testimony Is the
true one. No Englishman, no English statesman
,.ed desire a better eulogy than is bestowed on
Afr Smith by his opponents. They recognize,
do nor saw generously, but fully, his sterllns
worth his good sense, his sense of honor, MS
devotion TO duty, his able conduct of dlricult
Affairs the total absence of rancor In MS uea-
ipgs with party matters, his fairness, his mooera-
ton. and his invariable courtesy.
lie was one of the foremost men OF business IA
England. Yet when Lord Beaconsfield maze MIN
a Cabinet Minister there came sneer from soni'
Of thosc aristocratc Tories who have proved 'neii
ability to manage their own estates INTO O"n
ruptcy. When Lord, Salisbury made nm ie@ue,
of the House of Commons in succession I" ~
Randolph Churchill again the sneer was - -
Presently il was perceived that the Suanu ""
man, as some young aristocrats caHeu No. ,n
leading the House very well lndeeu' " ,,ood
failing temper, great natural snie| s snscient
knowledge OF men ana of affairs, ana q eu"'O
acquaintance with TIE forms OF uie H' -,
beneath his easy manner an unbehulne ue0 :. -
tion in high matters. If he had l"uiV ~
bs too gncat readiness TO believe others as eu
forward as himself The baser sol. Vi MS
noneuts traded on this belief. lald traps ioi ni'
and chuckled when they saw MN "aIh lh'o 'n'"
c'o the last this honorable man was 'he uup' "
those who deliberately lied to hlnl' anu poiH1fS
that is as good testimony 10 MS own eii''
of nature as any other. lie had sohie''Ans NV"
than courtesy: he had urbanity, much rarer
quality lie had also an almost TOO sredU i."'.
ness TO undergo the ascendancy OF
primo Minister so masterful in temper
rs Lord Salisbury. What Lord Salisbury dishNeu
IN Tord Randolph Churchill was his independence
and his resolve to assert the Independence OIL tnc
Uouso of Commons. Lord Randolph thought the
Leader of the body in which is centred the poii.l
cal autboritv Of the Empire had right To- oe
consulted 10 bc informed of everything, ana %
know the secrets of the policy which he had 10
defend in the House. lie was entirely right In
theorv but the theory is one which III Is hou
nossible to put in practice with Lord SALISBURY
as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister too Mt.
Smith was content to take things as he todhu
them. to be ignorant of such dlplomauc secrets
as Lord Salisbury preferred to keep 10 nlhseli'
and TO do his best when the time came 10 co"A
a reluctant and distrustful House TO accept
policy with respect TO which neither he nor the
House had beer consulted.
He was q Leader of the House of Commons
after Lord Salsbury's own heart. Yet he was
none the less popular and none the less trusted
by the House itself which knew him to be In
capable of sacrificing in the end his CONVICTIONS
on the rights of the House. He was no oTator'
vet often an effective advocate His simplicity
of speech served him in good stead, and the very
absence of art sometimes produced the effect OF
art. Tie Difference which the House showed him
,yos a homage 10 character, as it was In the case
of Lord Althorp or of Lord harrington for when,
during Mr. Gladstonc's retirement, Lord Harting-
ton led the House, ne was far from belns the
speaker he has since become
To replace him will not he easy. Probably
no successor will be appointed just yet; per
hans not till the House resumes next January
There are gucsses, of course Eager politicians
cannot wait till to-day's memorial services ID
Westminster Abbey are over, or till tins gooo
Englishman is laid in his grave II MI Baltohi
could he spared from the Irish Office, he would oe
the next Leader of the House. But to govern
Ireland and to lead the House OF Commons al
the same time is burden too heaVy LOT any
man. Mr. Balfour cannot we'll quit his prcsen'
post till he has carried. or failed TO c1rrS' MS
bill for the local government OF Ircland-ohe Vi
the must complex of measures, brishng WIN olin
cultes in every clause The chances are tna'
Sir Michael Hicks Beach viii succeed Mr. Smith
He is a perfectly competent man, with temper
not always under control.
There is a final point of comparison between
Mr.. Smith and Mr. Parneli, Both died martyrs 10
public duty or to what they esteemed sucn'
Mr. Smith little as he looked It, was a man oil
anxious temper He could not take things hgnMy
Ee would not relnquish responsibilities "hlch
be knew b. he too heavy for him. asked yes,ei-
DAY one Of his colleagues in the Housc,-a man oil
the highest competence and authoflty'-whe'n'i
nie friend might not have prolonged his lie pH
resigaing his post Beyond DOUBT answered.
he: "but Mr. Smith never would spare himself
40 lon: as there was duty TO be done. AS ior
Mr. PsrnclI he had in him the unconquerable
Instinct Of conflict He had fought for years
against what seemed hopeless odds. and won
Wby srould he Weld now? He would not
yield: thc less so that he dospised his enemies
mud never dcspared of regaining his hold on Ireland
ea he fought on at all tires and places, counting
rc, the cost needless of himself, hecdful only ol
the work he still had TO do. and the position be
Mas resolved 10 reconquer.
The death of King is not always, in these
democratic days, an event of supreme Importance
TO the world, or to his own Kingdom. and there
are lew sovereigns whose departure would oc-
casOn less political emotion than that OF the
King Of Wurtemburs Germany swallowed MIN
up, him and his Kingdom. He remained, however
King lie had court, and much state and
ceremony surrounded him. But of influence upon
tie course of political events in Germany he had
none Ills wife, daughter of the Car Nicholas,
is busting, eager woman who believed herself
born to rule, ana, il any ruling were done in this
little Kingdom of Wurtemburg, she it was who
did it, The new King is even less likely than his