New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-11
"LABBY."
DIPJIOMATIST - JOURNALIST - POLITICIAN
MINISTER?

used cognomen. There is no doubt that he Is In
the House of Commons and out of 1t one OF tile
most active agents of liberalism, and CONSERVATIVE
authorities, for purposes of their own easily fecos
nizable take il as matter OF course that wheh MI
Gladstone forms his Ministry some place must oe
found for the guerilla chief That such specula-
ton should form part of the ordinary poliicai con-
versstion Of the day would, ten years ago. nave
seemed impossible. Mr. Labouchere has 1or
quarter of century hled pcu-
liar and increasingly prominent place In Engnsh
life. But only within the last two or three year,
has ne come to be regarded in serious light as a
politician. From his earliest boyhOod he has been
connected with public affairs. He entered the
diplomatic service during the Crimean War,
youth of twenty-three He managed TO see good
deal of life. and must have brought his immediate
superiors into keen sympathy with the frame OF
mind described in Ecclcsiastes when the grass
hopper shall he burden" After ten years en-
pericncc of diplomatic life he retired But the
memories Of the period dwell with him, and fur-
nish him in Committee of Supply on the Civil
Service estimates with many quaint II occasionally
apocryphal stories and illustrations.
One of the best known is of his journey from
Dresden TO Constantinople, which he quotes as
illustrating the imperative niggardliness which
rules at the Foreign Office in contrast with the
wealth lavshed on the Continental residences of
British Ambassadors. The young attache not put
ting in an appearance at Constantinope at the ap-
pointed period, formal inquiry was made as to the
reason for the delay. After much trouble and
considerable expense the misSive reached his hand,
and in due course letter arrived at the Foreign
Office stating that as inadequate provision had
been made for his travelling expenses and that as
bis private means limited, Mr.. Labouchere
was walking, and would in due time reach the
shores Of the Bosphorus, Another legend of his
diplomatic career has its locality fixed at
Washington, where he was for some
time stationed. One day an aggreS-
sively irate countryman with grievance pre-
scnted himself at the office, and demanded to see
the British Minister lie was shown into MIR.
Labouchcre's room, who. with the suavity which
never deserts him in the most pressing moments,
explained that his Excellency not in WELL
said the visitor. evidently suspecting subterfuge.
81 must see him and will wait till he comes"
"Very good" said Mr.. Labouchere pray, take
o chair" and he resumed his writing. At the end
of an hour the Britsher, still fretting and fuming,
asked when the Minister would be back u
really cannot say, exactly" the attache answered.
But you expect him back?' the visitor insisted.
"Oh, certainly said hIr Labouchcre. and went
on writing, as Madame Defarge, on famous Oc-
casion. went on knitting. AT the end of another
hour the irate visitor bouncing up, insisted on
knowing what were the habits Of the Minister at
that period of the day. Was nc likely to be in in
another hour; Il think not" said Mr.. La
bouchere with increased blandncss the fact Is,
he sailed for Europe on Wednesday and can
hardly yet have reached Queenstown. But, you
know, you said you would wait till he came in, so
] offered you chair
1t was in 1864 that Mr. Labouchcre retired
from the Diplomatic Service. and promptly turned
his attention to political life. BY an odd coinci.
Gcnce, this EXTREMIST of Radicals entered the
House Of Commons as Member for the Royal Dor
ough of Windsor, anomaly promptly adjusted
by his being unseated petition, bribery and cor
ruption being alleged against this blameless
Senator. That was in 1856. In the following
year he successfully contested MiddleseX. but his
tenure of the seat equally brief. In the fol.
lowing year came the general election, and though
all the country Liberals were returned in
swarms, Middlesex left Mr.. Labouchere out in the
cold. Up to this period he had not secured wide
recognition outside Parliament and club circles.
The breaking out Of the FrancoGerman War gave
him the opportunity he has always been swift to
seize. When the Germans closed around Paris
Mr.. Laboucherc voluntarily submitted to be shut
up in the capital, and all the world, reading The
Daily News profted by the letters from "A Be
sieged Resident" who photographed in merciless
severity and cynical humOr daily life in the
beea9uered city. Probably it was this episode
that turned Mr.. Laboucheres attention to journal.
ism. When, year or two later, Mr.. Edmund
Yates established The World" he contributed TO
II series of City articles which did much to con-
ccntrate public attention on the vigorous new
conner to weekly journalism. In 1876 Mr. La
bouchere established Truth" which, instinct in
every page with his brilliant individuality, was
success from the first. and is a potent factor
both in political and social life.
1t was at the General Election of 1880 that Mr.
Labouchere found ideal constituency to rep
resent in the House Of Commons Politically he
was made for Northampton and Northampton for
him. The accident Of his having Mr.. Bradlaugh
for colleague served to bring him into prominence
in the earliest days Of the new Parliament The
Bradaugh incident overshadowed everything, and
Mr. Labouchee rode on the whirlwnd, though,
thanks to the detection of a number of Liberals
who supported the Conservative opposition in
course they have since done their best to re.
trace, he did not control the storm. Full Justice
has never been done TO the loyalty of his conduct
toward colleague who possibly was not personally
attractive. 1t is Mr.. Labouchere's own fault that
he is never taken seriously, but he was serious
enough in the logged. resourceful implacable fight
he made for Bradlaugh. fight which ended in
final victory only when the junior Member for
Northampton was on his death-bed. Mr. Labou-
chere found in Parliamentary life, combined with
the editing of Truth precisely the outlet for
bis energy which he had sought in various di-
rections during period Of twentysiX years
When he first entered the House he was disappoint-
ing as speaker. 1t is true he was handicapped
by the often fatal condition that the House en-
pected much from him. His writing was familiar
to all his brilliant conversational powers were at
least widely known by reputc. When he rose
on the dull food of debate, people expected him to
sparkle, and he failed, partly perhaps. because con-
scious Of what was expected from him. he tried to
live up TO the standard. His speeches were too long