The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-07

ables get the ornamental posts. but the
places with real power attached TO them
are commonly filled by mere commoners
who never had grandfather TO speak of.
George Joachim Goschen, the most dis
tinguished chancellor OF the exchequer of
modern times, with the exception of Mr..
Gladstone, and the most influential men,
Der of the Salisbury ministry next TO the
premier, and the first lord of the treasury,
is a marked instance of middle-class
man who has risen to q high position. His
father was a London merchant of no great
prominence in business and Of no social
standing at all, who was commonly
supposed to be a German Jew, though in
fact be was English by birth and was a
Christian, whatever his progenitors may
have been. When young Goschen was
born, in 1881, to be suspected of Jewish
lineage was great disadvantage. No Jew
could sit in either house of parliament or
hold any public Office under the crown, or
enter either of the universities or any of
the public schools. Except in business or
on the turf, in fact, Jews were excluded
from all the avenues of success. The elder
Goschen boldly sent mis- son to Rugby and
to Oxford, and he distinguished himself so
much by his scholarship and his independ-
ence of character that he gained the respect
of all the men of sense among his fellow
students. He had to suffer a great deal of
Ill-treatment, nevertheless, on account of his
Hebrew physlognomy and foreign name.
Many of his contemporaries in public
affairs remember one little incident of his
life at Rugby, where he was a favorite
pupil OF DR.. TAFT, the late archbishop of
Canterbury The students had a very
offensive trick of inventing doggerel
rhymes, like this:
had bit of pork
i stuck IL on a fork,
And gave it to the Jew boy, Jewt
had bit OF mutton,
stuck II on button,
And gave II to the Jew boy, Jewt
had bit of beef,
stuck il on leaf,
And gave il 10 the Jew boy, Jew,
and so on, with tiresome monotony.
Goschen took this very good-temperedly
TIL one day student who was old enough
to know better, and whose noble birth
gave him great prominence, went a stem
too far. lie wrote the pork" stanza on
piece of paper and pinned it up in the
pew where Goschen used to sit in chapel
The result was an explosion of laughter
among the students during service, and an
inquiry on the part of the head master.
Dr 1alt was quite ready to punish the
offender, but Goschen begged him not to
take any notice of the affair He intended
to look after that matter himself He
sought out his tormentor and said to him.
Il wish you 10 understand that | am a
Christian, and SO is my father. but if I
were Jew would not be ashamed of ii.
and would not allow YOU to Insult me on
account of it. / don't mind what the
young fellows do because they know no
better. but Is for you--." At this poipt
the hight began, and the noble lord got the
best hiding he ever got in his life. He had
the manIiness to snake hands with the
victor and beg his pardon for what he had
done, ana the two young men were excel
lent friends afterward. This happy mix
ture OF good temper and high spirit helped
GoSchen very much at Oxford, and it has
he'pea hlm at many other important peri
DDS Of his life.
lie lett college with a good record, and
MS father having made & great deal of
money he went into business III the city
under favorable circumstances, becoming
Il partner III his fathers firm. In those
days 1t was most uncommon for n city
merchant to be man OF high intellectual
attalnments, and Mr. Goschen soon be-
came marked man, especially in relation
20 questions OF exchange and commercial
hNance. He became director of the Bank
on England at an age when most Young
merchants are occupied with the drudgery
on tAeIr business, and in 1853, at the age of
s., lie was returned 70 parliament as
one OF the members fo1 the CITY of
London. Naturally enough, one of
the hrst things he did in public life
was 10 give an energetic support 10 the
measures Tor removing the disabilities of
the Jews and placing people Of all relig-
ioIs denominations on an equal footing
Al the general election two wears later. ne
had the high distinction Of standing at
tne mead OF the poll for the city Of London.
lie AZ once retired from business and de-
voted himself entirely 70 politics. Honors
leil thlckly on him. He was given place
III Earl kussoll's ministry as vice 1.ezi-
Gent 81 the Board Of Trade and made q
4ugnber OF the priYy co1ucil. ana after
only . lev months apprenticeship 20 Of
nee was taken into the cabinet as chan
cellor OF the Duchy OF Lancaster. II was
~ TINS time that he came into
close contact with Mr. Gladstone
VINO formed a very high opinion
OF his talents. especially in relation 10
the SUBJECT of finance. &r. Gladstone
may tie said 10 be the hrst English states
man who regarded questions Of finance
from the point Of view OF the peonle
ptAer hnaaclers thought only of raising
the greatest amount of taxation for the
purposes Of the government. but M-
MAIDSTONE conceived the idea OF a urOrreSs-
I've system of finance. by which each
years budget should be q svstefn Of 70.
form, relieving the public bnr5ens
ana facilitating trade and industry. while
YET providing all the revenue REQUIRED
lie neAeYed lie had found IN Mr.. Goschen