New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-11
"HONEST JOHN"
MR. MORLEY AT NEWCASTLE-AN EPOCH
IN HIS CAREER-HIS MAIDEN SPEECH
IN THE COMMONS.

NOnlug succeeds like SUCCESS, anu "PN" '~''
Of his great triumph at Newcastle there comes
10 Mr.. John Morley a food of personal popu-
lsrity. lie has always been esteemed pS inc
people- but has never before this hard-won hght
succeeded in touching their affection. lie was
known as Honest John" during the general
election. man OF letters. statesman anu a
scholar he was opposed by local gentleman III
personal appearance and general charactefls'i's
not without "reminiscences OF Mr.. Mica"oer III
his prosperous DAYS This gentleman was locally
known as "Old Charlie and as ne s'ru''eo
about. his more than seventy years rRih@ on
spripgtime again. with summer SUIT, nsht covert
coat of latest fashion, and high white hat lauh'lN
cot on one side of his head, men and boys fol-
lowed him. jubilantly cheering when he lightly
kissed his hand TO girls, pretty or other"lse'
who had brothers or husbands with votes. be-
tween Mr. Hammond and Mr.. John Morley
there was fixed great a gulf as might ya">'
between two works of the same Creator feopie
laughed at Old Charlie, and listened attenuVcN
10 the weghty speeches Of Honest John. But when
the poll was declared it was found that on an
uuprecedentedly large poll Old Charlie was 5000
ahead. and Honest John had retained his seat only
by grace of 2ls voters, who had at the last
moment plunked for him, leaving the colleague
with whom he ran much in the rear.
That was a severe blow for a man or MI
Morley's position, seeing it was dealt IN con-
stitucncy which in point Of numbers and standard
pf Sntelligence ranks highest among Li'eral
boroughS 1t would have paralyZed some men
u has been the final making OF John Morley. 1t
stirred him to his deepest depths, and they nave
proved 70 be richly profound. When' on MS
acceptance Of office, the ring was cleared aO
Newcastle for another tussle, Mr.. Morley hung
himself into the fray with courage tnat might
have been expected from him, but with q 'lgor'
a vcrve and a light. sure touch with the PEG
pie capability for which was hitherto unsupported
1t was almost fatally late in life that he entered
IHe arena of active politics. lie was IN HIS
forty-si2th year when he entered the House Vi
Commons as Member for Newcastle, sPien"iu
ave tine very prime of life, but, except in rare
cascs too far advanced for entrance upon term
If anDrenticeship in the House OF Commons Up
70 that time Mr. Morley had worked in literature
making ineradcabe marks with his study of Burke
Of Voltaire OF Rousseau and "On Compromise. -
When he first started on his career he seemed
+, have turned his eyes toward the Bar lie was
indeed called at Lincons Inn the same year ne
took his degree at Oxford. But that is a Qulet
cpsode in his life so absolutely forgotten that
no one ever tholght Of abiding 10 him IN the
Teuse Of Commons rs the honorable and learned
gentleman" For some years he rather obscurely
edited 1.-The Literary Gazette, coming into 1uller
fame when he undertook the editorshlp or Inc
Fortniphtly Review" magazine he al once
placcd on the highest level. Later he became
editor of "The Pail Mall Gazette on which he
also left mark promptly cradicated by tpe
thumb of Mr. Stead who succeeded HIM. Az INC
clos, of his first session In the House OF commons
during which he walked arm in arm with NJ:
Chamberlain and Sir Charles Dixie, he seems 10
have resolved finally to cast in his lot with poll
tics covering bis connection with journalism, to
which he temporarily returned in 1886, his greatly
valued friendship for the newly appointed edltor
OF aThe Daily News" inducing him at that time
IN become n regular contributor TO Its leading
columns This work was interrupted by MS ac-
oossior "a office in Mr.. Gadstone's brief Admins
tration Of 1856, and since then he has found 'lne
for only an occasional contribution to weekly
Journal.
Mr. Morley ranks to-day as one Of the ablest de-
n b,ters in the House of Commons But the posi-
Y ton WAS slowly acquired. lie always had II in
him but could not for some time get it out-or.
70 he more accurate, could not be induced TO let
himself 60 To his almost ascetic literary taste
the looser style Of expression more hitting TOT a
public audience was shocking. ] remember very
we'll his maiden speech, looked forward TO with
interest In the House Of Commons and listened
20 with feeling Of disappointment his warmcst
friends could not disguise. 1t happened that he
followed at brief interval the late Mr.. Joseph
ellis Biggar That parsonage was In his prlne't
,ood Lord Randolph Churchill had spaikled
earlier in the sitting, and joey g., who
shared with the monkey its mmetic faculty, had,
ss was his custom, unconsciously adopted trav-
esty of the noble Lords incsive style and en-
phatic manner. The House rOared with delighted
laughter. and Mr. Biggar fluent self -possessed,
never at loss for n word, and not TO pe par
ocular as to its nuance of meaning talked on for
fall half hour. as complete master OF this crit
zeal assembly as was Mr. Gladstone or Mr. Bright
Then came John Morley with his carefully thought
out treatise glistening with polished sentences
and cleaning through profound depths OF thought.
The House generously cheered him when he rose
and sat in silent sympathy he painfully strug-
gled through the opening sentences Of his speech
II was curious contrast, not without its note Of
sadness to think of Mr.. Biggar saying nothing
with easy fuency and to look on this embodi
ment Of culture this man teeming with thoughts,
this master Of q perfect literary style. standing
with parched lips and strained eyes endeavorng to
recitc his sedulously prepared essay
great deal has happened since them among
other events accident that was the turning point
In Mr.. Morley's Parliamentary career. 1t CHANGED
wear or two ago that he was called upon to ad-
dress great conference Of Liberals held at Leeds
:; was a time at which the tide of Liberalism in
the constituencies had begun to now with unmis-
taxable strength and presidency. The delegates
gathered in thousands at Leeds were in high
spirits, which in the course Of the meeting were
communicated to the aus'ere statesman ON the
platform
Throwing away his notes. or. OF least, deliver
ing himself from their trammes, Mr.. Morley
talked to his enthusiastic audience in a frank
hearty manner which delighted them, and probably
estonished himself That speech was great sue
cess, not only with the audience within the build
ing, but with the far larger and wider circle that
read tho rerhafn renorf in the neWsnapera Mr..