New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-22
LORD RANDOLPH.
AS ORATOR AT THE PRESS CLUB AS SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT, AND AS TORY
DEMOCRAT


notable Two Of the three, in truth had nothing
TO do with politics except indirectly. lie spoke
at the Press Club dinner: he has published book
and he has written letter. Not favorite with
the Press of late, says some critic anxious, per-
haps, lest he should be too great a favorite lie
seems to have got on very well, at any rate, win
the members Of tie Press Club What he SAID 10
them was photographed, and therefore, OF
course interesting He acknowledged his 0Dga-
lions to the Press. =" look upon myself said
the late Chancellor Of the Exchequer-how long
ago it seems las the child of the English
Press"
He related how, many years ago. owing to the
Kindness, as he says of Mr. Chenery, then Editor
of Tho Times" he used to be allowed to fill
up the columns of that journal with reflections
upon public affairs and reflections upon public
men," Lord RandolI his modcsty has misled him.
lie knows very well that the distribution of
space in the leading journal is not determined by
motives of kindness. Like other editors Mr..
Chenery printed what he thought ought to be
printed, or what his readers would like to read ;
which comes to much the same thing from one
point Of view. lie was indebted TO his friend
Sir Algcrnon Borthwicl for a similar favor In The
Morning Post" In these cases, however, he was
a volunteer More recently, as all the world
knows he has beer writing for money: or. as he
puts it . consider myself essentially one Of
you because have had the honor, and | may say
the pecuniary advantage, of serving and working
IS special correspondent to one of the metropol-
tan daily newspapers =" The Daily Graphic, /"
to-wit.
That in these circumstances. and in the pride Of
his personal connection with metropolitan daily
newspaper, Lord Randolph should eXat the power
of the Press is but natural Most public men
eAalt it. SIR Charles Russell. who spoke a moment
before, declared-the statement is not entirely new
that every public man owed deep debt of
gratitude to the Press. lie specified his own,
and avowcd the obligation he was under to the
papers of this country for the frequency with
which they had not reported his speeches. When
they did report them. they pointed his jokes.
punctuatcd his sentences recOncied him for tie
time being to his ancient enemy Lindley Murray,
and served up his ideas so clarified that he failed
to recognize them Not a bad account of the
matter perhaps. Sir Charles, who has rival
at the bar, has many on the platform, and has
never got into the ranks of the verbatim men,
the reporter in his passion for bpvty, styles the
half dozen public speakers to whom his editor
awards the honor of an unabridged report in the
first person Seldom indeed does any lawyer
attain TO a first place in the public life of this
country.
The most powerful public and political force
which exists in this country such is Lord Kan
dolphs description of the Press. Whether meant
to be or not, this is in sharp contrast with Mr..
GladstOne's latest deivCrance the same sub
ject. In reviewing Mr. Jephson's book on The
Platform, the creates. of modern performers Oh
the platform asserted that, at its maximum OF
power it is stronger than the Press. dis
tinguishcd colleague of his has been known To
60 farther than this, and TO assert that the Press
has no influence or no important influence In
politics. 1t is the nature Of the men who are
constantly before the public to express themselves
in extremes
Lord Raudolphs second appearance, second
temperance, is also in connection with the Press
He has collected and republshed the letters which
he wrote from South Africa to THE Daily
Graphic" think it must be said that these
Letters were not received they came out with
general favor or not in the Press. believe they
answered very we'll the purposes Of the journal
for which they were written; in journals for which
they were not written something like feeling
of jealousy occasionally showed itself. By these
other journals Lord Randoph's adventures were
put before the public in ridiculous light; even
his contest with the lions not treated with
respect. He was accused of using guide-books
too freely. Somebody insinuated that the earlier
letters of the series were not written by him ut
ALL but by1lis secretary. They were not thought
good enough for Lord Randolph himself His
account of his voyage out his complaints of the
cooking and service on the ship were resented.
lll,naturcd stories about his conduct on board
were published in return. There were even jour-
nalists who thought it undignfed in late Cab
met Minister 20 accept an engagement at a great
salary as special correspondent and TO record for
the benefit of the British reader these experiences
OF fellow Briton in the Transvaal, and other
parts of South Africa
There were othcrs-or perhaps they were the
same-who limited that he had inured himself
with the country by these outspolen comments
and by his gold-minc speculations. very good
judge in such matters said Just the contrary
Inc only thing that is fatal to a man in public
life is TO be forgotten. Randolph has kept his
name before the public, and if anything they
like him the better for his enterprise and for
dong something instead of nothing There
were others who thought his racing would do him
harm. we'll there is racing and racing. If it
TO be supposed that of Lord Randolph's
abilities for great affairs meant to devote himself
10 the Turf and 10 abandon political life it would
be y just occasion for the moralst, or even for
the missionary. 1t would not then be public
opinion, which took up the role of censor. but
himself who would have closed career full of
interesting possibilities They who assume that
il there be any who assume it, forget the crcum-
stances forget the relations between Lord Ran
dolph and Lord Salisbury, forget many things
If, however, we are merely to think of the Tory
leader as amusing himself in an interval OF COM
pulsory idleness, that is different. English public
opinion is not, unhappuy against but for the
Turf. Racing never did political leader any
harm-l mean it did not injure him with his con-
stituents, or with the electorate in general or
with the House of Commons Mr. Gladstone
does not race-pcrsh the thought-nor Lord Sails
bury, but they are almost exceptions The Duke
Of Devonshire owns and runs horses, and New
market is believed TO interest him al least as much
as Westminster. But that dctracts little or