The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-12
THE COMING MAN.
Mr.. Gladstone Selects His
Successor.
ASQUiTH WILL BE A LEADER.
Fighting for Home Rule, but Fighting
in Straightforward Fashion, With
out Any Equivocation.
Special 70 THE MORNING CALL

NEW YORK, Feb. 11.-Smalley cables
to the Tribune from London: The man OF
the hour is Mr.. Asauith. 1t need not be
said that he woke Friday morning and
found himself famous. for he was famous
before as the young outsider whom Glad
stone, q great siekler for custom and
gradual promotion, had taken from the
ranks and made Home Secretary. He had
already justified this choice by his adminis-
trative ability in the most difficult of all the
secretaryships of state. BE had been the
spokesman of his party during the long
parliamentary vacation. It remained for
him to viDdicate his place among the small
group OF really first-rate debaters in the
House OF Commons, aud this he did on
Thursday. Seldom mas any speech by
young Minister been so much praised
Seldom have circumstances arisen which to
the average politician would have seemed
more perplexing. But Asquith has some
thing more than ability. He has courage
and he has character. Ii ever there was
situation which would have tempted a weak
man to equiyocate or compromise. this was
one. 1t was the eve Of the introduction OF
the home-rule bill. the bill by which this
Ministry is ultimately to stand or fall.
1--WE will not have home rule" said Red
mond, 'unless we have amnesty with it,"
and to give effect to his words he moved an
amendment to the address iii truth, though
not In terms. demanding the release of the
dynamiters.
Asquith's reply was crushing. With all
the precision OF lawyer and all the art Of
a debaler he stated the case against Daily,
unansw cred and unanswerable, as brought
out at the trial. ''As to the rest" said
Asquith. II am stating 10 the House. on
my authority and responsibility as a Min
lister OF the crown, having cast upon me a
most responsible and painful duty, that /
have satisfied myself of the truth of these
facts from information at my disposal
which | shall not lmDart or communicate to
any one. There Is not the smallest doubt
OF DAYS guilt IL there were, he should
have the benefit of it; DO more is there OF
GallagheI's and others. They are all guilty,
all justly sentenced, all rightfully in prison,
and there they will remain"
There was not in the whole admirable
speech one ambiguous phrase. There was
no hedging. There were no loOphoes. No
dynamiter will be released while AsQuith
remains Home Secretary. 1t is possible To
imagine that Gladstone listened to these
uBc0mpromising and straightforward decar-
atoms with some dismay; or. II not with
dismav, with the reflection that they pro-
ceeded from very young parliamentary
hand They do. and they have done more
to give confidence to the public and to
strengthen the party of which the old parla-
mentary hand is leader than any House OF
Commons speech that has been made this
session, including several OF Gladstone's
OVID.
1t Is expected that Gladstone will intro
duce the home-rule bill on Monday after
noon. Its terms are still secret so far as
England is concerned, for the summaries
published in America are not here regarded
as authentic. and they have not been re-
printed or noticed.
IL Gladstone has shown any sign OF falling
power It is in his irritablity in the House.
lie used TO be imperious He has Of late
been querulous.
Artisan and agricultural laborer have each
had their inning this week. and neither has
made much of a score. Keir Hardie was
the captain OF the artisan team, and Jesse
Ceilings OF that OF the agricultural laborer.
1t was ker HaTdie's first appearance In de-
bate. Heretofore he has been thought a
mere agitator with a taste for eceentricity
10 dress. His speech changed that. 1t was
clever as speech and shrewd in tactics.
Gladstone, alive to the importance of the
labor vote, treated him and his speech with
respect, and paid him some of those compli-
ments which flow easily from the lips of the
great rhetorician. Ii Is not for want Of civili-
ties or promises that this Ministry, or It's
leaders, will ever come TO wreck.
The case Of Ceilings Is different. He Is
one of those abandoned beings who aban-
doned Gladstone in 1886 rather than aban-
don the principles that he and they had
alike protested, and to some extent prac-
tiCed, down 10 that date. He was a fol-
lower OF Chamberlain, or O devOtee rather,
and nothing is TO be hoped for from him.
Gladstone fell upon him as II he were n tree
to be cut down. He has never liked him,
nor ever forgiven him for taking W Hodges
case when Hodges present campaisi pooh
poohed him and his grievances. was
pretty piece Of parliamentary pract:ee and
il made Ceilings uncomfortable, xngered
his friend Chamberlain. delighted tf, Glad
stonlans all around and produced ISajority
Of eighty-f0ur for the Governments, after
which the Prime Minister went ia MARI
borough House and dined on the steps of
the throne with the heir TO 1t an6 with
great company OF Other loyal subjects.
Down to Thursday the by-elections Ia
England all told the same story of Union
ist victory or diminished Gladston!an ma
jOrity.
The sentence on De Lesseps and the
other Panama criminals Is thought severe,
and Paris cries out against the cruelty of
condemning to five years imprisonment an
old man who. having in other days done
great things for France, had moro recently
robbed her of few hundred millions.
"The public conscience did not demand
this" exclaims one Of the journals which
shared in the plumber.
Perhaps not. 1t Is hard to say what the
public conscience did demand, because 1t or
its mouthpeces demanded so many different
things at different times. The real truth Is
better expressed in London.
1.-THE sentence on De I.esseps is q sentence
on France" says the Times. "and the
ignominy poured down on that feeble old
man Is a degradation for the people who
fattered and caressed aud glorifed him as
long as the capital was left to spend"
1t is hard saying. and 1t is equally hard
to deny that 1t is just.
PAUPER IMMIGRANTS.