New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-25
THEIR EYES AND EARS.
PERSONAL AFFECTIONS OF CABINET
MINISTER'S AND sOVEREIGNs--DEAF-
NESS AND BLINDNESS ARE CON-
MON-ENIPEROR WILLIAMS SUF-
FERINGS.


doved the human race. there are none that are
On highly priced and with which it is SO diff
ecult 70 dispense as seeing and hearing With
ont Thorn the human organism is incomplete
mans sphere of usefulness terribly restricted.
and life clouded to such degree that many per-
SONS consider death preferable to loss Of sight.
ard nrison To loss Of hearing. To none are these
Gifts more indispensable than to Cabinet Minis
tore and 70 monarchs. The former are required
IN maintain a strict watch over the intricate
machinery Of government administration to
~ the proper execution Of the laws of the land,
rd ~ observe the requirements of the nation
and the course of events; while the sovereign
bould have his ear ever open to the desires and
,etitlons of those subject to his rule-a rule
which in theory DIT any rate. is supposed to be
,a,ornal Under these circumstances it is sin
,,orlv unfortunate that the most defective
Lens of European statesmen and Cabinet
Ministers should be their eyes, while with
roval personages it is the ear that is the
= weakest point. To secure the ear of the
monarch" used to be accounted in the Old
World as great a piece Of good fortune as
IN "catch the eye of the Premier or Min
,eter These are figures of speech which are
M longer appropriate. although they may have
been so in the past, when mankind was less
afflicted with infirmites than nowadays For
what is the use of Catching an eye that cannot
COO or If securing an ear that cannot hear?
lam led TO make these remarks by the pathetic
withdrawal from public life of Mr. Gladstone.
r, hos baer forced to surrender the Prime
Mi,istorshjn Of the greatest empire Of the world
-. tho i,nnending loss of his sight. One eye is
.,o,o,,. gone while over the other there is
trr,irc a cataract which will have to mature
ord comnlete the old statesmans blindness pe-
fore II can be operated upon and an operation
at his advanced age is always attended by
considerable amount of risk of failure. Inc eyes
of Sirnor Crispi the Prime Minister OF Italy, are
bv = strange coincidence in precisely the same
condition as those Of Mr.. Gladstone, and they
are 10 be operated upon within the next TWO
months by Professors Secondi and Martini 'he
,n.o mos. eminent oculists in King Humbert's
domnOns.
These are by no means isolated cases. Lord
North the British Premier at the time OF the
American War of Independence and the states
man chiefly responsible for its outbreak became
,,,,a while in office and forced TO resign
For although defective vision is so common
or,onq European statesmen. yet absolute bind
moss constitutes bar to the retention OF Capi-
net office There is a strict rule with regard 10
the secrecy of matters discussed at CABINET Couh-
ellis and the minutes Of the meetings are ac-
counted of such a confidential character that
their revelation is little short of treason ana
not even those ames damnees Of Ministers
their private secretaries-are supposed 70 kho"
what is going on to have access to CABINET
papers How would it be possible for pima
Cabinet officer 10 read the minutes. TO glance
over the documents embodying great STATE
secre,s2 He would necessarily be forced TO de-
pend upon the assistance and the discretion OF
his private secretary who is bound by no such
hat n
Ptvy Councillors are obliged to subscribe, and
could consequently not be held legally liable for
1bo revelation Of Cabinet condolences. 1t was |
this consideration that led Sir Michael HICKS |
Beach to resign the CHARACTERISTIC OF the EX- |
chequer and the leadership of the Tory party IN |
the House OF Commons in 1857 He, too. was |
suffering from cataract. had become temporarily |
blind and was forced 10 submit to several
operations as we'll as > long period OF rest. |
before he was able TO re-cnter public lie. II |
was the afiicton which kept Henry Faw-
cett out Of the Liberal Cabinet of 1850; and |
instead Of being created Secretary of State for |
India as he had been led to expect, he was rel |
egated by Mr. Gladstone to the relatively subor-
dinate and non-mnsterial post Of Postmaster
General. an Office in which. Notwithstanding his |
total blindness. he made brilliant record for
himself by his command of detail and powers Of |
organization.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt's eyesight is very
bad-so much that he has been several times
the point Of Withdrawing from political Efe
on that account. AS it is. he is under the con-
slant Of oculists and is obliged 10 visit Wies-
baden periodically for the purpose Of consulting |
the great specialist there about his eyes. Should
the present Administration remain in office for
any length Of time which doubt, ii is probable
that Sir William will be forced by Of his
falling sight surrender within the next year
or two his Leadership Of the House Of Commons
and his CHARACTERISTIC Of the Exchequer and |
should not be surprised If it were not tais par
ticular consideration that had led him to con-
sent 50 UNEXPECTEDLY and readily to serve under
Lord Rosebery instead Of demanding the Pre-
nliership for himself. Nor should omit mention
OF the albinO Lord Sherbrooke. who was Chan
ce1ior OF the Exchequer In one of Gladstone's
Cabinets. but was kept out Of the next one and
kicked upstars'' from the House of Commons
into the House Of Lords owing to his having
become so blind that he had to be led about In
Spain the once handsome and popular states
man. Romero Robado. has been forced to retire
from political life and will be precluded from
ever again holding Cabinet office by Of the
failure Of his eyesight. which has been almost
entirely destroyed as the result of the ablation
Of his by Professor Bergmann at Berlin.
Poor old NJ Wishnegradski, the Cars favorite
Minister Of Finance, was compelled to resign
Office two years ago In consequence OF the condi-
ton Of his optics; and could mention many SINH
lar cases in Austria, Germany and In every
country Of Europe. All European Cabinet Min
listers and statesmen that can think Of at the
present moment wear glasses from exclaimed
Tor Of the EXchequer GOschen, In London. with
his big. horn-rimmed spectaclcs. to Count Kali
noky. at Vienna. with his everlasting mOnocle
Surely this in itself constitutes a proof of the
truth Of my assertion when ! claim that the
weak points Of European statesmen their
eyes.
Although there are several royal personages
VINO are likewise afflicted with defective vision |
the Landgravc Of Hesse and the Grand Duke or
Mecklenburg- Strelitz being totally blind las was
also the late King OF Hanover and his half siSter