The morning call., 1894-02-04
HE WILL STAY.
Mr.. Gladstone Not to
Retire.
ASTOR'S BLACK TYPE.
How All England Was
Stirred Up.
AGAIN THE PEERS LIVE.
Part of the Work of the Great
Commoner.
MAKES AN E0UIVOCAL DENIAL.
Just the Same lie Will Continue
in Public Life While His
Strength Lasts.

NEW YORK Feb 3.-Harold Frederic
ca bles the Times from Loudon: William
Aldorf AstOr may derive personal satis-
faction from his possession of big Lon
don afternoon paper, and some score of
bright young men who draw much better
salaries from it than they could get else
where are undoubtedly gratifed, but
should think the fact affords pleasure TO
body else in England. The two-sided
aspects of that famous midweek sensation
which his Anglo American journal stirred
up are more Interesting than the canard
proper.
To begin with the sensation owed almost
everything to its typographical accessories.
There were not only huge headlines In
type fve-eighths of an inch high, but the
whole body of the announcement was set
in big, bold-faced black type for sixteen
lines, which occupied seven inches. 1t
was this which knocked the English press
silly. They had never been bluffed with
such audacious yehemence before and 1t
took their breath away. Everybody recog-
niZes now that had the rumor been printed
in ordinary type il would have attracted
nc special attention and the sense of hay-
ing been fooled into mild Juror merely
by job printers type only adds to the dis
gust of the English able editors.
Tue other phase to which | alluded is
the savage fashion in which the whole
press-Tory and Unionlsts. quite as much
as Liberal and Radical-jumped on the
Pail Mall Gazette. Not one could forbear
taunting 1t with the American source OF
its capital, and sngrily depreeating its at
tempt To introduce what are fondly be-
lieved here TO be Am aricsn pres methods.
III paper does meet sticces So N ceB7uer-
ing for itself a position and influence in
England this episode has shown that 1t
must be done in the teeth Of universal dis
like of other London journals. Its owner
ship has accomplished literally nothing in
the way of social advancement TO Astor,
and this revelation oil its friendless isOla ted
position among its fellows may suggest
to the millionaire the whim of dropping it
and trying something else.
AS to the rumor itself, / find Il has this
much of genuine basis: a few weeks ago
Gladstone binted in a somewhat mixed
group his intention of speedily withdra W
ing from public life. This deeply I'M
pressed one Of MS hearers who happened
not TO know that Gladstone has been drop
ping exactly the same sort of hints any
time these twenty years.
AS il was, there was no one on the Pail
Mall Gazette with experience enough 10
know this. 1t was treated seriously and
with such violent typographical outburst
as to rattle everybody. That is all there is
of it. Gladstone has DO more real design
of retiring than the Queen has, though,
with characteristic casuistry, he cannot
say so even now. but dictates a tortuous
denial as full of loopholes as a rabbit
warren.
1t must be a very fresh politician indeed
who does not see that day by day the par
tisan situation here is being shaped by the
enemies of Liberalism into just what a
veteran strategst like Gladstone could
most desire. This past year was made
notable in British politics by the recru-
descence of the House of Lords as fight
ing factor. 1t is undoubtedly a very
curious spectacle, and l take il will also
be one of great historical interest. Prob
ably DO one but Salisbury could have thus
marshaled theypeers in the field for actual
battle.
Any man less proud. intractsble. brave
and stubborn would have lacked the nerve
for this grave responsibility, and a less
able man would have failed to get fol-
lowers. If, during the struggle now fairly
opened, Americans will think of Salisbury
as a sort OF English Roscoe Conk!ing with
less oratorical power. but with great
wealth, lofty social status and a dozen
added years on IIs head, they will be better
able to appreciate its ups aud downs,