New-York tribune., 1894-04-12

.Sr in inventng phrases to minimize crime
"o Conclusive dealing for "boycotting"
SUI '., the Duke thinks one of the most cruel
W. - persecution ever devised TO deprve
-, ~ their liberties.
,,.other the Duke IL right or wrong Is not
question. nor whether Mr. Gladstone Is right
.,ne The point is that here are two old
.,o,,en two Of the foremost men in Great
ss-,,oir-one Of them certainly the foremost
,rg each other Of falsehOOd Mr. Gladston,
,,des the Duke of Argyll among the Unionists
-, are guilty of enormous. mons;rous and
,ous falsehOOds. The Duke of Argyll levels
,,.ootIv at Mr.. Gladstone the "fallacy falsehood'
the "abOminable falsehOod" with which he
.,s the other charge. And then the two meet
IA shake hands. and Mr. Gladstone goes off
-.,b the Duke to have cup of tea. Each OF
I'm admires and likes and respects the other
-, tho lifelong friendship between them is as
ssectionate as ever
xor does the Duke of Argyll stand alone in
.X,s attitude nor is he alone in his testimonies to
.,s greatness of a political opponent When Lord
n.oconsfeld died. Mr.. Gladstone pronounced the
.,s. eulogy on lHm in the House of Commons
"a doubt 1t a guarded eulogy, but it was
suogy He has been known to do as much in
Ivate while Lord BeacOns1eld was still living.
IA that is a harder test than the other. Most
,.o find 1t easier TO be just to the dead than to
,,o living When Mr. Gladstone retired from
ene the most unstinted of all the panegyrics
=, him was uttered by Lord Salisbury, whom he
..d beaten in 1892. Lord Salisbury described
Sc rival as possessing the most brilliant intel
,., ever devoted to the service of the State In
che whole history Of Parliamentary Government.
nes that imply any softenng of Lord Sails
,,rv's hostility 10 Mr.. Gadstone's policy, es-
.o.,aIIv 10 Home Rule? OF course not. 1t only
.,ovs YOU the two sides of the medal. Lord
c.usburv has said over and over again that he
,.sards Mr. Gladstone's Irish policy as fraught
Nth peril 10 the Empire. He is still Of that
on,nion. He abates nothing of his resistance to
q hill which in his judgment tends straight TO
the disintegration of the Empire.
,1r Chamberlain is in similar position. and
so Is Mr. Balfour. Both Of them have used the
Strongest possible language about Mr.. Glad
stones proposals. Both of them have used the
strongest possible language in recognition of his
splendd abilities and achievements. Where is
the Inconsistency? Nobody here thinks the two
things inconsistent. No follower of Mr.. Gladstone
carries admiration or adulation or alteration 50
far as 10 say that If you have denounced the
measure you are no longer entitled to praise the
man, or If you admired at one period both the
man and his measures, that YOU are estopped
from paying just homage 10 the man when you
have ceased to approve Of his measures. That
degree Of narrow intolerance seems to be re-
served for the American censor. He alone is
able to detect an inconsistency in these two att-
itudes He might not be able to deceive himself
on so simple matter II his enthusiasm for Mr..
Gladstone We're based on reason and knowledge,
or II his knowledge Of human nature and OF pub
lie life were large enough to teach him that few
people, even among mis- political opponents. are
all black, and few even Of those before whom he
grovels are pure white. Mr.. Gladstone is one Of
the nobest figures Of his time. but it is permis-
sible to think ne has made mistakes, and still TO
reverence the best side Of his character and to
prefer part Of his career to another part less
benehcent and less sagacious. c. W. S.