New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-20

he learnt his business. The only real oos'acie
~ his success was his easy indHcrehce' ne ""u
other interests in life than the second read'hb VI
n STUPID bill. or the discipline OF party WHICH,
~ not stupid was, In Milrs time as ne 'o'u u.s.
the stupider He came down TO the House ia'e
and went away early. Not on those 'erI'I' 'i!I
,hts ,aolous and cxacting body be controlled
imagine that Mr. Balfour went through II
str,,gg,o with himself as he did with the House
Ire had 10 choose whether he would lead OF not
He came to see clearly what sacrifces leaue'-
chin involves and what Mr.. Disraeh meant ""'l
no said that the secret OF leading the HOUSE VI
Commons is 30 be always there IL Is mar
trial and a hard life. physically ana iheh'd"y'
Rut Mr. Balfour resolved TO accept the co"u'-
lions and to apply himself TO the duties o. '"e
roc, no had accented as he would 10 problem
in metaphysics From that moment MS SUI
ooss vas secure.-secur, but very far from COM
n,ete IT is not complete yet He Is growing
- an,4bodv thinks that criticism perhaps ne
will recall the definition Of wisdom as TO gro"
old learning" and perhaps he will remember tha'
,, C,odstora once accented It as a description
of his own life.
As matters now stand. Mr.. Balfour has Dnt one
rival IN the House as a debater. and II you look
at
for the contentious necessities Of the moment he
has none. Alone he touches the note which rang
from the silver II umpet that was Mr. Gladstones.
Alone he breathes the upper air Alone ne
treads with sure foot the heights which MT.
Bright and Mr. Gladstone-and. in our time. no
otber-trod before him. He is not yet, and he
nrobablv may never be, the equal Of either but
he is Of kin 10 \both. He has not Brights noble
simnlcitv. He has not Mr.. Gladstones Infinite
variety nor his august personality But he has
the intellectual integrity OF the one. and the
power which the other possessed in a stiii hgher
degree. of broadening the range OF debate ana
lifting It into a purer region.
He IS capable. and know not who else Is
capable, OF the heroic strain in the commonly
rather prosaic affairs which a Legislature has
to deal with. In a few sentences near the enc OF
the Welsh speech, there Is a tone which mas
hardly been heard In the House since death
closed the lips OF Mr.. Bright. He said: Il can
not say how this battle OF establishment Of
which the first guns We're fired on Thursday
night will end. ] dare not venture 10 prophesy
for do not know. But this will say-that this
Is one OF those causes In which. II we are % be
defeated, I would rather perish with the side
that doses than triumph with the eide which Is
victorious" That is what mean by the heroic
WnlCn might equally Nelh cite dS IN eNdihPc
Of spiritual exaita ton. 1t is followed almost at
once by the philosophical estimate, never want
ing from any speech on a subject on which MI.
Balfour really feels deeply:
l suppose we all attempt to gauge and esti-
mate the forces which are silently at work
moulding the future OF society. I believe that
those forces are on our SHE. OIeNr, heard be-
lieve now that the prospects OF the Church Es-
tabshment even In the face OF this bill. are
far brighter than they were a generation ago j
racy. which is slowly moulding for good or for
evil the creed on which It will attempt 20 guide
the destinies OF this country, IS not. think. IN
harmony with the kind Of speeches to which We
have listened tonight or with the idea which lies
| behind such speeches. ] believe the democracy
hold. hold. that for the welfare OF the COM
munity this standing witness 10 great spiritual
! forces IN every parish Of the country Is vital
necessity, and that they will not allow the ma
chnery by which these great objects are 70 be
carried out TO be impaired. either TO satisfy the
greed OF too economical rate-payer or TO satisfy
the envy Of rival Noncomformist sects"
There are in this same speech other passages
which reveal the real Bafour very clearly, but
will make no more quotations. These enough
20 indicate that the Leader Of the Opposition I'M
and that there subjects Of which the interest IL
TO him immensely greater than the interest OF
politics c. W. S.