New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-20
PERSONALITIES.
THE VERY LATEST OF THEM IN ENGLrsrs
PUBLIC LIFE-LORD ROsEBERY AT
BIRMINGHAM AND MR.. CHAM
BERLAIN AT BRADFORD.

London. June
Mr. Chamberlain ought to be much OBLIGED "a
Lord Rosebery. The Prime Minister'S recsn,
speech at Birmingham has given the member for
West Birmingham the opportunity he seems N
often to covet, Of making a personal attach
Perhaps It ought TO be called personal retort
but It is so diffcuI. In these cases 10 say WIN
begins Mr.. Chamberlain invaded Midlothian
and made a speech at Edinburgh which supplied
Lord Rosebery with a sufficient reason for In.
vading Birmingham and replying to Mr.. Cham.
berlain's speech at Edinburgh. And now Mr..
Chamberlain goes away from Birmingham, which
Is his own ground, to Bradford in order to Dc.
liver rejonder to Lord Rosebery.
doubt very much whether much is gained By
these duels. 1t is felt strongly by the friends
Of both that Lord Rosebery could well have
afforded to let Mr.. Chamberlain alone or TO
deal with him in passing, and not to found
long speech upon him. 1t is felt on the other
hand, that Mr. Chamberlain, having been the OBJ
ject Of a direct personal onslaught, was, accord
ing to the political ethics which now prevail
justified in replying and this whether he gave
anv provocation at Edinburgh or not
For there Is in truth something more than the
question which quarresome boys put to each
other: Who began It? Mr. Chamberlain is q
private individual. very eminent one, certainly
and in the very front rank OF political life. but
still a private Individual Lord Roseoery 10
Prime Minister Of England. 1t is thought that
the Prime Minister derogates little when he
descends into the arena for personal encounter
That he should reply to criticisms on his pubDc
conduct Is one thing Nobody objects to his Do
ing that II can be dore briefly. effectively, and
on public grounds. But 10 single out an adver-
sary from the crowd OF his political opponents
and. az II were. challenge him TO mortal combat
that Is another thing | dare say the great
mass Of Lord Rosebery's political supporters like
IT, They like as most Engllshmen like. fighting
FOR fghting's sake They are not much con-
cerned with tradltions,-with the great traditions
OF the great days.-nor overburdened with solid-
tude for the dignity CT heir leader. They are
careless Of their own: why should they be stu
dious OF another's? They like personalities.
Mr.. Gladstone himself could not educate them
out OF that morbid taste. It will be remembered
| to Mr. Gladstone's credit. as long as ne is re-
membered that he seldom or never made per-
sonal attack on his opponents; never personal
| attack as distinguished from one directed against
! and based on differences in their nature essen
TALLY political and not personal. or course ne
! sometimes struck and struck hard During
great part OF his public life he was in position
TO measure swords with an antagonist worthy or
his steel Mr. Disraeli: who was far more per-
sonal than he and gave him many provoca-
| ton But Mr. Gladstone neither imputed motives
nor called names. and never once, think, did ne
| engage in anything that could be called set-to
| with the great Conservative whom neVertneiess'
he heartily detestea. This was equally true OF
Mr. Gladstone when he was Prime Minister ana
! when he was not The attitude OF dlgnlhed re-
serve was not with him an official attitude II
was individual and spontaneous He mad hish
sense ~ what was due u himself and from him.
self The public came to expect 1t OF him. just
"a much because he was Mr.. Gladstone as they
expect Il Of others because they hold an oihce
and a position which make them the representa-
,iyes OF England: and OF what Is best ana
nobest in English public life. I need not stop 10
| Ensrk on the peculiar bitterness Of the invec-
tives bestowed on Mr. Gladstone at some perioos
| Of his life. The most remarkable thing ABOUT
them was that they so seldom provoked eitheT
| invective or bitterness in return.
| Justly or unjustly. what men suspect "nen
thev behold two such champions OF opposing
| ideas as Lord Rosebery and Mr.. Cnamoerlaih
locking horns is the existence OF some personal
animosity or dislike between them. lhere 10
nrobably in this no ground Tor the sus-
nicon but so much the more's the pity 10 aiio''
a pretext for Il. Men reflect that no very 'ons
time ago the two were supposed 70 De fna'
FOR the leadership Of the Liberal party MI
Chamberlain was much the older man oi Wv
two. and. before the split in 1885, with Tar n's"e'
claims 10 the successorship 10 MT uiauseoHe
His services had been longer ina" N''N
Roseberys: his position in the party was
nrt the Younger man was coming up rapiaiy
and nobody could say what might hdpp'" :.
,aed not be assumed that either OF the'' ~"
has in mind the competitions OF those ua'~
rha, usad 10 be so far on good terms that ''e'
snolA from, the same platforms. II was Non'
tho nlatform OF the Birmingham TOWN. mo-" '.-,
Mr.. Chamberlain propounded MS 'e'eO,a.
theory OF the Lords as men who tol not 49,.
do they spin: Lord Rosebery, the guest u Wv
evening sitting by while this hard saE'ne "A'
Numbered In his ears ,,s ,bs
II was one OF those faults OF taste VIM. :,
, oracle Of Birmingham. with all MS heN'o'N' =,
social adaptation has never quite SHAW"
Since that time the gulf between tue wv
: has steadily widened. In one sense WI.
berlain has been passed in the race III '''e A.
that Lord Rosebery is Prime Minister ', ,ss, .,
chamberlain Is not Anybody WIZ III G.,
} 1855 had predicted that the Lioerai eA-C
retary at the Home Office would ieau '''e 49,
marty sooner than the ex-President Vi .''' 10,
=, Trade would have found few to oeleVe VIC
his prophecy was inspired. Mr. ChamoeI'.'. /.
had assumed a very masterful tone. ana "a -,
very powerfu backing. Lord Roseoery was ~. ~"
feeling his way However. refer 10 'na' Vs..
only by way Of illustration and only as So !,
: for conjecture whether what now seems
( nersonal antagonism between the two may na,'
had It's origin in a past which. though hO' ~
Z mote, is distant. ... =.
= Whatever the truth be. the two speee"'s
e Birmingham and Bradford read as II '"e M ~,
!, tility of to-day were something more IMAM ~,
cal. Lord Rosebery at Birmingham accuse ...,
, Chamberlain Of insulting him because nc 49,,
whether the Prime Minister was rea'ly
Ruler. and really in favor OF MT "au' ,,,,,