The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-09
KNOWS GLADSTONE'S MIND.
Harold Frederics Thinks the Grand
Old Man Didn't Want to Resign.

LONDON Letter In New Times.
have been able to get together. certain
statements which are vouched for and
the shape that history Will give it. They
differ widely from popular notions current
here, because they come from sources which
do not cultivate publicity, and 1t would
not suit the ends Of those who know them
to print them. / can say no more than
to be true true ~ ' -'O
First, Gladstone did not really wish to
all his family hoped, there would be such
a spontaneous and united demonstration
considering his wavering project of rerir-
ment and stay. To his surprise and chagrin,
d do m th and decve word
This failure Of the Liberals to command
the situation he left. so long open to them
long and undisturbed dictatorship. aloof.
omniscient and intolerant of interference
as Caesar himself, inspired them 1t really
ing for them to implore him to change his
mind. Moreover, there sprang into being
his decision TO withdraw such a splendiily
concerted boom for Lord Rosebery that
members took it for granted that this was
part of Gladestone's programme and hence
the whole matter was cut and dried, and
impossible of alteration now. Some of them
the the arra Meme as thew understood IL.
but one thought until too late of APP
pe2lin% to Gladstone not to proceed with
the first half of II.
This was tragic enough but 1t was rem
dered worse by the almost universal error
of assuming that Gladstone desired Rose
that he desired nothing else so little. SO
far as his action can be said to have been
complex mind it is Rosebery's associa-
tions which have driven Gladstone out of
Office 1t is of the bitterest of all the
mier's mind to-day that he has to be sue
ceeded in office by Rosebery. His unex-
pected and. for him. violent attack on the
House of Lords il that painful valedictory
speech on Thursday was a last attempt
on his part to hint to his somewhat slow
minded party the unwisdom of choosing a
still have not grasped what he meant them
TO see at once. To the very end he was
The story of the resignation itself, like
the chronicle of any of Gladstones mental
progressions. is difficult to tell without a
mass of analytical detail, much or more OF
which would have to be guessed at. Stated
as briefly as possible, he became convinced
some months ago that he was becoming
blind. Now one episode in his career az
which he reminds himself oftenest K his
own stern exclusion of Henry Fawcett from
blind, must be read to by the Secretary.
who would thus share all the Cabinet Sc
~ formal III for it was well known that some
of his other Minister'S for example Hart
ington, with his secretary, Reginald Brett,
never dreamed Of opening the letter of the
Cabinets secrecy ROTATIONS. but Ii is pre-
cisely the kind of objection that would
appeal to Gadstone's mind. The personal
alienation which its enforcement produced
between him and Fawcett is a thing of
which he thinks much in his old age. Ac
cordingly, when a similar affliction suddenly
seemed to threaten him. he said he would
not remain in the Cabinet If 1t came to the
point that he could not read Cabinet papers
himself AS il became evident that this
stage was rapidly approaching. he went
further. He said he would retire at the
end of the present session. The fact that
ne said Instantly 4
to the Pail ill Gazette, and published III
that famous big type paragraph.