Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-07-11
A FAMOUS TRIO.
The Three Great octogenarians. Pope Lee
XIII, Gladstone and Bismarck.


XIII. Gladstone and Bismarck.
or tho three notable octogenarians Of
Euroga, Leo XIII, the supreme pontih Of
the Cgsholic world; Gladstone, the expire
mieT of England, and Bismarck, ex-chan-
cellor Of the German empire the oldest is
Gladstone, who was born il 1909, and the
youngest is Bismarck, born 1915, while the
pope, who was born in 1910, is but two
months younger than Gladstone
The three octogenarians differ as greatly
from each other in their genius as in their
life work. Each Of them possesses oxcep-
tional traits OF character The pope is
spoken of as tho Pacificator," Bismarck
as the "Man of Blood and Iron" Glad.
stono as the "Grand Old Man"
The only one of these yet in active scrv-
ice is the pope. who was elected as supreme
Iontiff in 1873. Prior to that time he had
been archbishop of Damiata, apostolic nun.
clio to Belgium, bishop of Perugia and
member Of the college of cardinals.
Gladstone was a member of parliament
as early as 1889. He subsequently, held a
great variety of offices under the govern.
ment, including the Office of chancellor OF
the exchequcr He was premier for TIN
first time as successor to Disraeli in 1865,
and for the second time in 1880, and for
the third in 1886, and for the last timl
from 1892 to 1894, when he resigned Ia
has been the author of many books, thco
logical, classical and political
Bismarck's career has been less varied.
In 1S49 he was chosen member Of the
second chamber of the Prussian dict; lie
was subsequently Prussian ambassador tg
st. Petersburg and to Paris, Prussi;.1
minister of foreign affairs, and flna!lv, in
1871, chancellor Of the German e:asirc.
which he held until he was relieved by the
prc-c.t kaiser,
OF the three octogenarians, the popo is
tho one who possesses the most amiablc
and kindly disposition; Gladstone is man
of warm temper, which is apt to become
hot when he is aroused; Bismarck is
parsonage Of exceeding irascibility, which
characteristic, however, according to all
accounts, has become greatly modified
since his fall from power.
Tho pope is the most eminent Catholic
scholar and theologian of his time; Glad
stone is q man of vast and varied learning;
Bismarck has made no mark upon the age
outside of statecraft.
Tho pope's activity in the business of
the church is ceaseless. He keeps watch
of his charge in every country; he receives
and holds intercourse with prclates priests
and other visitors from all parts of the
world; he composcs encyclicals upon many
subjects; he labers necessarily for the uni
1ication of Christendom; he performs all
his duties in u manner at once precise and
vigilant. Gladstone, though retired from
office, is busy with one thing or another
every day of his life. He is engaged at
literary labor; he travels at home and
abroad; he Keeps an eye upon the affairs
of church and state; he gives utterance to
his views upon public questions and re-
tains his interest in them; his powers seem
to be in excellent order; he takes the great
est enjoyment in life and action; he may
yet again be heard in parliament. Bis
marck, the youngest of the three octogena-
rians, has passed into retirement for the
remainder of his existence. He himself
has told within the past few weeks, of the
effort he had to make to take part in the
celebration of his eightieth birthday and
to receive tho many delegations which
havo waited upon him. His participation
in the ceremonies has been a hard trial for
him, his speeches to tho delegations have
been very laborious and short, and it has
frequently been necessary that he should
receive the help of his friends while mov-
ing about. tan.
Gladstone's thoughtful, careful and ven.
erable wife lives to cheer his years. 1t was
but recently that Bismarck becamn wild
over. The supreme pontiff never marries
There are often reports about each one
of the three octogenarianS thnt his death
is at hand, but at least two of them are
ceaselessly busy, and only one of them
talks gloomily. 1t would soon that the
pope is never kept from his duties by the
condition of his health. 1t is certain that
Gladstone's occasional ailments are but oi
short duration. BismaAok' s frame has been
more seriously shaken than that of either
Of his two contemporaries, yet it were idle
to speculate upon the prospects of life fol
any one of the three. 1t may be that the
Oldest of them will outlive the youngest.
1t is not in every age of the world that
three such octogenarans as those here spo
ken Of are seen. 1t is not often that three
Veterans of their distinctiveness of charac
ter hold such places in the world as they
have held contcmporanoously. There have
been but few instances in which pope Of
the years OF Leo XIII has been as active
as he is. Gladstone is without parable
in British annals Bismarck is without q
rival in the past, as he was the first chan
cellor of the existing German empirc
The three oatog9narians must occupy
large place in tho political and cct l2sias
tical history of the nineteenth century,
New York Sun. a