The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-07-13
GLADsToNEs FAREWELL

GLADSTONES FAREWELL.
The dispatches last week contained
the intelligence that at a meeting of
the Midlothian Liberal association
held July 8 letter of farewell was
read from Mr.. Gladstone, who had rep
resented that district in parliament
since 1880. That was but short
period of his public career, and in
speaking of his retirement from poll
tics the Chicago Inter Ocean says:
'tThe retiring statesman is only ten
years younger than the century, and
his public life began with his entrance
upon the duties of manhood. He
adopted politics as his professiod, the
same as others did law or medicine,
and followed it untiringly until he
reached the age at which he was enti-
tied to rest. There is no reason to be-
lieve that he intended to resume polit-
ical leadershipa second time, but his
party called so loudly that he went
back, and his second career has given
him his largest place in history. 1t
was very fortunate for his posthumous
fame that he took second watch at
the helm, and achieved the distinction
of the Grand Old Man.
''From this particular point of view
Mr.. Gladstone has only one peer in
political annals, John Quincy Adams.
the Old Man Eloquent. Eloquent and
grand are terms equally suited to both,
and both accomplished more in their
old age, after they had bid adieu, as
they supposed, forever to public life,
one voluntarily, the other from the
force of political hostility. Mr..
Adams last words were, Il am con-
tent They were eminently appropri-
ate then, but when he retired from
the presidency, supposing that he was
bidding farewell, long farewell to
all his greatness he was anything but
content. That duty would soon call
him to the supreme labors of his life
could not have been anticipated.
Without pursuing the parallel further,
it may be observed that both stand out
as notable exceptions to the rule, old
men for counsel, young men for
action, their activity being equal to
their Judgment. Mr.. Adams died in
harness, but it is pleasant to think
that Mr.. Gladstone is having period
of rest and reflection with his intellec-
tual faculties still in good condition.
SIT is difficult to determine the rela-
tive longevity of the present and
former times. Tradition would indi-
cate that men once lived much longer
than they do now, but it is probable
there has been no specific change.
The Oldest book in our literature, the
Old Testament, set seventy years as
the normal span of human life, and
that is true today. Considering the
arduousness of his labors, it may well
be doubted if there was ever more
remarkable instance of human endur-
ance than that presented by William
E. Gladstone. It is doubtful If he
would have surrendered the reins Of
political leadership to this day had it
not been for the failure of his eyes. i
"Mr. Gladstone is right in claiming
for the nineteenth century unexampled
progress in the matter of franchises of
the people. This is true Of Great
Britain and of the world at large,
more especially of our country. 1t is
also true of the British reforms that
the overwhelming proportion of them
were effected by the Liberal party, as
Mr.. Gladstone asserts in his Midlothian
letter. He might have gone further
and still kept within the limits of
truth. The liberals have not opposed
any of them, and the opposition party
has never initiated any of them.
Under Disraeli, or Beacons6eld, a
leader alert to- catch the popular
breeze, Conservatives were quick to
accept the inevitable, and even the
dogged obstinacy of Wellington
yielded sullen assent to the great
reform which his party had vehemently |
opposed, until the people registered
and proclaimed their decree. 1t is
hardly too much for the Liberals to |
say of any reform since the party came
into existence, all of which we favored
and none of which would have been
secured without US. Such record is
something of which any political party
might well be proud, and which must
afford the great leader infinite satis-
faction.