The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-07-11
THE 0CT0CEN ENARIANS|
Who Are Making a Life Race With
fhe Present CenfdrV,
Great Nen Of Europe who May
Live TO @re the Close OF the
Year 1850 : Gladstone. Pope
Leo and Prince Bismarck
Are Anon. the Number.

Leo and Prince Bismarck
Are Anon. the Number.
Of the three notable octogenarians of
Europe Leo MIL, the supreme pontiff
of the Catholic world; Gladstone. the
ex-premier of England, and Bismarck,
ex-chancellor of the German empire,
the oldest is Gladstone, who was born
in 1909, and the youngest is Bismarck,
born in 1915, while the pope, who was
born in 1910, is but two months younger
than Gladstone.
The three octogenarians, says the
New York Sun, differ as greatly from
each other in their genius as in their
life work. Each of them possesses OK
ceptional traits of character. The pope,
is spoken of as the s'Paciiicator," Bis
marck as the Man of Blood and Iron"
Gladstone as the Grand Old MAN.
The only one of these yet in active
service is the pope, who was elected as
supreme pontitf in 1878 Prior to that
time he had been archbishop of
Damiata, apostolic nuncio to Belgium,
bishop of Perugia, and member of the
college of cardinals.
Gladstone was a member of parlia-
ment as early as 1882. He subsequently
held a great variety of offices under the
government, including the office of
chancellor Of the cNchequer. He was
premier for the first time as successor
to Disraeli in 1868, and for the second
time in 1880, and for the third time in
i ~
1894, when he resigned. He has been
the author of many books, theological,
classical and political.
Bismarck's career has been less va
ried. In 184S he was chosen member
of the second chamber of the Prussian
diet He was subsequently Prussian
ambassador to St. Petersburg and to
Paris, Prussian minister Of foreign af-
fairs, and finally, in 1871, chancellor of
the German empire, which he held un-
til he was relieved by the present
kaiser.
OF the three octogenarians, the pope
is the one who possesses the most amia-
bic and kindly disposition; Gladstone
is a man Of warm temper which is apt
to become hot when aroused; Bismarck
is a person Of exceeding irascibility,
which characteristic, however, accord
ing to all accounts, has become greatly
modified since his fall from power.
The pope is the most eminent Catho-
lie scholar and theologian of his time;
Gladstone is a man of vast and varied
learning; Bismarck has made no mark
upon the age outside of statecraft.
The popes activity in the business of
the church is ceaseless. He keeps
watch Of his charge in every country;
he receives and holds intercourse with
prelates, priests, and other visitors
from all parts of the world; he COM
poses encyclicals upon many subjects;
he labors incessantlv for the nnifca-
tion of Christendom; he performs all
his duties in a manner at once precise
and vigilant. Gladstone, though re-
tired 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 retains his
interest in them; his powers seem to
be in excellent order; he takes the
greatest enjoyment in life and action.
He may yet again be heard. in parlia-
ment. Bismarck, the youngest Of the
three octogenarans, has passed into
retirement for the remainder of his ex-
istence. He himself has told, within
the past few weeks, of the effort he
had to make to take part in the cele-
bration of his eightieth birthday and
to receive the many delegations which
have waited upon him; his participation
in the ceremonies has been a hard trial
for him; his speeches to the delegations
have been very laborious and short;
and it has frequently been necessary
that he should receive the help of his
friends while moving about.
Gladstone's thoughtful, careful and
venerable wife lives to cheer his years;
it was but recently that Bismarck be-
came widower; the supreme pontiff
never marries.
There are often reports about each of
the three octogenarians that his death
is at hand; but at least two of them are
ceaselessly busy and only one of them
talks gloomily. It would seem that
the pope is never kept from his duties
by the condition of his health. It is
certain that Gladstone's occasional all
ments are of short duration. Bis
marck'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 for
any one OF the three. It may be that
the oldest of them will outlive the
youngest
It is not in every age of the world
that three such octogenarians as those
here spoken of are seen. It is not
often that three veterans of their dis
tinctiyeness of character hold such
places in the world as they have held
contemporaneously. 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 a
parallel in British annals. Bismarck is
without rival in the past, as he was