New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
Np CHtUHIRI iN.

Thcv were right who prophcscd that Mr.
chamberlain would be- the dominant member
Of the present 81 lish Government. He has
bccn: and he *: and there * now every indica-
lion that he will be rs long rs this Government
LASTS With single exception h. has either been
the leader in or has furnished The inspiration
OF every important act OF the Government out
side of the United Kingdom. II was he who
took in hand the long-vcxcd question OF cana
dian copyright and put II into fair way 10
settlement II was he who conceived ana Is
pushing the vast colonial expansion scheme WIN
his promise "to improve the neglected estates
of the Empire" II he more than any other
who brought or the Venezuelan crisis. for he
sanctioned the formation Of the British com
many which is 10 operate in the disputed terri
torv. he ordered British troops with Maxim guns
10 defend the Schomburgk line. ana. although
Lord Salisbury was the nominal author of the
dispatches on the subject 10 the nit"d States
Government. the hand Of Mr. chamberlain may
be seen in almost every line. striving ny aggr's
sion i'm Venezuela 10 gain compensation Tor thc
failure Of his diplomacy in the Canadian fish
cries FINALLY of the South African troubles,
really the most serious Great Britain has faced
for many a year. the whole burden rests upon
him: and he bears it 50 mastcrfully that the Rad
teal who once refused TO drink 10 the Queen :
health is now the prime iavoriic ai Court. and
he who was once mobbed and rcvilcd as Judas
is now the most popular man in the Kingdom.
All this is no doubt. most gratifying To MIR.
Chamberlain himself He is a man of vast am
biion and that ambition Is now being graliiicd.
He aimed years ago AT party leadership. He
ia. III ~, ,t.l,i Nr
Gladstone was in active public lifc so he rent
il asundcr, and made himself the leader of that
division Of it which. though the smaller numcr-
ically was intellectually by far the greater.
Next he so allied himself with the conservatives
his former foes. as To drive the Gladstonian fac
ton from power. Then he formed IN organic
union Of his party with the Conservatives, under
conditions that compelled The latter 10 accept
and TO adop, his policy and programme. So that
he and his seventy Libcral-U Unlonist followers,
instead of beng swallowed up and lost amid
the $40 Conservatives. are or he Is. the vital
force that dominates the entire Ministerial party.
II is TO use n homcly illustration. clear ease
Of the tail wagging the dog. Mr. Chamberlain
aimed also at being the national. well ii
party. leader; at being. that is To say, Prime
Minister Of England. He Is not that yet But
IL would be rash to say he will not be- within the
next half dozen years. The weight Of years Is
telling heavily upon Lord Salisbury; and after
| him. whose hold upon the succession Is stronger
than Mr. Chamberlain's! Considering the star
tlng changes Of recent years in British politics,
it is well within the limit of possibilities that the
next general election will make Mr. Chamberlain
| Prime Minister, no matter which party wins the
day For that astuie politician. while he has
made himself co-cader. with Lord Salisbury Of
| the Conservatives has been most careful not 10
forfeit his right to assume leadership Of the Lib
erals. if ever II should serve his purposes TO do
So Nothing, after all separates him from his
old colleagues but the question of Home Rule for
Ireland Should that be settled. the party which
neither Lord Rosebery nor Sir William Harcourt
nor yet Mr. John Morley. Is quite fitted to lead
successfully. might turn again with gladness Ia
the man whom II once hailed as 'the rising
| hope Of the Radical democracy.
Much as this means TO Mr. Chamberlain him.
! self. II means far more 10 England. TO the Brit.