Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-11-25

what men have chosen as test to be
perpetuAted. y Snms books might have
been written by dictionary. No man
ever liked an abstract thought because
il was abstract; he wants /. pulse in ".
We find distinctive personal favor
in Charles Lamb, but nowhere can be
found go distinctive personal flavor
as in Walter Bagehot. II il a pleasure
to Introduce any one to him. We plume
ourselves on recognizing English genius
before it Ia recognized at home. When
quick intelligence appears We claim
that il is talking TO u.s. Yet we have
not discovered Bagehot, although he is
well known in England. He did not
write for our magazines. nor for those
we read. He wrote for heavy Uni
tartan journal that must have been
given an electric shock by finding such
bright wit between it's dull pages. Tho
only collected edition OF his works is
printed by an Accident Insurance com
pany of Hartford. One ought to be
obliged to them since one can buy for
So what would otherwise cost siS. You
meet an individual in BRgehot worth
going out of the way to find. Some
have thought his life could not have
been interesting because it was go sue
Cessful, and IL is true eome successful
people are not interesting. II the
critical situations that make life vivid
are not outside of you they may he in
side.
He was born in Somersetshire 10 1926.
His father was vice. president Of a
banking company, lie married the
niece OF it's founder and stepped into a
solid business. Such banking companies
in England arc the solidest in the
world. They stand Up alongside of the
Bank OF England. But his greatest
inheritance was his wife with her quick
wit and such tongue 10 hand down to
her son. She could not go into a com.
pany without changing the character of
it. She scanned to make it vital and
alive. She always said what she
thought. This woman, the mother Of
no remarkable son, gave him all her
brilliant qualities to which was added
little more steadineas from his father.
An extremely dull person said of Mrs.
Bagehot that che was queer, but after
all, greatness is a relative matter. Such
craziness as hers Is condition of the
minority; the majority Of people are
dull. She only gave too much rein to
her mind. Clever takers are usually
poor writer's; they need an audience
some human face to address, Mrs
Dagehot's son had staying qualities; he
could keep his thoughts organized; he
could deploy hodies Of thought and see
with generals eye what the outcome
would be. the power to marshal
thoughts is power TO write. An author
must not have separated valuable
thoughts, but united ones. This power
his father added to what Walter got
from his mother, that was why her
bright wit was translated on to tho
page. He meant to be lawyer, but it
was too slow. He married daughter
of John Wilson, who established the
London Economist, and succeeded him
as editor. lie possessed an immense
capacity for affairs. Chancellor after
chancellor resorted to him to get in
touch with the business Of the economic
world. He was consulted on the great
affairs Of the nation's politics. He
also wrote literary essays The bust
ness and money side OF politics is most
interesting to an Englishman. 1t
makes business man uneasy to know
that his banker writes essays. Why
should he go into literary affairs when
he can study the affairs of the market.
He wrote about ancient society. but
whut have We to do with men starting
nation? Had We not better stick to
nation that has come. in business
than learn how it got here? But. unless
we know the past we cannot understand
the present. We can get a better
knowledge OF human nature By reading
Shakespeare than by studying business
men OF to-day. There ia a permanence
10 human nature; men think it would
be different to- morrow by reason of some
reform they wish to effect, but the
change would be all over by Tomorrow
night. Bagehot found life bigger than
this accounts of his bank.
lie WINS good whila making up bis
mind to be married mot after he met
Miss Wilson, though). His mother
urged him to marry, but be said, mo,
mans mother ia his misfortune, hut
his wife is his FAULT When asked
what party be belonged TO he said he
didn't know. he was ''between sizes in
politics. A large number Of men in
this country have found themselves be.
tween sizes in politics. too. They do
not want to be classed under party
name they have always disIiked,
even il they have found it best to vote
with it.
Walter Bagehot would study each
man be met and prod him on to reveal
himself. He used to walk alone, talk.
ing TO himself. What he thought il
worth while to say to himself m ust
have been worth hearing. II asked his
opinion on doubtful question he would
say: My mind is to let on that sub.
ject," He quantity sat apart and lis.
toned while the world deployed before
him. His essay on ''Physics and Poll
tics is an incompatible guide to point
out interesting things. I've often found
iduaa 10 what people have written that
they nave gotten unronBciously from
Bagehot. find | use bis Thoughts
myself. Tic stripped the English Con.
stitution of its literary theory OUR
needs like operation. The hardest
thing we have to do is TO forget the
Federalists. We forget that constItu.
tions are living things, vehicles of a life
that changes from time to time Bage.
hot enables us to understand what the
English Constitution is, People thought
the government consisted of the Queen
and Houses of Parliament. They should
substitute the Ministry for the Queen,
II minister is not supported by the
House of Commons he must resign.
The Queen may be called the. sovereign
of England. but not its government,
Her use in a dignitied capacity is in
caloulable, but only 10 hold the i'm.
agination and vsDeratiou Ut the people,
but she has three rights: To be con.
suited, to encourage and = to warn.
Having no others shs uses thsse with
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