Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-19

politicians of his times Gladstone
was always assiduous in application to
his studies ard 10 his political duties
He was rather silent in his ambitions,
but he pressed forward, slowly, it is
true, but surely, TO eminence. In 1884
he was junior lord of the treasury I'M
der Sir Robert Peel; then, in Septem-
her, 1871, he was vice president OF the
board of trade; then, in 1S43, he was
president of that body and held a seat
in the cabinet of Sir Robert. Two
years afterward he resigned from the
ministry (mirabile dictu) on ques-
ton of conscience. In the same year,
however, he became secretary of state
for the colonies Gladstone belonged
to the faction known as the Ptelites,
but he was not extreme, and 1t was
easy to see that he would presently
affiliate with one of the dominant par
ties in the state. He did not, there
fore, make himself conspicuous as
member of the Adullamite faction. He
gradually veered over, between 1876
and 1852, to progressive and moder-
ately radical policies By doing so he
offended Oxford. Oxford renowned
him. and he renounced Oxford in one
Of the most courageous passages of his
life
Meanwhile, in 1852, Gladstone be-
came chancellor of the exchequer I'M
der the Earl of Aberdeen. In this Of
flee it developed upon him to mage
the finances of the British empire dur
ing the Crimean war. Aberdeen, Oh
account of inefficiency, was soon over
thrown, but Gladstone was carried
over to the cabinet of Palmerston
This was in February OF leoo. he
signing from Office he was sent, IN
1859. as a special commissioner to the
Ionian islands. Returning in the FOL
lowing year he became for the second
time chancellor of the exchequer UNI
der Lord Palmerston and Earl Russell.
He now rose to the place of leader or
the House Of Commons. But before
this he had broken with Oxford. His
liberal tendencies had gone so far that
he could no longer wear with patience
the cloak of the past. He threw off all
the old traditions with considerable
audacity and appealed to South Lam
cashire. He left the theoloSlans ana
went to the merchants. He abandon
ed the philosophers and sought COM
fort with the manufacturers. Sir John
Gladstone revived in his son. He now
became a leader of the mercantile
and half democratic growing party OF
Liberals in Great Britain.
1t was in this relation that Glad
stone was brought into contact and
fierce antagonism with his brilliant
rival. Benjamin Disraeli. The latter
was four years Gladstone's senior In
learning and wit and adroitness he
was greatly the superior. The charac-
ter of Disraeli was sprightly. versatile,
penetrating as an electric fiash( fertile
in resources, with talent for COM
bination and strategy which amounted
to genius. In all of these respects
he was a head above his rival, but the
latter had more momentum. and in
the long run he had the better of the
battle. For a period of more than 20
years the two leaders We're set against
each other in the contention for the
/ premiership of Great Britain. This po-
sition is. if We except the presidency
/ of the United States, the greatest po-
/ litical prize in the world For this
J Gladstone and Disraeli battled. Three
I times in the fight the latter was sue
cessful and four times the former,
1t was in the vicissitudes of this con-