Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-01


or that MEASURE. of which he aftefward be-
came the most strenuous advocate. One is
calmly reminded of these facts, Just as IL he
were not already quite aware Of them, just
as II he did not regard Gladstone's open
ness to new ideas and to fresh evidence
and to the convictions founded upon them
as one OF his chief claims to the gratitude OF
posterlty. Gladstone began life as a tory of
the tories. Now, let us ask ourselves what
motive he had for gradually giving up tory
ism altogether. He was not an adventurer
in politics; he had nothing to adventure
for; he belonged to a very wealthy family of
Liverpool; he was started in life with the
most ample means Of pursuing a politician
career. With his genius, his education and
his eloquence he might have maintained for
the tory party a political position and repu-
tation, at least as high as 1t had in the best
days of Sir Robert Peel. He seemed marked
out by every condition and by every attribute
to be Peels successor in the leadership OF
the tory party. When Peel broke up his
party by proclaiming himself a free trader,
and thereby gave to Mr.. Disraeli his first
chance of political power, Gladstone's con-
victlons had already rendered 1t impossible
for him to hold to the party, for he, as well
as Peel. had changed his opinions on what
lit SttIltu W Ut IL Nltdt QutbltOh VI
toryism. What was there, except a common
conviction on some points, and some points
alone, to attract him toward the liberal
party? Without imputing merely personal
motives to Disraeli, it may at least be adj
mitted that there must have been a natural
temptation to a man of his gifts and his
ambition to turn to a party which, after
Peel's political fall, seemed to be absolutely
in want of a brilliant, a daring and a
capable leader. A prize was put within
Disraeli's reach, which he might have spent
his whole life vainly In looking for under
other conditions, and he must surely have
felt tempted to give up the radical opinions
with which he had started into public life
and to try for the proud position OF tory
leader. There was not a man on the tory
side who could have been compared for a
single moment with Disraeli. for ability, for
courage and for Parliamentary eloquence.
Gladstone as n Liberal.
But what were the temptations to Glad
stone to become a liberal? On the liberal
side Of the House he saw men like Lord
Palmerston, who, although little indeed of a
genuine reformer, yet was able to lead the
party for years and years by the force of his
cleverness, his knowledge of human weak
nesses and his power to amuse and to
captivate the House of Commons. Then
there was Lord John Russell, one of the
greatest liberal statesmen England has ever
had, and among those not in Office or anxious
were men like Golden and Bright, each of
whom could sway multitudes out-of-doors,
and each of whom could hold the breathless
interest of the House of Commons, one of
them, John Bright, being, so far as my
judgment goes, the only real oratorical rival
Gladstone ever had in Parliament. What
was there to tempt a merely ambitious man
to cast in his lot with a party thus rich in
the intellect and the intelligence and the
eloquence of it's leaders? Later on, what
temptation was there to a merely ambitious
man to take upon himself the task of de-
%veloping and supplementing the policy left
unfinished by the great reform bill of 1892
Gladstone fell from power for a time be-
cause he felt bound to undertake that task
and he went on his path Of reform as un-
concernedly as if nothing had happened.
What had he to gain by taking up the
national cause of Ireland and striving to deal
with its ubiquitous land laws and going in
at last for the support Of home rule? His
first home rule measure lost him his place
and his ministry and he went on preparing
for another and a better home rule meas
ure, which he brought forward when he
came into power again, and which, in its
turn. sent him out Of power once more. Had
he been a younger men he would have
worked and waited patiently until a new
chance came and he would have carried his
Irish policy in the end. All this is only said
to prove-if,, indeed, proof be needed fol
such a purpose--that through the whole
course of his long career Gladstone actet
| Nn1u In nhnAtnnna tN cnvucionnn anH m
~viction.
A Domestic RefOrmer.
1 have said that Gladstone's main career
was that of a domestic reformer. But, O.
course. it can never be forgotten that Glad
stones interest, as a statesman, was never
narrowed down to the mere consideration
Of domestic reform. No great national caus'
ever thrilled the heart Of any European
population but Gladstone's heart and mine
went out to 1t with interest and with sym
pathy. He did more than any other Englisl
statesman of his time to forward the caus,
Of Italian unity. He did more than an.
, other English statesman Of his time t.
forward the cause Of Greece. Some of tn
latest appeals which came from his pen dur
!, ing his retirement from public life wer
in favor of the claims of Greece, and ha'
s lHiduotoncS oiSC pSehaH dioWtu " uiClu
1 to those who we're in power the complet
. emancipation of Greece and of the Greek
: from the oppression of Turkey would hav
: been accomplished before now. When he re
4 signed the leadership of the liberal party
S then in opposition, years and years ago, h
. was drawn back to the front place again b
q his intense sympathy with the wrongs an
: the sufferings of the Christians under Turk
g ish rule. The emancipated and CROWN
g Bulgarian state is distinctly the creation G
n his policy and his humanity. During hi
n retirement from public life he sounded
e magnificent trumpet call more than ono
h ON behalf of the Armenians, whom the polio
d of Europe left to be massacred by the OF
s icials of the sultan Of Turkey. Some {
v his enemies were fond Of accusing him {
IS extravaganza in his chivalrous appeals fo
the rescue Of the unfortunate Armenia
IS populations. II 1t was extravaganza, the
% all impassioned philanthropy is extravaganza
4. when 1t cries out against the wrongs in
ficted on a people. with whom the pillar
thropist's own interests have no immediai
:, concern,
TnA HU.aI, M . Ipuut.u