The San Francisco call., 1898-05-22

tory. Ana he was IIldheA OA iiI0'o4 y not merely through the accidents o1 birth or of political and social condl- tions, but by virtue of the elements ol a strong and unique personality HIS Influence upon the life of his time was due not to lucky circumstance, put to inc strength. wisdom and humane sym pathies of his own personal character
 Tn the last analysis and when hls- tory issues its final verdict upon the career of William Ewart Gladstone, II will be found that his versatility, hls erninence as a scholar, as hnahcler and as a statesman were secondary to his sterling moral qualities as a man and 2. lover of mankind. In truth' HIS versatility as a public man was tAe natural outcome of the many-sldedhesS of bie nersonality and the many points o+ which the sensitive qualities CT hlS oheroo+ar, touched the interests or HIS fellow-men. .,, ; 4ba
 For once the adage, "The child IS the +o+,a,. of the man." was belied by the of C1ode+one. He first entered Par uan,ent as a Tory of the old school d ori,- associations had qualified ana I1-a5isposed him. Had he been con tant with a political career o1 pIo- feesional and conventional oruer lIlei i . seemed to be no reason why ne sliOu ~ Lllt not achieve success as a great eat 0t of / leader, What would have become ,l 0L Disraeli in that event IL were oo'ii Ni- 6cult and useless to conjecture.
 Blackstone and Disraeli crossed patns in aImost opposite directions from oi- rectly opposite starting points Glau- I,.I, stone although born and raised Tory, was constitutionally predeSlineu .o ne a Liberal and a reformer. Anlons III" m innate qualities were lhose OA A i--- coin and a Garibaldi. .,+
 .tTha greatest good for the greatest number5 was his political motto as soon as he sufficiently understood mn l- self and his political bearings to aaopt a motto. And this motto ever Ie5
 uained his pillar of cloud py uay @nV his pillar of fire by night throuslou' all the changes of his great career.
 cnadetone as a great leader and re- former. was unique in the possession and control of two kindred essential qualities of leadership in all great en- terprises. namely, sincerity and entnu- stasru. From predilections ot early associations and training he was not during most of his public life one or the f5yst +o nerceive a new political ideal b11t once perceived it was never lost sight of. The more ardent progress ives of his party often grew impatient at 5Te slowness and caution Wlth which he took hold of reform pro feet. but when he had once taken hold his grasp never relaxed, put Iasnei e,ioi frightened. until the project took final shane among the statutes of the realm, +o inc advantage and liberties and cuS- toms of the people.
 A close political observer once re- marked to me How Gladstone grows upon you!'
 1t was quite true. Tn like manner Gladstone grew upon the entire nation throughout his entire career. His greatest enthusiasm appeared in the latter part of his life. His views Of truth were ever broadening and his sympathies were ever intenslfylng, ana so it came to pass that in Gladstone the world beheld the rare spectacle CT an octogenarian toiling as reformer with the sympathy, ardor and enthu- siasm of youth.
 To render any estimate of the moral qualities of Gladstone's character is to suggest to all who knew the man very striking contrast in the person of his great antagonist Benjamin Dis raeli, afterward the Earl of Beacons- field. Disraeli was always politician, often a political buffoon; Gladstone was never less than a dignified states man. Disraeli was the hired howler" of his party in the political game of cricket, and was so treated by his own side; Gladstone was the honored cap- tain of his party and always respected by the other side, whichever won the game. The political cartoons of Punch published from week to week during the years when these two men were antagonists in the political arena point the contrast in a very vivid manner. A few years ago these cartoons were 1ir1. S1 %o yoI, Gladstone" series and a "Disraeli" series. In the Disraeli series Disraeli is often the smarter of the two antag- onists. but his cleverness is usually that of the sleight-of- hand juggler, the political mountebank
 In the Gladstone series, however Gladstone Is rarely exhibited in any such character. Many of these cartoons are laudatory and heroic in purpose and character and the mistakes which they occasionally expose or satiriZe are almost always mistakes that are con- sistent with honesty and sincerity of purpose. And Punch in so estimating and comparing the characters of the two men expressed in substance the judgment of the nation regardless of political party in those days.
 History may modify the judgment of Disraeli pronounced by his contenpo rar1es, but it will never rob the fame or Gladstone of the priceless gems of purity, honesty and sincerity
 To these qualities of character. com bined with the native strength of his personality, was due in large measure the fascination which Gladstone's speech always exercised over his fel low men. 1 was witness to a grand i1- lustration of this which occurred one Saturday more than twenty years ago. It was during the first excitement caused by the published reports of Turkish atrocities in Bulgaria and Gladstone had been announced to ad- dress his constituents at Blackheath. There ] eing no hall of sufficient ca pacity in the neighborhood it was ar ranged to hold the meeting on the open common. Before the time announced for the meeting i. began to rain and the rain fell in steady perpendicular torrents, continuously throughout the afternoon. There was no possible shell ter except for the speaker and about dozen others including members of the local political committee and represen- tatives of the London press.
 Did the rain spoil the meeting? Not at all. Gladstone spoke for over two hours, and throughout the whole of that time there stood around that hustings as many thousands of men as could pack together within hearing of ho