Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-05-24
HON. W. e. GLADSTONE.

Anu YET MS Cu&aIttCCeE pIcocuCSu ptaIdAAVA.
No other politician of modern times, none
probably of any time, has changed posi-
lions 20 often or 80 radically, and it ia
scarcely possible to find any defined prin-
ciple advocated by him during his later
years that he had not at some time In the
past assailed with vituperative eloquence
Yet there was always certain consistency
even in bis changes. Contrary to an almost
universal rule among students Of society
and government, he steadily grew more
radical az he grew older, less cautious as he
grew physically weaker and less tolerant
Of criticism AZ bis course raised greater
armies Of critics.
His supporters claimed consistency on
his part by one plea: He declared and was
often able to show that, while sound rear
soning on the facts then known sustained
his first position, later experience taught
sensible men the true view, and hence that
an advocacy which was once only mistake
was later the outcome Of mere obstinacy in
opposition to justice and truth. He entered
parliament az Il Tory Of the 18th century
sort, grew into a mild Conservative, held
office az an advanced Wing and then led
the opposition to victory in 1859 as a
Liberal 30 very radical that many English
radicals abandoned him, and even Irish
radicals had sometimes to restrain him.
- Sometimes Inconsistent, Always Earnest.
Hetook Office AZ protectionist, but aided
In establishing free trade: launched into
literature with q plea for the union OF
church and state 30 extreme that even the
Tories repudiated 1t and ended by destroy
ing the Irish establishment, and though his
first public utterance to be generally no
ticed in America was a eulogy on Jefferson
Davis and the southern confederacy and
his next Il savage criticism on the Irish
party he lived to be the most popular Of
Englishmen to Americans and the very
ideal of statesmen to Irishmen. Surely the
career of such u man deserves close study.
1t teaches many valuable lessons, but chief
" these two-that in this century new
measures and the science Of government
have developed SO rapidly that the man Of
aston and talent appears for time the
most inconsistent, and that the people in
stinctively approve of an inconsistent ad-
vance far more than of consistent stand
still or retrogression.
One may 70 over hundreds of pages Of
his speeches or writings without finding a
single essay at wit, and though many pas
sages show geniality it would be hard to
find one that is distinctly humorous. In
the case OF any other man, or OF the same
man in any other country, especially In the
United States, this very uniformity Of So
riousness and awful dignity would have
made him the subject of satire. Dozens Of
names would have been invented for him.
But let him take what position he might,
Englishmen have unanimously credited
him with being terribly in earnest. In fact,
II they had thought him less earnest his
opponents would have thought him much
less dangerous.
Whatever his position might be at 3
given time be really believed in it. It be-
came part Of bis religion. And it 80 hap
pened that arly all the great issues Of his
time have been closely connected with re-
ligious tenets To have men of such I'M
yielding convictions is we'll, but that they
are not = ma ority among the public men
Of any country Is also we'll.
Americans find no difficulty in under
standing why Mr. Gladstone has been 80
dercely hated or 10 cordially liked by diff
ferent factions in England, for the contro-
versy there bears an unpleasantly close re-
semblance to that in the United States i'm